Ahead of his side's Caribbean Premier League (CPL) match against hosts Guyana Amazon Warriors, Jamaica Tallawahs fast bowler Dale Steyn insisted they are in a good place at the moment and are fully geared up for the top-of-the-table clash.
Looking ahead to the upcoming match, the 33-year-old Proteas star said that he is relishing the opportunity to feature in his first CPL match.
"I've never played in the CPL before, so me coming up against them (Amazon Warriors) is not like a Manchester United versus Chelsea kind of derby.so I'm walking into this fresh. I know the wicket is kind of slow and was difficult to score on in the Tri-Series, but that keeps the bowlers interested and we have a lot of wicket-takers in our side. After the game that we played the other night, our batters have a little bit more momentum on their side too. (It's) two from two for us and hopefully if we play well, and box smartly with bat and ball, we can make it three,"Steyn said.
Steyn also expressed his views on Chris Gayle's scintillating century that propelled Tallawahs to a seven-wicket win over Trinbago Knight Riders in their previous CPL encounter in Queen's Park Oval.
"For a change I'm in his team! Normally I'm playing against him or sitting back at home watching the tally when he's playing for other sides, smashing everyone all over the place. It's great to be in his side. He's such a chilled kind of guy and doesn't say a lot on the field, but when he does talk people listen. He has such a proud record and so much experience.He just commanded that space and it was brilliant. We all know what he's capable of, but under a pressure situation like he was, as captain, to go out there and play that innings was brilliant," Steyn said.
Meanwhile, Guyana Amazon Warriors Coach Roger Harper spoke about individuals, such as Australian leg-spinner Adam Zampa, and expressed hope that his side can make home advantage count as they also aim to make it three wins on the bounce.
"I think that the team has performed pretty well so far. We've played two games away from home, and won two games, and I think each member of the team has contributed in one way or another. We want to build on our performances. We're at home, so we should be a little bit more familiar with these conditions and we want to show that when we go out there and play we can try and build on what we've done abroad," he said.
"(Zampa) is a young player, but he has an old head on him for a spin bowler and I expect him to handle the situation well and bowl well in these conditions also."
Jamaica Tallawahs will lock horns with Guyana at Providence Stadium on Thursday.
