As the business end of the competition draws near, both sides will be totally focused on victory to secure their berths in the top four. The Diamond Eagles have a four-point edge over the Cobras, but have played a match more. They will be keen to consolidate the top position they claimed with a resounding victory over the Dolphins on Sunday when Van Wyk ran amok by hitting 160 not out off 136 balls.
It was his second match-winning century after he hit 115 not out against the Warriors. In six matches, he has slammed 405 runs at an average of 101,3 and a strike rate of 91,21. Clearly he looms as the danger man, but the Diamond Eagles Andrew Puttick and Ashwell Prince provide the experience in their batting, while the success of spinner Con de Lange (nine wickets at 19,2 each) and seamer Alan Dawson (six wickets at 21,8), first and third in the latest averages, has been instrumental in them reaching a strong position on the log.
Zander de Bruyn's Eastern Cape outfit will be bouyed by their first win of the season, against the Dolphins on Friday, and will be desperate to keep their slim semi-final hopes alive. However, they can expect a backlash from Neil McKenzie's Lions, who were completely outplayed by the Titans on Sunday after being sent in on a difficult pitch in Johannesburg. With a strong batting line-up, the Lions will be looking to put the pressure on the Warriors attack, who have been guilty of providing far too many extras for the opposition.
If the Warriors do pull off another victory, the competition is set for thrilling finale, with 10 matches to be played over the final 10 days of the league phase. This ends on November 5, with the semi-finals being played the following weekend.
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