Cape Town -  Titans coach Mark Boucher is concerned about the workload of his players during the One-Day Cup as they prepare for the first of three games in the space of five days against the Highveld Lions in Benoni on Wednesday.

The defending champions are also due to face the Knights in Kimberley on Friday and then the Dolphins in Pietermaritzburg on Sunday – all these games coming on the back of five games in 11 days to start 2018.

“Our schedule is ridiculously hectic,” he said. “It’s almost as if we’re living in a bit of a movie at the moment.

“You play, you travel, you play, you travel you play, you travel…we’ve got five games in eight days and it’s really dangerous. I'm seriously worried about injuries.

“This format is really demanding, 50 overs. I think in 20 overs you can do it, but in 50 overs our bodies need a bit more time to rest.

“So, it’s not ideal, but we just need to try to get through this period, which is my big concern and I'm sure the other coaches feel the same way as well.”

Despite Boucher’s fears, his side remain amongst the competition front-runners.

They are second on the table and have two out of their final four games at home, starting with the Jukskei derby against the out-of-sorts Lions at Sahara Park Willowmoore.

“The Lions haven’t been in great form, but we understand that they have very good players and cannot be discounted,” the Titans coach added. “We’ll treat them with the respect that is due to them. You can’t afford to take any team lightly in this competition, so we’ll have to be at our best once again.”

Even though the Lions have mainly struggled this season, they are currently fourth on the standings, coming off a fine win against the Warriors in their last game when they chased down in excess of 300.

That has put them in fourth position, which is the final qualifying spot for the semi-finals, and coach Geoffrey Toyana is eager to hold on to that despite the pressure expected to come from the two teams below them in the closing rounds. “There’s always pressure,” Toyana said. “The good thing is that all the teams around us still have to play each other and there’s positives in that.

“But, when you play professional sport, there’s always pressure whether you are top or bottom.

“The key is how you absorb that pressure and we need to make sure we do it well.”