South Africa Domestic season 2010-11

[TT Boy]

One more innings from Jacobs and maybe Graeme Smith should consider standing aside from the 20/20 side. Think when fully fit Smith is a good 20/20 opener but you can’t dispute with what Jacobs is doing in the PP overs. Proved to me he is more than a one hit wonder.

 

[popepouri]

His innovation and use of the crease is awesome. At one time, they were bowling full tosses on leg stump in the attempt to catch him when he moved across and those got dispatched. The bowlers had no plan against him.

 

[aussie]

Consistency is another. Another player that should be mentioned is CJ de Villiers who is 6'6, is relatively quick (135kph) and move the ball both ways, however he couldn't land the ball on the helipad if he tried last season and he's declined. Alexander needs to learn to construct spells and make sure he hits the right areas before he even gets a sniff at Test cricket. Same with Parnell.

Yes, this is why i suggested if in start of SA FC season if Alexander stays fit & shows these things early on in the season successfully. He should be in the test team for the IND series.

Two tests in the dead WI pitches is not a fair representation of his potential in tests. Regarding ODIs, he averages 22 and bowled relatively well in the WI. He's a smart bowler. He mixes his pace well and bowls to a plan.

I dont see a test quality bowler in him. He is slow doesn't move the ball. I cant see him troubling good test batsmen at all.

To be fair, Philander has improved and he looks like he's putting in the hard yards to state his case. He needs a full season in the SSS and the MTN40 to see if he's ready for selection. No doubt he could be the most improved cricketer in SA if he succeeds.

Fair enough.

Which is a shame because he's now 30 and is injury-prone. Who knows if he'll have the pace he had last year.

Certainly hope he does. SA would be such a strong attack for the IND series if he is backing up Steyn/Morkel.

The fact is he had ODI experience behind him and he's done well, however there is a concern over his potential in tests. As mentioned he does not have a FC 5-fer yet and to be honest, he's not blisteringly quick and he's more up and down than Lopsy.

Yes i share the same concerns about Parnell test potential ATS. But he has a bit of aura about him & i can see why the SA selectors have been tempted to fast-track him, atlhough he clearly isn't test quality ATM.

 

[aussie]

It doesn’t show in South Africa either...They only get limited overs game and that’s where I came across Alexander a few years back when he embarrassed Andrew Puttick and was touching 150kph. Another guy who is quick but is South Africa’s answer to Fidel Edwards (always injured) is Francois Plaatjies.

Friend of the Dolphins has a bit of pace as well but is probably too suited to home conditions to excel outside of RSA, doesn’t swing the ball much and just relies on pace and bounce. Had a decent tour of Sri Lanka mind.

Attack for Pak should be Steyn, Morkel, Parnell, Botha/Harris and I can’t see that changing before the Indian series. Parnell is a luxury RSA can currently afford with Kallis there as backup and Parnell is the sort of cricketer who can make things happen for instance getting a set Sehwag out with a rank ball miles outside off-stump, At home Tsotsobe has a strong case to play but I wouldn't take him to the Middle East, especially as there is concerns over his fitness and ability to comeback in later spells. But it is encouraging to see a few bowlers knocking about as this time last year in the run up to the England series finding pace bowling options was thin on the ground.

IND batsmen are excellent againts spin. I dont see them having any trouble againts Harris/Botha or even Tahir who i'd have as the main spinner when he becomes available. I'd advocate SA having a simlar 5-man pace attack to the one they had againts ENG in Jo'Burg test earlier this year, while also preparing real greentops. Guaranteed formula for success i'd say.

Yeah, not bad for a quota player (Aussie).

Ha well i'm willling to take back that comment since TBF he has a good FC record etc. But i dont see what so so impressive about him in that CL semi-final. He got two wickets with batsmen going for the slog. I give you he was accurate yea, but in a test match scenario i can certainly see good batsmen hitting him off his lenght.

To blood both Parnell and Alexander at the same time would be quite risky. Neither are consistent quite yet and it would be difficult to field both of them in the same test team.

I'm not calling for both of them to play @ one time. Its always been who should be the 3rd seamer behind Steyn/Morkel looking ahead to the IND series.

As i mentioned before, i see better raw stuff for being a good test bowler in Alexander than Parnell ATM. This is why i suggested in start of SA FC season if Alexander stays fit & shows these things early on in the season successfully. He should be in the test team for the IND series. Especially if De Wet doesn't come back in time (since he would be the 3rd seamer in any case).

 

[TT Boy]

IND batsmen are excellent againts spin. I dont see them having any trouble againts Harris/Botha or even Tahir who i'd have as the main spinner when he becomes available. I'd advocate SA having a simlar 5-man pace attack to the one they had againts ENG in Jo'Burg test earlier this year, while also preparing real greentops. Guaranteed formula for success i'd say.

Last time India toured the only wicket which was lively ended up with South Africa getting bowled out for less than 100 and India recording their first win in the Republic. Whilst, the subcontinent wicket prepared in Cape Town had RSA winning with Harro tying Sachin and Dravid up in knots. Funny old game…

Would back RSA on any track which is flat but had decent pace and bounce. The Indian quicks would be rendered useless but the likes of Steyn and Morkel as they have shown in the subcontinent and in the West Indies, can get wickets in any conditions.

Don’t think a 5 man seam attack is worthwhile, Steyn, Morne, Parnell and Kallis is more than enough pace options and the first two have great tanks and are capable of bowling lengthy spells and coming back well. McLaren or whoever would just be overkill. See what Botha does against Pak...

 

[TT Boy]

Know the Dolphins need the batting with Lungile, Miller and Hash going away onto international duty soon but they could do better than Ravi Bopara. Ravi Bopara joins Dolphins in South Africa | England Cricket News | Cricinfo.com

Anyhow, this is their squad (Ravi lite) for tomorrow's SuperSport opener against the Knights...

Squad:

Imraan Khan (Captain), Loots Bosman, Hashim Amla, Ahmed Amla, David Miller, Daryn Smit, Jon Kent, Kyle Abbott, Quinton Friend, Imran Tahir, Tabraiz Shamsi, Byron Whatmore

When is KP coming and who is Byron Whatmore?

 

[akilana]

Bryon Whatmore, a right arm seamer from Berea Rovers makes the final twelve.

 

[popepouri]

Know the Dolphins need the batting with Lungile, Miller and Hash going away onto international duty soon but they could do better than Ravi Bopara. Ravi Bopara joins Dolphins in South Africa | England Cricket News | Cricinfo.com

Anyhow, this is their squad (Ravi lite) for tomorrow's SuperSport opener against the Knights...

Squad:

Imraan Khan (Captain), Loots Bosman, Hashim Amla, Ahmed Amla, David Miller, Daryn Smit, Jon Kent, Kyle Abbott, Quinton Friend, Imran Tahir, Tabraiz Shamsi, Byron Whatmore

When is KP coming and who is Byron Whatmore?

Next week I believe.

Hope the Dolphins curator prepares a turner. That is a lot of spin options.

 

[TT Boy]

Bryon Whatmore, a right arm seamer from Berea Rovers makes the final twelve.

Yeah, I read that this morning (got the squad from there...) but was more intrigued that Whatmore has no Cricinfo profile or indeed any record of playing representative/amateur cricket for Natal (Inland or Coastal) or any other province.

 

[TT Boy]

Cobras side for tomorrow's game against the Lions. No Steyn as he is recovering from concussion, no Dane Vlias, so Ryan Canning keeps and no place for Kempie who captained the Cobras last season. Make or break season for Ontong, had a mare last year whilst Cackdeki is fit but will carry the drinks.

Smith
Puttick
van Zyl
JP
Ontong
Levi
Canning
Robbie P
Pro
Louw
Langeveldt

 

[TT Boy]

de Wet is in the Lions squad for today's game against the Cobras. Not sure if he will make the final XI though. Alexander and Paul Harris will play however. Kallis, Boucher, Albie Morkel, AB and Wayne Parnell all missing from their franchises. Parnell will play for Eastern Province in their 3 day game against Boland but will only be limited to 5 overs a day.

 

[Howsie]

Ball by ball commentary, nice. I didn't know cricinfo did that for first class cricket tbh.

 

[aussie]

de Wet is in the Lions squad for today's game against the Cobras. Not sure if he will make the final XI though. Alexander and Paul Harris will play however. Kallis, Boucher, Albie Morkel, AB and Wayne Parnell all missing from their franchises. Parnell will play for Eastern Province in their 3 day game against Boland but will only be limited to 5 overs a day.

Good signs, although he hasn't played in the current game. Hopefully he will soon.

 

[popepouri]

Cobus Pienaar playing for the Knights. Good on them for blooding him.

 

[SeamUp]

Yeah, I read that this morning (got the squad from there...) but was more intrigued that Whatmore has no Cricinfo profile or indeed any record of playing representative/amateur cricket for Natal (Inland or Coastal) or any other province.

The Dolphins had cricket camps only a month after the last season ended so obviously Fordy has been doing some scouting because the fast bowling stocks in Durban seem to be minimal (Who would have thought that). They only really have Friend, Abbott, Abdulla and now Whatmore.

All I know about Whatmore is that he is 21 and id well in the Club champs with Berea Rovers last year and attended Clifton HS.

How the Dolphins hope the 2 best fast bowling schoolboy talents in the country (Calvin Savage and Daryn Dupavillon) keep maturing and developing. Both Martizburg College boys and they will be looked after by their head coach Mike Bechet, who is an SA U19 selector and has produced Kevin Pietersen and Dave Miller already.

The Pietermaritzburg Oval is where the Dolphins will prepeare a turner for Shamsi and Tahir. At Kingsmead they will rely on the extra bounce.

 

[SeamUp]

Good signs, although he hasn't played in the current game. Hopefully he will soon.

A fit and firing Friedel De Wet would be a bonus to any team.

Its a pity that injuries have come at bad moments in his career...almost when things have started to look up for him.

Lets hope we can see him hit the 145 kmph mark and in good areas again soon.

 

[SeamUp]

Cobus Pienaar playing for the Knights. Good on them for blooding him.

Yeah, I agree mate but I think its been to long to give him a go tbh. Didn't play a single game for the Knights last year. Only played 2 SSS matches the season before last where he got wickets and scored runs. He couldn't have done anymore to keep his place for the start of the season. But he did have to compete with McLaren, Vd Wath, Du Preez and CJ de Villiers I suppose.

He is probably the best young hard-hitting bowling all-rounder in the sytem at the moment. In the Lance Klusener and Albie Morkel mould but instead he bats RH and bowls LH.

 

[SeamUp]

The Titans had a good day at the office today. I noticed Roelfie Vd Merwe is now in the Titans 4-day team since Harris and Tahir have left. Interesting to see how he does but in reality I think they have opened the door for Thomas Kaber when he finishes school this year.

Theres quite a few good young wrist-spinners around at the moment, Shamsi, Lionel Vaaltyn at the Warriors and Kaber of course. And 2 of those are chinaman bowlers.

Just a heads up about a young quickie who the Titans coach, Chris van Noordwyk, is excited about. His name is Marchant De Lange but they call him Merchant De Lange because of his pace. Playing for the Easterns in the current game and is 19 turning 20 soon. Supposedly is a clone of Dale Styen and comes from the middle of nowhere up in the Limpopo Province just like Styen.

 

[SeamUp]

ANOTHER YOUNGSTER TO KEEP A WATCH OUT FOR. He currently bats 3 and opens thebowling for KES.


A Lenasia teenage cricketer is still celebrating his South African team's recent victorious tour of Zimbabwe.

Shaylen Pillay, 15, was the youngest member of the national under-19 squad.

The all-rounder and his teammates returned to South Africa last week after a two-week tour during which they won all seven matches.

"I was really excited. We won the series. I think we played well," said Pillay.

"I didn't think I would make it because I was so young. But I was happy when I got the call to say I had made it. I was told I would just be a replacement, but I ended up playing most of the games."

Pillay, who is on a full cricket scholarship at prestigious King Edward VII School in Houghton, was named as one of the top players of the series.

He said he was delighted when he became one of the youngest players to be selected for the KES first XI in Grade 8.

Past pupils of the school include Proteas captain Graeme Smith, former Protea batsman Neil McKenzie and Vaughn van Jaarsveld, who plays for the Highveld Lions.

"At the time when I was accepted to play cricket for the first team, it was very scary. But now, looking back at the experience, it was good. But it all has been very exciting."

Pillay, who regards AB de Villiers and Sachin Tendulkar as his role models, has been involved in the sport for most of his life.

He made the under-13 Gauteng side and the under-15s before being chosen for the under- 18 Cubs.

He said he was looking forward to the under-19 Cricket World Cup, which would take place in 2012 in Australia.

"I just want to enjoy my cricket career, take it as it comes and hope for the best."

Pillay, who has type-one diabetes and must take insulin four times a day, said it did not hamper him from playing the game he loved.

School principal Mike Fennell said he was an "exceptionally talented cricketer with both bat and ball".

"This talent was recognised at a very young age, and the decision was made to select him for first-team cricket in Grade 8. While there is no doubt as to his talent, he is also extremely committed and shows a maturity beyond his age."

Fennell added Pillay was humble and destined to be a huge success both on and off the cricket field

 

[popepouri]

Yeah, I agree mate but I think its been to long to give him a go tbh. Didn't play a single game for the Knights last year. Only played 2 SSS matches the season before last where he got wickets and scored runs. He couldn't have done anymore to keep his place for the start of the season. But he did have to compete with McLaren, Vd Wath, Du Preez and CJ de Villiers I suppose.

He is probably the best young hard-hitting bowling all-rounder in the sytem at the moment. In the Lance Klusener and Albie Morkel mould but instead he bats RH and bowls LH.

He barely played amateur cricket though and was out for year. I wonder if he was injured or took time for study purposes. He's only played 7 FC matches taking a ****load of wickets so something happened in between that time. I think Knights were eager to get him a contract and get him in there. Looking forward to see how he goes tomorrow.