***Official*** South African Domestic Season 2017/18

[SeamUp]

Great to see the Lions give Andrew Puttick a guard of honour as he walked out to bat for the last time for the Cobras.

No surprise he is finishing with runs.

It's been a good innings Putters. Be nice to end with the Championship.

https://twitter.com/CobrasCricket/status/977546153725255686

 

[SeamUp]

Gihahn Cloete's stroking a few boundaries to his quick ton in Durban. He has the strokes but lacks consistency. Not keeping anymore is good for him. Thought the Warriors put him under extra pressure.

 

[SeamUp]

During the break there was the SA Schools T20 Competition.

The finalist teams were : Rondebosch Boys (Cobras), Grey PE (Warriors), Hilton College (Dolphins), St Andrews Bloem (Knights), KES (Lions) & St Albans (Titans) along with 2 schools qualifying from the Hubs connected schools Prestige College (Titans) & Graeme College (Warriors)
St Andrews beat Hilton in the final in a match which was clearly between the two stand-out teams.
SA u19 star Gerald Coetzee having a great tournament but well supported by regular Free State Junior Age group players Garnett Tarr, Calvin Flanegan, Ruan Cronje (man of the match in the Final) , Pheko Moletsane & Henre Koekemoer (Bowler of the tournament).
Hilton College had the player of the tournament (James Ritchie) and Batsmen of the tournament (Robbie McGaw) - Also a strong contingent of KZN Inland performers like Gareth Schreuder, Michael Sclanders, Michael Booth and John Turner.

Also on the go at the event was an All Stars XI picked and coached by Temba Bavuma (basically 2 players from each school who lost the franchise finals) and they beat a CSA Hubs XI

 

[Bahseph]

Wait is Andile playing as a batsman?

 

[SeamUp]

Wait is Andile playing as a batsman?

Yeah. Mentioned that above. Carded to bat at 5 ? Let's see how it goes.

He missed the last two games and no injury was mentioned but rather a break was needed. But you got to think there is a slight niggle.

 

[SeamUp]

Current test batsmen who represented SA u19 : Elgar, Markram, Amla, AB, Faf, Bavuma, de Bruyn, de Kock


We currently have Markram (24), de Kock (26), de Bruyn (26), Bavuma (28) after the 29-33 range produced Elgar mainly with van Zyl, Rossouw not here anymore.

Forgetting some Limited overs specialists and some Kolpak brigade like Vilas, Levi, Ingram , Jonker and seniors definitely finishing up (don't forget some of these guys played SA A in last year : Puttick, Ontong, M.van Wyk, Cook, Kuhn, Davids

So in that 25+ bracket scoring runs in 4-day cricket :

Players Age Season 4-day average

Openers
Pieter Malan 29 (55.75)
Gihahn Cloete 26 (34.06)
Eddie Moore 25 (38.11)
Sarel Erwee 29 (42.00)
Reeza Hendricks 29 (35.93)
Andrea Agathangelou 29 (74.83)

* Represented SA u19 : Malan, Cloete, Hendricks, Agathangelou

3-6
Aviwe Mgijima 30 (42.08)
Colin Ackermann 27 (66.00)
Yaseen Vallie 29 (42.20)
JJ Smuts 30 (38.42)
Vaughn van Jaarsveld 33 (55.81)
Khaya Zondo 28 (35.30)
Cody Chetty 27 (81.20)
Keegan Petersen 25 (41.41)
Dave Miller 29 (48.42)
Rudi Second 29 (wk) (83.11)
Omphile Ramela 30 (35.05)
Rassie van der Dussen 29 (72.61)
Heinrich Klaasen 27 (wk) (42.40)
Farhaan Behardien 35 (88.50)

* Represented SA u19 : Ackermann, Vallie, Smuts, van Jaarsveld, Chetty

Batsmen u25 afforded regular franchise opportunities
All 3-6 (de Zorzi has opened though)
Zubayr Hamza 23 (68.45)
Kyle Verreynne 21 (wk) (44.41)
Jason Smith 24 (13.14)
Clyde Fortuin 23 (wk) (20.16)
Senuran Muthusamy 24 (33.20)
Sibonelo Makhanya 22 (16.36)
Patrick Kruger 23 (43.71)
Wiaan Mulder 20 (64.57)
Tony de Zorzi 21 (16.15)
Rivaldo Moonsamy 22 (wk) (44.43)

* All represented SA u19 bar Hamza , Muthusamy & Kruger. All represented SA Academy.

Those not afforded opportunities or enough opportunities yet
Openers
Ryan Rickelton 22 (wk) (46.83)
Janneman Malan 22 (95.09)
3-6
David Bedingham 24 (52.66)
Marques Ackerman 22 (46.00)
Grant Roelofsen 22 (wk) (65.08)
Leus du Plooy 23 (54.09)
Andries Gous 25 (wk) (48.07)


These guys really can't do much more as they all average 40+ with provincial over at least 2 seasons there with the odd franchise opportunity. I put Rickelton, Roelofsen, Moonsamy, Gous as keepers but will make teams as batsmen only. Would say Gous is main player who would make teams as a keeper.

All represented SA u19s bar du Plooy. All represented SA Academy or going to in 2018 bar Bedingham and Roelofsen.

Got no issues with the recent SA u19 boys as they still have to put some numbers on the board ;
Matthew Breetzke 20 (30.16)
Jiveshan Pillay 19 (15.83)
Raynard van Tonder 20 (36.14)
Wandile Makwetu 19 (32.00)
* Breetzke & Pillay opened at u19 CWC but Pillay is batting 6 for Northerns. Breetzke is opening but as a youngster and with all the shots (stroke-range) he has I would really consider introducing him at 3-6.


With 'big 3' retiring in 18 months I would like to think we will have made sure all young players have been tested at the level below test level to cover failures and to see who can deal with the level.

 

[GRAB]

Current test batsmen who represented SA u19 : Elgar, Markram, Amla, AB, Faf, Bavuma, de Bruyn, de Kock


We currently have Markram (24), de Kock (26), de Bruyn (26), Bavuma (28) after the 29-33 range produced Elgar mainly with van Zyl, Rossouw not here anymore.

Forgetting some Limited overs specialists and some Kolpak brigade like Vilas, Levi, Ingram , Jonker and seniors definitely finishing up (don't forget some of these guys played SA A in last year : Puttick, Ontong, M.van Wyk, Cook, Kuhn, Davids

So in that 25+ bracket scoring runs in 4-day cricket :

Players Age Season 4-day average

Openers
Pieter Malan 29 (55.75)
Gihahn Cloete 26 (34.06)
Eddie Moore 25 (38.11)
Sarel Erwee 29 (42.00)
Reeza Hendricks 29 (35.93)
Andrea Agathangelou 29 (74.83)

* Represented SA u19 : Malan, Cloete, Hendricks, Agathangelou

3-6
Aviwe Mgijima 30 (42.08)
Colin Ackermann 27 (66.00)
Yaseen Vallie 29 (42.20)
JJ Smuts 30 (38.42)
Vaughn van Jaarsveld 33 (55.81)
Khaya Zondo 28 (35.30)
Cody Chetty 27 (81.20)
Keegan Petersen 25 (41.41)
Dave Miller 29 (48.42)
Rudi Second 29 (wk) (83.11)
Omphile Ramela 30 (35.05)
Rassie van der Dussen 29 (72.61)
Heinrich Klaasen 27 (wk) (42.40)
Farhaan Behardien 35 (88.50)

* Represented SA u19 : Ackermann, Vallie, Smuts, van Jaarsveld, Chetty

Batsmen u25 afforded regular franchise opportunities
All 3-6 (de Zorzi has opened though)
Zubayr Hamza 23 (68.45)
Kyle Verreynne 21 (wk) (44.41)
Jason Smith 24 (13.14)
Clyde Fortuin 23 (wk) (20.16)
Senuran Muthusamy 24 (33.20)
Sibonelo Makhanya 22 (16.36)
Patrick Kruger 23 (43.71)
Wiaan Mulder 20 (64.57)
Tony de Zorzi 21 (16.15)
Rivaldo Moonsamy 22 (wk) (44.43)

* All represented SA u19 bar Hamza , Muthusamy & Kruger. All represented SA Academy.

Those not afforded opportunities or enough opportunities yet
Openers
Ryan Rickelton 22 (wk) (46.83)
Janneman Malan 22 (95.09)
3-6
David Bedingham 24 (52.66)
Marques Ackerman 22 (46.00)
Grant Roelofsen 22 (wk) (65.08)
Leus du Plooy 23 (54.09)
Andries Gous 25 (wk) (48.07)


These guys really can't do much more as they all average 40+ with provincial over at least 2 seasons there with the odd franchise opportunity. I put Rickelton, Roelofsen, Moonsamy, Gous as keepers but will make teams as batsmen only. Would say Gous is main player who would make teams as a keeper.

All represented SA u19s bar du Plooy. All represented SA Academy or going to in 2018 bar Bedingham and Roelofsen.

Got no issues with the recent SA u19 boys as they still have to put some numbers on the board ;
Matthew Breetzke 20 (30.16)
Jiveshan Pillay 19 (15.83)
Raynard van Tonder 20 (36.14)
Wandile Makwetu 19 (32.00)
* Breetzke & Pillay opened at u19 CWC but Pillay is batting 6 for Northerns. Breetzke is opening but as a youngster and with all the shots (stroke-range) he has I would really consider introducing him at 3-6.


With 'big 3' retiring in 18 months I would like to think we will have made sure all young players have been tested at the level below test level to cover failures and to see who can deal with the level.

Next A tour is big. Hope they don't pick too old a side again...

 

[SeamUp]

Next A tour is big. Hope they don't pick too old a side again...

There aren't many tours to the sub-continent so hopefully they find the right balance like you say.

SA Academy are going to Sri Lanka too so it would be nice if they add some players who aren't in the squad and haven't spent a winter with the academy.

 

[SeamUp]

Couple of things. Lizaad Williams and Michael Cohen have got 5-fors for the Cobras this season in less games than Dane Paterson. I don't think he should be a shoe-in.

Sinethemba Qeshile really doing well for the Warriors on debut for 18 yo. Will probably be in the SA u19 side this year and is already in the SA Academy squad.

Muthusamy with a 7-for going for 8

 

[Dendarii]

Wait is Andile playing as a batsman?

Yeah. Mentioned that above. Carded to bat at 5 ? Let's see how it goes.

He missed the last two games and no injury was mentioned but rather a break was needed. But you got to think there is a slight niggle.

Not that he'll get to bat in this match because of the rain, but I think it wasn't bad move to pick him as a pure batsman. We all know he has the ability to hit boundaries, but he needs to show the application to play long innings and he does tend to come in down the order, so opportunities for that are limited.

I do think he needs to improve at least one of disciplines as at the moments he's kind of one of those all-rounders who gets selected because he can bat and bowl reasonably well, but perhaps isn't good enough at either to be selected purely on that. I do think there might be more scope to improve his batting, maybe even to the extent where he becomes a batsman who might only bowl occasionally, which wouldn't be the worst thing for the national side given the lack of black batsmen which we've commented on before. Of course, there would be a long way to go before he could be considered a genuine batsman, but he wouldn't be the first player to ditch the bowling in favour of batting.

 

[GRAB]

Cobras batting themselves into a position where they have an outside chance of a win. Not sure they have the bowling firepower though...

 

[SeamUp]

Cobras batting themselves into a position where they have an outside chance of a win. Not sure they have the bowling firepower though...

They might as well risk a loss with the Titans marching on to victory. Get to 180-200 lead and declare.

 

[SeamUp]

A 100 for Putters in his last innings. What a champion. He has carried my former alma mater Rondebosch Boys well in the navy blues.

Richard Morris
Gavin Pfuehl
Gary Kirsten
Kenny Jackson
John Commins
HD Ackerman
Paul Kirsten
Andrew Puttick
Jonathan Trott

It's now on the boys Zubayr Hamza, Dayyaan Galiem & Junaid Dawood to carry it on.

 

[GRAB]

They might as well risk a loss with the Titans marching on to victory. Get to 180-200 lead and declare.

And yet van Zyl and Puttick seem to have blocked to lunch facing part-timers Ramela and Reeza Hendricks...

 

[SeamUp]

And yet van Zyl and Puttick seem to have blocked to lunch facing part-timers Ramela and Reeza Hendricks...

Yeah , I wonder if they monitoring the Titans game. Titans still need 4 wickets but the Knights lead by 70

 

[SeamUp]

Not that he'll get to bat in this match because of the rain, but I think it wasn't bad move to pick him as a pure batsman. We all know he has the ability to hit boundaries, but he needs to show the application to play long innings and he does tend to come in down the order, so opportunities for that are limited.

I do think he needs to improve at least one of disciplines as at the moments he's kind of one of those all-rounders who gets selected because he can bat and bowl reasonably well, but perhaps isn't good enough at either to be selected purely on that. I do think there might be more scope to improve his batting, maybe even to the extent where he becomes a batsman who might only bowl occasionally, which wouldn't be the worst thing for the national side given the lack of black batsmen which we've commented on before. Of course, there would be a long way to go before he could be considered a genuine batsman, but he wouldn't be the first player to ditch the bowling in favour of batting.

I remember you were an advocator for this.

In my opinion at best if he improves this could happen for limited overs cricket.

He is a big slog sweeper, reverse sweeper.

It's his defensive game and manipulating singles which may be an issue.

 

[Dendarii]

It's his defensive game and manipulating singles which may be an issue.

He does need to work on that, which is why I said he's got a long way to go. The other option is to work on his bowling, perhaps add a bit more pace, and I wouldn't be unhappy if he went that route instead. But I think something does need to happen with his game as of late he's not been bowling his full quota of overs in ODIs while batting at 7 or 8 and I don't think it's good for both of those to happening. He either needs to be bowling 10 overs as frontline bowler more often than not or come in up the order, otherwise we need to look to someone else for as an all-round option (although there aren't too many others right now).

 

[SeamUp]

Great moment for Putters. Notice Daryn Smit is first to comment.

https://twitter.com/CobrasCricket/status/977849034659520519

 

[SeamUp]

He does need to work on that, which is why I said he's got a long way to go. The other option is to work on his bowling, perhaps add a bit more pace, and I wouldn't be unhappy if he went that route instead. But I think something does need to happen with his game as of late he's not been bowling his full quota of overs in ODIs while batting at 7 or 8 and I don't think it's good for both of those to happening. He either needs to be bowling 10 overs as frontline bowler more often than not or come in up the order, otherwise we need to look to someone else for as an all-round option (although there aren't too many others right now).

WIP - Pity the season is coming to an end but I said this at the beginning of the season that instead of playing tests against BGD and ZIM he should have been honing his game for the long run. Actually being out in the middle for a period of time. Defo needs to push forward massively with at least one discipline.

AL Phehlukwayo
b Sipamla
4 runs
3 balls
3
1
0
133.33
23.4 off stump out the ground, beaten by movement, leaves a space between bat and pad which the ball shoots through on its way to cartwheeling the offstump. Dolphins are in trouble 83/4

 

[SeamUp]

Morris 6-for

Titans need 110 runs to win the Sunfoil Series

Boucher has won all the trophies on offer in his 2 seasons now.