Victoria look to bushwhack warriors

Port Elizabeth: They may be without their regular skipper Cameron White, who is turning out for the Bangalore Royal Challengers, but the Victoria Bushrangers have a host of Twenty20 specialists who are sure to make life difficult for the Warriors when the two sides face off at the St George's Park here on Monday.

Home side Warriors will be high on confidence after their opening match win over Wayamba Eleven, but facing the Bushrangers will be a different ball game altogether. The Australian side is being led by stand-in skipper David Hussey and boasts of a lineup that includes Brad Hodge, Aaron Finch and Rob Quiney.

Opener Quiney, who struggled on the Indian wickets during the third edition of the IPL while turning out for the Rajasthan Royals, will find the South African conditions more suited to his style of play.

The Bushrangers have an enviable record in this format of the game, having won the KFC big bash four out of five times. The side had beaten teams like Queensland, New South Wales, Tasmania and South Australian Redbacks on their way to title triumph in the last edition of the KFC tournament.

The Bushrangers, who could not make the final of the inaugural edition of the league after losing to last year's eventual winners New South Wales in the semis, will look to improve upon their performance this time around.

Warriors, on the other hand, will be a lot more confident after they chased down a modest 154 in their opening game. Mark Boucher and Justin Kreusch's unbeaten fourth-wicket partnership of 63 from 44 balls, won them their opening fixture comfortably.

Boucher, who played for Bangalore in the IPL, struck four fours and two sixes during his 26-ball stay while Kreusch hit three fours in his 29-ball innings.

Opener and captain Davey Jacobs contributed 26 while one down Colin Ingram chipped in with a solid 28-ball 34 on a lively St Georges' Park pitch.

Rusty Theron holds the key for the Warriors. In the opening game, the pacer struck with the new ball and if he repeats that, the Bushrangers might find the going a bit difficult.

Both the teams have a lot of experience, but at the moment it seems that the Bushrangers have an edge despite the fact that the Warriors are playing at home.