THE Chevrolet Warriors have called up half of the Proteas’ Castle Test squad leaving for India on Saturday for Friday’s MTN40 final against the Nashua Dolphins at East London’s Buffalo Park.

This would suggest that the home side have to be installed as runaway favourites. That, however, is hardly the case. They will not need reminding that both of the semi-finals also had hot favourites and they both came unstuck.

The real relevance of the paper statistics is that the Warriors will want to get the job done on Friday night and not take the match to the reserve day on Saturday. Such an outcome would leave them having to replace half their team which would cause all kinds of logistic and preparation headaches.

Knock-out matches are very different from the consistent form needed over the entire league phase of the MTN40. Both the Warriors and the Dolphins will know all about that as they both went through the league phases with losing runs that they managed to terminate in the nick of time. The Warriors finished up by winning five games out of 10 while the Dolphins only managed three and also needed other results to go in their favour to reach the last four.

Now it comes down to form on the day and the ability to play the big points better than the opposition. Nowhere was this better illustrated than during Sunday’s semi-final between the Nashua Titans and the Dolphins where the match turned on the bizarre run out of AB de Villiers.

If the Warriors have most of the big names on show – although any team that has Loots Bosman, Hashim Amla, Andrew Hall, Dale Benkenstein and Imraan Khan in its ranks is not that short of big names – the Dolphins may have quite a few of the unsung heroes of this season’s competition.

Johann Louw, a Protea a year ago, is a case in point. There are not many bigger hitters down the bottom of the order and he has also been a consistent performer both with the new ball and at the death.

Then what about Daryn Smit? He must be the most versatile cricketer in the South African first-class game .... batsman of quality, outstanding wicketkeeper and a wrist spinner who can turn the ball substantially. His name was certainly discussed in informed circles when a back-up spinner for Paul Harris in the Test squad for India was being debated.

He will have a role to play along with the medium-pace of Benkenstein as Buffalo Park is nearly always on the slow side.

How do the key areas match up?

Power hitting up front: Loots Bosman is as good as anybody in the business and will change the  course of the game if he gets going. The Warriors’ Justin Kreusch is an under-rated talent in this role.

Batting through the innings: A mouth-watering match-up which features Hashim Amla on the one side and Jacques Kallis on the other.

Power hitting down the innings: Louw has already been mentioned and watch out for young David Miller who packs an enormous punch for one so young. The Warriors have Mark Boucher who is one of the form players in SA cricket at the moment. Davy Jacobs is another big hitter of note.

Death bowlers: Wayne Parnell and Rusty Theron did a superb job for the Warriors in the semi-final. Andrew Hall may have faded a bit since his international days but he remains one of the finest exponents of this art.

Experience of the big time: Kallis and Boucher have both been there and done it as have Hall and Benkenstein.

This suggests a match-up that is too close to call.

Form on the day is all that will count.