The Multiply Titans have not lost any sleep over their defeat in the opening game of the CSA T20 Challenge, rather the players and coaching staff are accentuating the positives from their misfortune at SuperSport Park last Friday night.
Rain and the use of the Duckworth Lewis Stern Method to calculate the outcome, meant the Warriors won, but the Titans, the three-time defending champions, are not letting the result weigh them down.
“It was frustrating,” said Diego Rosier, “but you can’t control the weather.”
Instead the Titans are looking ahead, to Wednesday’s match against the WSB Cape Cobras which will be played at Willowmoore Park in Benoni.
“We’ve taken the positives out of that first match, which was obviously that we batted well. Making 200 is a very competitive score and it was nice to contribute,” said Rosier.
That contribution was a very composed 37 off 28 balls with four fours and a six. It came during a partnership of 72 for the third wicket with Theunis de Bruyn, who top scored with 74.
“I really enjoyed batting with Theunis, he was just telling me to get myself in, and by the ninth over he was already saying, this was a pitch on which we could get 200.
“The fact that he was able to recognise that so early, tells you the value of experience. He also stated that we needed to play with more intent, but we never slogged, he kept saying we just need to one boundary an over, playing good cricket shots.”
Rosier is ‘sponging’ as much information as he can in a dressing room packed with experience of not only the international arena, but domestically too.
“It wouldn’t make sense for me to not learn from those guys, players like Jonathan Vandiar and Farhaan Behardien. They’ve got so much to share, it’s such a welcoming environment. They’ve given me the freedom to express myself.”
“I’ve worked really hard on my game with JP Triegaardt (Northerns Provincial Seniors head coach) this season and I feel it’s starting to bear fruit. All I want to do is contribute for the Titans,” Rosier explained.
“Winning trophies is not foreign to the Titans, they’ve won this T20 trophy three years in a row, it’s top of the agenda. We are not going to be down on ourselves after one result. It’s T20 cricket anything can happen and we are still in a good space.”
Multiply Titans squad to face the WSB Cape Cobras (from): Farhaan Behardien (c), Matthew Arnold, Junior Dala, Theunis de Bruyn, Tony de Zorzi, Henry Davids, Donovan Ferreira, Eldred Hawken, Rubin Hermann, Gregory Mahlokwana, Tshepo Moreki, Diego Rosier, Grant Thomson, Shaun von Berg
