Ken Borland

Growing the depth of the T20 team ahead of the World Cup in less than a year’s time is meant to be one of the key aims of the Proteas, but their series against England saw them neither achieve that nor get results as they were beaten 3-0.

The only new face to further his chances of being in the squad that goes to Australia next October was spin-bowling all-rounder George Linde.

Linde was South Africa’s most economical bowler as his left-arm orthodox only conceded 73 runs in 12 overs. And he also picked up a couple of wickets, dismissing Jason Roy and Dawid Malan to show he can get quality batsmen out.

Linde also contributed with the bat, showing the ability to accelerate the run-rate in the closing overs. On debut he faced just six balls but hit a four and a six on his way to 12 runs, while in the second game he scored 29 off 20 balls, only Quinton de Kock, Eoin Morgan and Jos Buttler being able to score at a better strike-rate on the sluggish Paarl pitch.

Linde is certainly someone to persevere with, especially since his all-round skill-set will be well-suited to the subcontinent, where so much international cricket is now played. He is the ideal candidate to fulfil the second spinner role that JP Duminy performed so well. Linde is obviously not as good a batsman as Duminy, but he is a better bowler.

The whitewash provided more questions than answers though and these are the weaknesses exposed by England that demand rectifying –

• A more commanding top-order display: Quinton de Kock had three starts but failed to go on and Temba Bavuma was looking very promising in the last match but was then dismissed for 32. Reeza Hendricks, with a strike-rate of just 90.62 does not seem to fit the bill and the Proteas would be better served by having Faf du Plessis, the Proteas’ most consistent batsman, at number three, followed by Rassie van der Dussen, who really blossomed in the last game, at four.
• The finishers: David Miller was sorely missed and not just because he would have provided a second left-hand option in the top five. Linde showed promise in the finishing role and the return of Andile Phehlukwayo will not only give the Proteas six bowlers (avoiding the unedifying sight of wicketkeeper Heinrich Klaasen bowling) but another left-handed power-hitter with experience.
• Fast-bowling depth: Lungi Ngidi keeps taking wickets and Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje were tidy, but when one of them does not play, then there is always a vulnerability in the attack that the opposition is able to target. Between them, back-up pacemen Lutho Sipamla and Beuran Hendricks bowled 6.4 overs for 101 runs.

A career-best 11-wicket haul for fast bowler Daryn Dupavillon paved the way for the Dolphins to beat the Knights by five wickets in their 4-Day Domestic Series match at Kingsmead in Durban on Wednesday.

Dupavillon claimed four for 66, to back up his phenomenal first-innings figures of seven for 38, as the Knights second innings collapsed from their overnight 150 for two to 213 all out, leaving the Dolphins with just 77 to get for victory on the third day.

It was a bit of a struggle for the home side as leg-spinner Shaun von Berg took three for 12, but Keegan Petersen scored 28 not out to ensure a five-wicket win for the Dolphins.

Dupavillon stamped his mark in his first over of the day when he had in-form nightwatchman Migael Pretorius caught behind for 8, off-spinner Prenelan Subrayen then bowled Patrick Botha for 6, and when opener Matthew Kleinveldt was run out for a tenacious 77, the Knights were really on the skids inside the first hour of play.

Left-arm spinner Senuran Muthusamy also chipped in with a three-wicket haul as the Knights lost their last eight wickets for just 63 runs on Wednesday.

The Imperial Lions, meanwhile, will have to put in another day at the office as a determined batting display by the Warriors held them up at St George’s Park.

Set a mammoth 513 for victory, the Warriors had reached 219 for five at stumps thanks to captain Yaseen Vallie’s defiant but positive 85 and Rudi Second’s obstinate 76 not out.

The in-form Sisanda Magala dismissed Vallie and claimed the big wicket of opener Ed Moore to lead the Lions bowling.

Earlier, Wiaan Mulder showed why he is one of the country’s most promising batting all-rounders as he cruised to a brilliant 100 not out off 109 balls to set up the Lions declaration on 241 for five shortly before lunch.

Mulder and Rickelton (59) put on 93 for the fourth wicket before Mulder cut loose with 13 fours and three sixes.

A draw looks the most likely result at Centurion, although there is still space for a Titans win as the Cape Cobras go into the final day on 33 without loss, a lead of just four runs.

The pitch is starting to misbehave, with Cobras openers Jonathan Bird and Pieter Malan having to keep their wits about them in the nine overs they had to face before stumps as deliveries started to keep low.

The Titans had earlier made it to 440 all out with two centuries being scored: Aiden Markram reached three figures for the third consecutive innings as he stroked a commanding 113, and Neil Brand showed great judgement in sticking around for six-and-a-half hours and scoring 115.

Sibonelo Makhanya played some marvellous strokes in his run-a-ball 55 and there were useful contributions too from Theunis de Bruyn (35) and Dayyaan Galiem (38) as the Titans took the lead.

New Cobras signing Calvin Savage was always at the batsmen in 22.4 persevering overs and was rewarded with five for 77, his first five-for for his new franchise.

Cricket South Africa company secretary Welsh Gwaza has been suspended by the interim board pending a disciplinary hearing and the allegation that he has paid his former employers Bowmans Gilfillan millions of rands over the last five months could well be one of the examples of maladministration used to fire him.

CSA have released a statement saying they have delivered a notice of disciplinary hearing to Gwaza regarding various allegations of misconduct against him. December 14 has been set as the date of the hearing.

Gwaza is mentioned several times in the Fundudzi Forensic Report and is accused of withholding crucial information from the then-Board over the improper Global Sports Commerce and Tinanati deals that could end up costing CSA millions of rand, and the step-in into the affairs of the Western Province Cricket Association over the Newlands development.

But insiders have told The Citizen that Gwaza has lost the trust of the interim board due to his dealings with Bowmans, who have recently had their services as legal advisors terminated.

“Gwaza has apparently spent R6 million in the last five months on Bowmans, including R1.2 million on a review of the Fundudzi Report that cost R4 million to implement. That led to the advice not to make the report public and to not recognise the interim board. There are also questions over whether he tried to get the report sanitized to protect himself.

“Either way, he has obstructed the interim board, misled the previous board and not informed them of key facts. So there could be an element of dishonesty involved, but what is certain is that his relationship has irretrievably broken down with the interim board. The previous board allowed him to become so powerful that he was the internal auditor, the head of legal and the chief operating officer,” one insider told The Citizen on Wednesday.

There have also been allegations that Gwaza has been manipulating the appointment of independent directors to the board.

Thabang Moroe and Naasei Appiah, Gwaza’s two allies in the CSA executive, have already been dismissed due to the findings of the Fundudzi Report.

CSA have also announced that through their recently appointed attorneys, Dingley Marshall, they have terminated the services provided by public relations independent contractor, PR Worx, with immediate effect. They have also delivered a notice of breach to their outsourced human resources service provider, People Link, due to the various procedural irregularities that took place when Chantel Moon was appointed by Moroe. The Fundudzi Report revealed that Moon lacks CSA’s minimum qualification requirements for the HR position. People Link has been afforded 48 hours to remedy the breach by appointing a properly-qualified representative.

Barring the sporting equivalent of a miracle or the intervention of the weather, the Imperial Lions are well on their way to a second successive victory in their 4-Day Domestic Series match against the Warriors in Port Elizabeth.

The Lions took their first innings score to 389 all out on the second morning on Tuesday and then a fine all-round bowling display saw the Warriors skittled for just 118.

Tladi Bokako set the tone up front with brilliant figures of 13-5-14-2, but he had excellent support from Delano Potgieter (2-22) and Malusi Siboto (2-40) and Sisanda Magala wrapped up the innings with three for 37.

Leading by 271 runs, the Lions then reached 125 for three by stumps, with Wesley Marshall following up his superb 145 in the first innings with a fluent 48 off 60 balls, with 10 fours. Ryan Rickelton (32*) and Wiaan Mulder (23*) then added 40 before close of play.

Already 396 runs ahead, the Lions will be contemplating a declaration sometime on Wednesday that will give them almost a day-and-a-half in which to bowl out the Warriors a second time.

Aiden Markram has already shown that his game has all the equipment needed to succeed at Test level and the 26-year-old definitely also has the confidence and form to ensure he will soon be opening the batting again for the Proteas as he led a decent Titans batting effort on the second day of their match against the Cape Cobras at Centurion.

Markram followed up his century in each innings last week against the Warriors with a classy 80 not out that led the Titans to 136 for one when lighting and rain ended play just before 4pm. He collected 13 fours and was particularly authoritative on the drive.

He received strong support from Neil Brand (38*) as the pair added 104 for the second wicket after Corbin Bosch had produced a brute of a delivery that brushed the glove of Dean Elgar to have him caught in the slips for 9.

The Cobras began the day on 351 for five and took their score to 411 all out, with all-rounder Calvin Savage scoring a useful 40 and Bosch adding 28.

Thando Ntini finished with three for 66 and there were two wickets apiece for Lizaad Williams and Okuhle Cele.

In Durban, the Knights have erased the Dolphins’ considerable first-innings lead of 137 with just two wickets down as they reached stumps at the halfway stage of their game on 150 for two.

Opener Matthew Kleinveldt is doing a great job for the Knights on 67 not out, but the Dolphins have picked up a key wicket with Raynard van Tonder being caught at silly mid-off off left-arm spinner Senuran Muthusamy for 46 shortly before bad light stopped play.

The Dolphins had earlier reached 253 all out in their first innings thanks to Grant Roelofsen’s tenacious 73 and Prenelan Subrayen’s hard-fought 44, a crucial contribution considering the Dolphins were 169 for seven when he came to the crease. Fast bowler Daryn Dupavillon backed up his seven wickets with a useful innings of 19 as he and Subrayen added 40 for the ninth wicket.

Paceman Gerald Coetzee and off-spinner Patrick Botha took three wickets apiece.