If the Highveld Lions, who are the visitors on this occasion, manage to beat the Titans at the Mamelodi Oval, then it will complete a hat-trick of wins for Geoff Toyana’s team.
“This event has become a highlight in our calendar and we are looking forward to defending our title and continuing our unbeaten run when we return to Mamelodi next week. As a team, the eKasi Challenge reminds us that cricket is so much bigger than any of us and is a small way of promoting the game to new markets and ensuring that it continues to grow,” Lions coach Toyana said at the launch at SuperSport Park on Monday.
The Highveld Lions won the inaugural eKasi Challenge by 127 runs in Mamelodi on August 23, 2013, then retained the trophy with a thrilling four-run victory at the Dobsonville Oval in Soweto on August 22 last year.
Quinton de Kock scored a century and then spinners Aaron Phangiso and Jean Symes took four wickets each in the 2013 hammering in Mamelodi, but the wicketkeeper/batsman won’t be available for the Lions on this occasion, having joined the Titans in the off-season. De Kock’s availability is not yet certain, having just returned from a tour of India with SA A and potentially having to head back there with the national squad in October.
