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Ken Borland



Morris to join other all-round stars at the Titans 0

Posted on June 01, 2016 by Ken

Chris Morris or David Wiese could be the answer to the glaring absence of an all-rounder in the South African team and they will both be playing for the Unlimited Titans next season after Morris announced on Wednesday that he is leaving the bizhub Highveld Lions.

Morris is coming off a superb season for the Lions, playing a key role in their Sunfoil Series triumph as he topped their bowling averages with 32 wickets at 20.18 as well as averaging 30.11 with the bat.

And the 27-year-old says there isn’t any ill feeling towards the Lions, his decision was motivated by a desire to push himself further as a cricketer. Having played five ODIs and two T20 internationals for South Africa, Morris is clearly someone the national selectors should have in their plans moving forward.

“I’ve spent seven years at the Highveld Lions and it just feels like time for a change of scenery. I feel like I’ve fallen into a bit of a comfort zone at the Lions, apart from when Zander de Bruyn was still playing I’ve always been the main all-rounder and played every game in every format. I always give 100%, but maybe I’m not pushing myself enough.

“They have different methods and a different culture at the Titans, I’ve bought into Rob Walter’s plan and it’s an exciting time to join them. It’s going to take a lot of hard work, they don’t back down in training, but I’m a Pretoria boy originally, so it will be nice to come home. Plus the traffic has been killing me!” Morris told The Citizen.

Any team facing the Titans next season, especially in limited-overs cricket, could have the daunting task of tackling Morris and speedster Marchant de Lange with the new ball, while also having to deal with a lower-middle-order of Albie Morkel, Wiese and Morris.

“We’re very happy that a quality player like Chris is coming home, his family has a proud history with Northerns cricket through his dad Willie, he’s a top performer, he can play in all three formats and, having got to know him while he was in Potchefstroom, I know he has a lot of tenacity,” Jacques Faul, the CEO of the Titans, said.

Morris is happy with the form he showed in the just-completed 2014/15 season, he took 12 wickets in the RamSlam T20 Challenge and had a strike-rate of 173.33 with the bat, but his Momentum One-Day Cup campaign was limited to just three games by injury.

“First it was the ankle op and then the rib-tip fracture, so it’s been nice to be playing, especially in such an excellent unit. With Hardus Viljoen, Kagiso Rabada and Dwaine Pretorius alongside me, there’s been pressure from all sides. Every day is a fishing day but not very day is a catching day, but I felt like I was firing on all cylinders, the Lions had a senior role for me and it was a nice responsibility,” Morris said.

Aggression is a key part of Morris’s bowling and there is no doubt the lanky paceman earned some wickets for his colleagues at the other end with the unrelenting pressure he exerted.

“When I was 16 I asked Curtly Ambrose about aggression and he asked me if I want to hold the batsman’s hand. He said I must make it as uncomfortable as possible for the batsman. So I’m a firm believer in playing hard, I like to feel that we’re in a battle and I try to hurt the batsman, obviously not badly of course,” Morris said.

The wise counsel of Neil McKenzie, who announced his retirement from four-day cricket earlier this week, has also led to an improvement in Morris’s batting and the use of the short ball is no longer as effective as it was against him.

“I’m very chuffed with my batting this season, I’ve been working with Neil, especially on the short ball which had become a bit of an issue, and I got my confidence back. I think I was over-complicating things, see-ball, hit-ball has always been my natural game.

“Previously, I knew the short ball was coming but now I just play it when it arrives. I’ve also had a bit more responsibility with the bat, but I still try to be attacking. If it comes off great, if not, I can make up for it with the ball,” Morris said.

The lure of a Green and Gold Proteas Test cap is still there for Morris and he is hoping a fresh environment will provide the spark for him to get there.

“I will always push hard to play for South Africa, obviously my ambition is to play Test cricket, but I think I’m still behind a couple of guys. There’s still a way to go, it will take a lot of hard work, but we all know there’s a spot in the Proteas team that needs to be filled. At the moment Ryan McLaren would be the man for me, but it’s a dream of mine as well,” Morris said.

http://citizen.co.za/354957/morris-to-join-other-all-round-stars-at-the-titans/

Wiese back in contention for Titans v Highveld Lions 0

Posted on November 18, 2014 by Ken

Fast bowler David Wiese will be back in contention for the Unlimited Titans team tonight as they take on the bizhub Highveld Lions in their Momentum One-Day Cup match at the Wanderers.

The Titans attack will be eager to make up for their shoddy performance in their last outing, when they failed to defend 301 in 42 overs against the Dolphins at SuperSport Park, but coach Rob Walter said their best bowler of last season will not necessarily be rushed back into action after an ankle injury.

“David is available again although he’s maybe not quite 100% match ready, but few cricketers would be after four weeks out with an injury. So it’s a process getting him back, but he’s obviously the sort of player you want around,” Walter told The Citizen yesterday.

Marchant de Lange will be the one bowler who will be reasonably satisfied with his performance against the Dolphins, his pace and accuracy proving a handful and threatening to drag the Titans back into the game, until he conceded 19 runs in the 40th over.

“When Marchant’s fit and firing he really is devastating and I don’t think that was a particularly poor over he delivered, his thinking was right. The batsmen are allowed to play good shots as well, but the big thing is his pace is up,” Walter said.

While the Titans batting was superb against the Dolphins, Theunis de Bruyn and Farhaan Behardien scoring centuries, they will be under pressure too against a Highveld Lions attack that visited all sorts of destruction upon them on their way to a 190-run victory in a four-day game three weeks ago at the Wanderers. The experienced Jacques Rudolph is also still out injured with stitches in his finger.

“We didn’t do very well against them in the four-day game, but then the last time we played them in the One-Day Cup we gave them a hiding. But they’re a really good team, very well balanced, and they’ve started with success, their tails are up and that makes them dangerous,” Walter said.

With all eyes on the World Cup towards the end of the summer, Behardien certainly made sure nobody forgets about him as he blazed 105 not out off just 67 balls.

“There was a smartness to the way he batted, he showed such great game intelligence, which was lovely to see. At the start of his innings, his focus was all on rotating the strike, and at the end, against two of the best death bowlers in the country [Kyle Abbott and Robbie Frylinck], he really asserted his dominance,” Walter said.

“And it was great to see the quality of cricket Theunis played, some of the shots he played, he’s certainly capable of big things.”

The Titans coach is adamant that his team have done all the preparation necessary to bounce back from their opening defeat.

“Obviously we were disappointed in our performance in the field against the Dolphins and it’s very hard when you know how hard the guys have worked and for so long. I think the desire to do well, to win the game for the batsmen, created more pressure, they have massive pride in their performance and that created more stress.

“But there’s certainly been no lack of preparation, maybe we were a bit game-rusty and we did some basics very poorly.”

The hunger is certainly there in the Titans squad for them to bounce back with victory at the Wanderers.

“Any loss really fires up the guys even more and there’s a burning desire to be successful. The hard yards have been put in and we’re in a position to do well,” Walter said.

Titans squad: Henry Davids, Heino Kuhn, Theunis de Bruyn, Dean Elgar, Farhaan Behardien, David Wiese, Mangaliso Mosehle, Roelof van der Merwe, Marchant de Lange, Rowan Richards, Ethy Mbhalati, Graeme van Buuren.

 

Titans name twin threats for Sixes 0

Posted on September 09, 2014 by Ken

The Unlimited Titans’ opponents in the Global Softech Sixes Franchise Challenge next week will have to face the twin threats of both Albie Morkel and David Wiese, two of the longest hitters in the country, after the pair of all-rounders were named yesterday in the hosts’ squad for the inaugural event.

Roelof van der Merwe, Henry Davids and Farhaan Behardien provide only a marginally more veiled threat as the Titans take on the other franchises on September 4 and 5 at SuperSport Park.

Big hitters will certainly be calling the tune in the event, for which the boundaries will be brought in, allowing corporate hospitality to encroach on to the field, with Justin Kemp, Richard Levi, Dwaine Pretorius, Chris Morris, Dillon du Preez, Cameron Delport and Robbie Frylinck all named in their respective franchise squads.

The national team is away that weekend, probably playing in the final of the triangular series in Zimbabwe, but there is enough bludgeoning power on hand to ensure spectators at the Global Softech Sixes have an entertaining time.

Bowlers will be under threat, but the Titans squad is blessed in this department with everyone, except wicketkeeper/batsman Mangaliso Mosehle, being an all-rounder of some sort and Van der Merwe, Wiese, Morkel and Davids are all established limited-overs practitioners.

The Franchise Challenge is to be followed by the Africa Sixes Challenge on September 6, featuring South Africa, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.

Squads

Titans: Farhaan Behardien, Albie Morkel, Dean Elgar, Roelof van der Merwe, Mangaliso Mosehle, Henry Davids, David Wiese, Qaasim Adams.

Cape Cobras: Justin Ontong, Justin Kemp, Rory Kleinveldt, Richard Levi, Aviwe Mgijima, Stiaan van Zyl, Dane Vilas.

Highveld Lions: Temba Bavuma, Dwaine Pretorius, Chris Morris, Hardus Viljoen, Jean Symes, Shaylen Pillay, Pumelela Matshikwe.

Warriors: Colin Ingram, Ryan Bailey, Lundi Mbane, Basheer Walters, Jon-Jon Smuts, Rusty Theron, Christiaan Jonker.

Knights:  Shadley van Schalkwyk, Reeza Hendricks, Tumelo Bodibe, Pite van Biljon, Dillon du Preez, Malusi Siboto, Quinton Friend, Werner Coetsee.

Dolphins: Cameron Delport, Keshav Maharaj, Khaya Zondo, Morné van Wyk, Robbie Frylinck, Sibonela Makhanya, Thandi Tshabalala.

 

Wiese & Behardien heroics not enough for Titans 0

Posted on September 04, 2014 by Ken

David Wiese and Farhaan Behardien showed that they are in the right mental space to play for their country again, but their efforts were not enough as the Unlimited Titans lost by four runs in a thrilling Momentum eKasi Challenge against the bizhub Highveld Lions at Dobsonville Oval yesterday.

Both players have tasted life in the green and gold in the last 12 months and will have their eyes on making the World Cup squad early next year, so they will be delighted with the positive way in which they started their season.

The Titans were chasing a testing 259 for victory and the pair were brought together after the Lions had gobbled up three wickets for just 28 runs.

Behardien scored a well-judged 60 off 76 balls as he added 113 off 131 deliveries with Wiese for the fourth wicket to set the Titans up for a late charge to victory.

The captain fell in the 32nd over when he mis-hit a lofted drive off Dwaine Pretorius to wide mid-on, but Wiese continued to feast on the bowling as he stroked 94 off 102 balls, helping himself to eight fours.

The Titans went into the last 10 overs on 197 for four, needing just 62 runs, but they suffered a mortal blow in the 41st over as Wiese was run out, the all-rounder misjudging a second run to Eddie Leie at deep backward point.

Heinrich Klaasen (43*) produced a commendable effort to try and see his team through to victory on his franchise debut, but he didn’t have the experience to deal with the tricky mixture of slower balls dished up by Pretorius at the death or the aggressive fast bowling of Hardus Viljoen.

The result could have gone either way with the Titans needing 22 off the last three overs, but Viljoen and Pretorius sent the crowd – comprising largely school children from surrounding schools – away happy as they sealed a hard-fought victory.

Viljoen had tormented the Titans top-order and was a handful throughout, finishing with one for 29 in his 10 overs.

The Titans also had the misfortune to lose Heino Kuhn, retired hurt for just two, after he was struck on the hand by Viljoen, having gone into the game with stitches.

The Lions total was set up by Devon Conway, the left-hander scoring freely while most other batsmen struggled on the two-paced pitch.

The introduction of Eden Links saw the Lions slump from 80 for one after 19 overs to 123 for five, the off-spinner turning the ball sharply and varying his pace well as he took four for 35.
Felllow spinner Roelof van der Merwe produced the delivery of the day to bowl the in-form Temba Bavuma, the darling of Soweto, for just three, the ball pitching outside leg and hitting the off stump.

But the Lions’ resurgence started with Conway and Pretorius (32) as they added 51 off 64 balls for the sixth wicket and the innings was given a tremendous late surge as Conway finished on 78 not out off just 73 balls.

The unfortunate Vincent Moore went for 20 runs in the final over as Conway hammered him for three fours and a six.

 

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    1 John 2:5 – “But if anyone obeys his word, God’s love is truly made complete in him.”

    James 2:14 – “What good is it if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds?”.

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    Love has to manifest itself practically.

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