Ken Borland

The T20 Challenge comes to an end in Durban this weekend with the Dolphins, inspired by Keshav Maharaj, in prime position at the top of the log and having already guaranteed a place in Sunday’s final.

There are no guarantees when it comes to Proteas selection of course, but it would be a major shock if left-arm spinner Maharaj was not in the South African squad for the T20 series against Pakistan starting on April 10 in Gauteng.

The first-choice Test spinner has been the bowler of the tournament, without question. In 16 overs before Friday’s match against the Titans, many of them in the powerplay, Maharaj has conceded just 55 runs at an incredible economy rate of only 3.43 runs per over. He has seven wickets in the bag as well.

Whether Maharaj makes it into the Proteas starting XI is another matter, however. If wrist-spinner Tabraiz Shamsi is still considered the first-choice white-ball spinner – and Maharaj has certainly outbowled him in this tournament – then playing two spinners who are not batsmen would be risky.

Conditions in Johannesburg and Centurion are also not going to be as subcontinental as in Durban. But that being said, spin is going to play a key role at the T20 World Cup in India in October/November and Maharaj might turn out to be our most effective T20 spinner.

If both Shamsi and Maharaj are to play, it means South Africa will need a proper pace bowler who is good enough to bat at number seven. As luck would have it, the second-most economical bowler in the T20 Challenge happens to fit that bill perfectly – Chris Morris (4.67).

Bur for Morris, who has just gone for the highest ever sum at an IPL auction, to make a return for the Proteas, two things would need to happen.

Firstly, it may not qualify as a feud between the two of them, but there is known to be some iciness between Morris and CSA director of cricket Graeme Smith.

The former Proteas captain said some uncomplimentary things about the all-rounder’s heart and consistency while he was a television commentator, but perhaps he has mistaken Morris’s smiley personality and laid-back demeanour for not caring. Smith made a similar mistake when he first became captain and hastened the end of Lance Klusener’s international career, thinking his comment after their 2003 World Cup exit that they would have “more time for fishing” indicated a lack of commitment.

The second obstacle though is that Morris is in demand in T20 leagues around the world, as his R32 million price tag for the IPL shows. If the Proteas want him, they are going to have to woo him a bit in order to ensure he is properly available in the build-up to the World Cup.

Spinners have generally made the batsmen squirm in helpful conditions at Kingsmead, but Sisanda Magala is one pace bowler who has pushed himself firmly into contention for a Proteas call-up. He has been named in national squads before and has taken 10 wickets in four matches in Durban, doing especially well in difficult times like the death. Hopefully the selectors don’t shy away from choosing the burly, skilful seamer just because of his physical characteristics. Robbie Frylinck has been most unfairly criticised for his physical shape, considering how consistently good he has been for the Dolphins.

It’s the batting that has been a bit disappointing, even taking into account that conditions have been tricky. It’s the strike-rates that have been worrying – only five of the top-20 batsmen in the averages (Van der Dussen, Miller, Linde, Migael Pretorus & Smuts) are hitting 130+ in terms of runs per 100 balls, which is considered the benchmark for international T20.

The failure of any new young guns to grab the limelight in Durban means it’s probably going to be the same old faces in the Proteas batting line-up against Pakistan.

It’s confirmed! South Africa’s lack of Test cricket following the cancellation of the Australian tour will be alleviated somewhat by the confirmation that the Proteas will play two Tests against the West Indies in the Caribbean in June.

The tour will also include five T20 internationals, it being a World Cup year in that format.

The tour was originally scheduled for last July but became a casualty of the Covid-19 pandemic. South Africa have played just seven Tests since the start of 2020 and Australia’s decision to pull out of their tour, in which three Tests were meant to be played, at the 11^th hour was a huge blow both to the rebuilding efforts of the Proteas and the coffers of Cricket South Africa.

Cricket West Indies announced the tour on Thursday night as part of their statement confirming SuperSport as their new broadcast partners for sub-Saharan Africa, and CSA director of cricket Graeme Smith confirmed the news on Friday morning.

“We’re much pretty much there in terms of confirming the details, we still need to sort out the venues, but there will be two Tests and five T20s. We still need to sort out the Covid details as well and we have all that coming up next week once we are through our T20 Challenge,” Smith told Saturday Citizen on Friday.

Sri Lanka have arrived in the West Indies for three T20s, three ODIs and two Tests ending on April 2, and have taken up tenancy in Antigua, where all the games will be played. They were meant to play in St Lucia as well but arrived late due to positive Covid cases, including one for their South African-born coach Mickey Arthur.

The Proteas will be hoping for a couple of biosecure bubbles and a change in (beautiful) scenery during their tour, but they will be grateful just to be playing again. Their only other confirmed international cricket this year is the white-ball series they are hosting against Pakistan in April.

Exciting prospect Raynard van Tonder was the only batsman to hit the high notes, but his wonderful 81 not out off 57 balls was in vain as his Knights team still went down by 14 runs to the Warriors in their T20 Challenge game at Kingsmead on Thursday.

The result has an important effect on the playoff situation as it means the Titans now have to beat the Dolphins on Friday to progress. If the Titans lose, then the Cape Cobras will qualify if they beat the Imperial Lions with a bonus point.

But the Warriors are in third place with a one-point lead at the moment, while the Knights have been eliminated.

The Knights were chasing 158 for victory but started their innings on a disastrous note as Patrick Kruger was run out by Jon-Jon Smuts without facing a ball.

That brought Van Tonder to the crease and the 22-year-old showed he is improving with every outing as he stroked six fours and three sixes.

But he had little support of note, dominating partnerships of 52 off 41 balls with Matthew Kleinveldt (12) and 40 off 26 deliveries with Shaun von Berg (16).

No-one else reached double figures as the Knights were bowled out for 143.

Seamer Mthiwekhaya Nabe once again shone for the Warriors with an excellent return of three for 19, while there were also fine performances with the ball by fellow pacemen Anrich Nortje (2-17) and Marco Jansen (2-30).

The Warriors were sent in to bat and freeflowing strokeplay by Smuts (33 off 21) and Gihahn Cloete (22 off 20) saw them tear to 53 without loss in the powerplay.

But leg-spinner Von Berg dismissed both of them in the seventh over and thereafter the Warriors relied on Lesiba Ngoepe, who has had a sorry tournament thus far, to take them to a matchwinning total, the left-hander belting 41 off 30 balls to take them to 157 for eight.

Left-arm quick Mbulelo Budaza was bang on target with his cutters and slower balls as he took three for 18 in his four overs and spinners Von Berg (4-0-27-2) and Kleinveldt (3-0-17-2) kept the pressure on the batsmen.

Dolphins spin twins Keshav Maharaj and Prenelan Subrayen destroyed the Imperial Lions, bowling them out for just 110 and clinching a bonus point win that will assure the KZN team of first place on the log and an automatic place in Sunday’s final.

The Lions were chasing 152 for victory, a challenging target on a pitch that was getting slower and slower. But they would never have expected to gift the Dolphins a crucial bonus point and a place in the final as they were bowled out in the last over.

The Lions can only draw level with the Dolphins on the log if they beat the Cape Cobras with a bonus point on Friday, and then the result between the two teams takes preference over run-rate.

Spinners Maharaj and Subrayen opened the bowling and immediately exerted pressure. They returned in the middle overs and had combined figures of four for 28 in their eight overs. Orthodox left-armer Maharaj only conceded 10 runs in his four overs and off-spinner Subrayen took three for 18.

Rassie van der Dussen was the only batsman to briefly break free from the stranglehold, scoring 33 off 29 balls before holing out to a Subrayen delivery that held up in the pitch and turned.

Kagiso Rabada (15) and Aaron Phangiso (16) hit the ball cleanly as they tried to prevent the Dolphins getting the bonus point in a ninth-wicket stand of 27, the biggest partnership of the innings, but they fell 11 runs short.

Seamers Robbie Frylinck and Ottneil Baartman provided excellent support to the spinners as they both took two for 26.

The Lions bowlers were able to continue their impressive form in the competition, restricting the Dolphins to 91 for four in the 15th over, with opener Keegan Petersen scoring a run-a-ball 35.

But the evergreen David Miller was still at the crease and he batted through to the end, belting 56 not out off just 38 balls with some great death batting that took the Dolphins to 151 for four.

Mangaliso Mosehle (18*) shared a vital unbroken partnership of 60 off 37 deliveries with the Proteas star, who showed again that he is one of the best T20 batsmen in the country.

Fast bowlers Rabada (4-0-25-1) and Beuran Hendricks (4-0-22-0) were the best of the Lions bowlers.

Detail for the log

The Dolphins have automatically qualified for the final on Sunday.

The teams that finish second and third on the log will play each other in the playoff on Saturday to decide who the Dolphins’ opposition will be.

If the Titans beat the Dolphins on Friday they will qualify for the playoff. But if they lose, then the Cape Cobras can qualify, depending on the outcome of Thursday’s match between the Knights and Warriors, if they win with a bonus point against the Lions, who are guaranteed second place.