South African Domestic Season 2008/9

[TT Boy]

MTN Final Stats...

Winners - Titans

Batting Most Runs
Bodi (Titans) 530 runs @ 48.18 (Strike-rate 88.03, 1 100, 4 50's)
VB van Jaarsveld (Lions) 487 runs @ 69.57 (Strike-rate 110.68, 1 100, 5 50's)
Human (Eagles) 484 runs @ 53.77 (Strike-rate 84.32, 5 50's)

Bowling Most Wickets (All spin...)
van der Merwe (Titans) 30 wickets @ 14
Claude Henderson (Cobras) 16 wickets @ 22.93
Werner Coetsee (Lions) 15 wickets @ 23.86

 

[TT Boy]

The Pro20 starts tomorrow.

The Cobras (who are in desperate need of success) are eyeing up signing up semi-retired, Roger Telemachus (36) for a month. Telemachus is currently playing for Stellenbosch University and from reports is bigger than Philander and Kleinveldt combined. If the Cobras 20/20 campaign turns sour expect a mass cull of players and coaching staff. Both Philander, Kleinveldt are under big pressure whilst Andrew Puttick who unsuccessfully tried to go Kolpak last year only for a visa problem to halt that ambition, is also on borrowed time.

Italian associate cricketer, Andy Northcote was apart of the Cobras trial 20/20 squad last week and could be in with a shout of getting a gig.

 

[Something_Fishy]

Are we talking about the same guy? Behardien bowls dodgy medium pace.

I've only ever seen him bowl in a SuperSport match and he was bowling back-of-the-hand stuff at 100kph and turnin it a bit. Though it was a 4th day pitch.

 

[popepouri]

So I saw Roelof bowl for the first time. Sadly it was the last over of the Warriors innings when he bowled 2 full tosses which were dispatched for two sixes and it went for 17. LOL. Bad luck there.

So the Warriors utterly destroyed the Titans with Davey hitting 5 sixes in a row. In reply they couldn't get past the 100 mark. I was impressed with Andrew Birch who can swing the ball both ways. Rusty did well too even though his action is diabolical. If someone worked with him to fix the way he falls away, he could be even better.

I've also been keeping an eye on the u19s and Obus Pienaar looks like one for the future. He's got a similar action to Andre Nel but he's left-handed, quicker and he looks like a fine middle order batsmen. Hopefully the franchises recognize that soon.

 

[TT Boy]

So I saw Roelof bowl for the first time. Sadly it was the last over of the Warriors innings when he bowled 2 full tosses which were dispatched for two sixes and it went for 17. LOL. Bad luck there.

So the Warriors utterly destroyed the Titans with Davey hitting 5 sixes in a row. In reply they couldn't get past the 100 mark. I was impressed with Andrew Birch who can swing the ball both ways. Rusty did well too even though his action is diabolical. If someone worked with him to fix the way he falls away, he could be even better.

It was a good win by the Warriors; they are pretty much a rag-tag team currently. de Bruyn took the new ball bowler and Robbie P had to open the innings shows that they are miles away from full strength. I liked the look of Colin Ingram, scored some big runs last week in amateur cricket and he looked the part last night. Although, his dismissal was just an unnecessary heave. Davey Jacobs played a real captain's knock and took the game away from the Titans in the last two overs. 160 plus under lights in P.E. isn't on.

Disappointing display by the Titans seamers once again. Part-timer, de Bruyn was quicker than all of them apart from Walters. David Wiese looks like a poor mans Rikki Clarke, bowls gentle 120kph swingers and is a front foot bully.
Though, Faf bowled well once again, got another wicket with the flipper and took a phenomenal catch. He is the best the fielder in South Africa, just a shame his batting has gone to the dogs.

Warriors 169/5 (D Jacobs 71*, Ingram 35, du Plessis 2/23) beat the Titans 88 (Snijman 21, Birch 4/22, Kreusch 2/15) by 81 runs

 

[Protea]

Disappointing display by the Titans seamers once again. Part-timer, de Bruyn was quicker than all of them apart from Walters. David Wiese looks like a poor mans Rikki Clarke, bowls gentle 120kph swingers and is a front foot bully.
Though, Faf bowled well once again, got another wicket with the flipper and took a phenomenal catch. He is the best the fielder in South Africa, just a shame his batting has gone to the dogs.

Warriors 169/5 (D Jacobs 71*, Ingram 35, du Plessis 2/23) beat the Titans 88 (Snijman 21, Birch 4/22, Kreusch 2/15) by 81 runs

Did you manage to watch the game on television? Rusty Theron was by far the quickest, as he as been all season - according to the speed gun anyway. He was well into the mid-140s. He may have a dodgy action, but he is most definitely not slow.

 

[TT Boy]

Did you manage to watch the game on television? Rusty Theron was by far the quickest, as he as been all season - according to the speed gun anyway. He was well into the mid-140s. He may have a dodgy action, but he is most definitely not slow.

I was referring to the Titans bowlers.

 

[TT Boy]

I've also been keeping an eye on the u19s and Obus Pienaar looks like one for the future. He's got a similar action to Andre Nel but he's left-handed, quicker and he looks like a fine middle order batsmen. Hopefully the franchises recognize that soon.

Oh dear. Cricinfo has him down as left arm fast but he bowls with the keeper up according to their commentary. Has had a good series against England though with both bat and ball, leading wicket-taker in the ODI series and some valuable batting knocks. Surprised he hasn't played any amateur cricket for the Free State.

Lots of left arm seamers knocking around South Africa at the moment. Few years back it was practically only Charl Willoughby.

 

[Protea]

My apologies

The Titans seam attack isn't the best - if you exclude Steyn and the Morkels - and added to that, they struggle to fill the quota of POCs in the team. Imran Tahir doesn't count as one, either.

They've got a few talented younger players around. I'm not sure if Matthew Arnold is still with them, but he's got some serious pace on him for 19/20.

 

[TT Boy]

My apologies

The Titans seam attack isn't the best - if you exclude Steyn and the Morkels - and added to that, they struggle to fill the quota of POCs in the team. Imran Tahir doesn't count as one, either.

They've got a few talented younger players around. I'm not sure if Matthew Arnold is still with them, but he's got some serious pace on him for 19/20.

His not even playing provincial cricket, God knows where he has gone. Last I heard of him he was playing for the academy but as a batsman. He looked the part with Parnell at the U19 World Cup. Very quick and very tall.*

The Titans have a huge issue with getting four good enough 'black' cricketers on the park. They were fielding some real Mickey Mouse guys recently (never heard of a few of them) just to fill up the quota whilst talented guys like Pieter Malan had to sit out and they still have to import their 'black' cricketers - Bodi, Farhaan and Walters are not from the Titans neck of the woods.

Although, Mangaliso Moshele, South Africa's U19 wicket-keeper who looks to be a decent talent with the bat is from the township, Duduza and plays for the Titans feeder side, Easterns. So that could encouraging news for the future if they are starting to produce homegrown 'black' talent.

* Also another U19 'star' who is nowhere to be seen is all-rounder, Yaseen Yallie. Peter Kirsten was a huge fan of the kid and he proved to be a top performer for the U19's with his off-spin, yet he hasn't hardly got a gig with Western Province and the Cobras who go through players like no ones business have not even given the kid a look-in.

 

[popepouri]

Oh dear. Cricinfo has him down as left arm fast but he bowls with the keeper up according to their commentary.

You're right. Probably bowls 120-130. I haven't seen a lot of him though.

 

[TT Boy]

Seems to be some conjecture about his pace. News24 and CSA call him ‘speedster’, Pienaar but just reading the Cricinfo commentaries, there isn’t much indication that he is particularly quick. Although, whatever his bowling seems to be doing the trick, his taken a hatful against England so far.

 

[TT Boy]

Cape Cobras 20/20 Squad:
Andrew Puttick, Stiaan van Zyl, Sybrand Engelbrecht, Henry Davids, Richard Levi, Derek Brand, Justin Ontong (capt), Brendan Adams, Vernon Philander, Roger Telemachus, Rory Kleinveldt, Charl Langeveldt, Claude Henderson.

Andrew Puttick is expected to keep wicket. Roger Telemachus eventually passed a fitness test whilst Derek Brand, who hasn't played any First Class or List A cricket in over 9 years comes in. No surprises but Monde Zondeki is injured.

 

[Langeveldt]

Ouch

Just watching the Eagles/Dolphins game, Bosman has just done a Simon Jones in the outfield, ambulanced off.. Probably out for the rest of the season

 

[TT Boy]

Wow looks like an insane innings from Henry Davids for the Cobras against the Warriors. 48 balls, 112 runs and 9 sixes. It is the only second century in Pro20 history, the highest score in the competition and came at the same pace as Loots Bosman one from years back. Speaking of Loots, looks like his done a Simon Jones and done his knee out in the field in the Eagles Dolphins game. It didn’t look pretty live, he couldn’t move and an ambulance had to be called for and he was carted off.

Good knock by the Dolphins however; the Eagles were have a tough chase with 10 players.

Back to the Cobras game, Derek Brand who I said hasn’t played any ‘proper’ cricket for over 9 years made a good comeback, the 33 year old hit 68 of 50 balls and hit one ball out of Newlands. The Warriors inexperienced and lack of quality with the ball was cruelly exposed as the Cobras racked up over 200. They can’t seriously challenge if Zander de Bruyn is going to open the bowling and provincial spinners is what you offer midway through the innings.

 

[TT Boy]

Commentator, Jeremy Fredericks is a good laugh. Speaks Afrikaans when his doing English commentary and English when his meant to be speaking Afrikaans and tells some bizarre cricketing and non-cricketing stories.

Morne van Wyk has gone grey pretty quick.

Friend is pretty lively for the Dolphins.

 

[TT Boy]

Not a good shot from boytjie, Rossouw. He is a better cricketer than that.

 

[TT Boy]

Dolphins 184/2 (Rowley 88*, HD Ack 82, McLaren 1/29) beat the Eagles 116/9 (Bailey 31, Smit 3/24, Alfonso 2/20) by 69 runs (10 balls remaining)

Good win by the Dolphins and another impressive performance from wicket-keeper, Smit with his leg-spin.

Cobras 207/2 (Davids 112*, Brand 68, Theron 1/29) beat the Warriors 203/5 (Ingram 84, Robbie P 51, Langeveldt 2/30) by 4 runs

Apparently there was 12,000 at Newlands, good crowd and from the looks of it an exciting game.

 

[TT Boy]

Pro 20

Dolphins 121/9 (Smit 31, Mbhalati 2/6, Tahir 2/20) Titans - No Result

Eagles 156/3 (van Wyk 89*, Bailey 39*, Frylinck 1/23) beat the Lions 148/7 (Vilas 44, du Preez 3/25, Bailey 2/26) by 8 runs

Shame about the rain at Centurion for Daryn Smit's late order hitting (Dolphins hit 50 plus of the last five) gave them a total on a two-paced track which could have been defended. Good to see Imran Tahir back for the Titans, got taken in his last over but did well and alongside van der Merwe and Faf they can do a real good job for the Titans in Pro 20. Faf got two wickets and bowled a beaut to get Johann Louw, pitched on leg, turned and hit off. He took a fine catch as well whilst lanky seamer, Mbhalati recorded economically the best figures in Pro 20 history with his four overs upfront.

As for the Eagles Lions game, the Lions welcomed back for the game speedster, Friedel de Wet, who has been out injured all season and new recruit, former Dolphins all-rounder, Robert Frylinck (who last played cricket for Surrey in the summer on a Kolpak), came straight into the side. The Lions were always in with a sniff of victory but two good last overs from Dillon du Preez and Ryan McLaren snuffed them out.

 

[popepouri]

Pro 20

Dolphins 121/9 (Smit 31, Mbhalati 2/6, Tahir 2/20) Titans - No Result

Eagles 156/3 (van Wyk 89*, Bailey 39*, Frylinck 1/23) beat the Lions 148/7 (Vilas 44, du Preez 3/25, Bailey 2/26) by 8 runs

Shame about the rain at Centurion for Daryn Smit's late order hitting (Dolphins hit 50 plus of the last five) gave them a total on a two-paced track which could have been defended. Good to see Imran Tahir back for the Titans, got taken in his last over but did well and alongside van der Merwe and Faf they can do a real good job for the Titans in Pro 20. Faf got two wickets and bowled a beaut to get Johann Louw, pitched on leg, turned and hit off. He took a fine catch as well whilst lanky seamer, Mbhalati recorded economically the best figures in Pro 20 history with his four overs upfront.

As for the Eagles Lions game, the Lions welcomed back for the game speedster, Friedel de Wet, who has been out injured all season and new recruit, former Dolphins all-rounder, Robert Frylinck (who last played cricket for Surrey in the summer on a Kolpak), came straight into the side. The Lions were always in with a sniff of victory but two good last overs from Dillon du Preez and Ryan McLaren snuffed them out.

Good to see Frylinck going elsewhere. Lets hope he can fulfill his potential.

With two new franchises coming in, I really hope some spinners for the Titans jump ship. Obviously they're known for producing talented players and they have plenty of depth but I think it ruins the potential of up and comers. I'd like to see Roelof play in the Supersport series, or Faf becoming a front line spinning alrounder in all forms of the game or even Harro playing in the Pro 20.

Where finding a spinner is an issue in SA, these guys need lots of overs and they need to play every game at the highest level they can.