Virtually every member of the Cape Cobras selection panel would have been embarrassed watching Andrew Puttick's blazing century Saturday night
Virtually every member of the Cape Cobras selection panel would have been embarrassed watching Andrew Puttick's blazing century Saturday night. After all, the man who is leading his team in the inaugural Champions League Twenty20 wasn't picked in the original squad for the tournament.
Puttick's unbeaten 104 off 62 balls set up the Cobras' 54-run victory over Otago Volts, the Kiwi side who now face Royal Challengers Bangalore on Monday in a do-or-die clash. After being put in to bat, Cobras scored 193 for four and then bowled Otago out for 139 with 17 balls to spare.
Cobras' coach Shukri Conrad agreed that Puttick's splendid knock, his first Twenty20 ton, was in a way a slap in the face of selectors. "Yeah... he wasn't there in the original 15 but to come out and play the way he has done speaks volumes of his character," Conrad said.
While his coach was praising the skipper, who came in to the squad after Graeme Smith was ruled out owing to an injury, Puttick was struggling to find right words.
"It is right up there. Actually, the feeling hasn't really sunk in yet. No doubt it is a special night. A hundred in any form is special, especially in the T20s," Puttick said. "It is very special. Getting a century in a winning cause is just great."
