Ken Borland

The bizhub Highveld Lions and the Dolphins will enter the last two rounds of the Sunfoil Series as the only realistic title contenders after they gained contrasting victories in the eighth round of fixtures that ended on Sunday.

Dean Elgar was the star of the third day of the Sunfoil Series match between the Unlimited Titans and the Dolphins at SuperSport Park in Centurion on Saturday, but his heroic century was not enough to prevent the visitors going into the final day as favourites.

The Van Wyk name was shining brightly at SuperSport Park on Friday as brothers Morne and Divan dominated the second day of the Dolphins’ Sunfoil Series match against the Unlimited Titans in Centurion.

Morne van Wyk, one of the most prolific batsmen on the domestic circuit, scored 76 not out as he lifted the Dolphins to a commanding 314 for six, already 47 runs ahead of the Titans with four first-innings wickets remaining.

Divan is a lesser-known name in South African cricket, but the younger Van Wyk has been in fine form this season and the opener’s 87 was his fifth half-century of the four-day campaign, taking his tally to 572 runs at an average of 44.

Their heroics come just 10 days after they became only the second pair of brothers to score centuries in the same innings in South African first-class cricket, the famous Kirsten brothers, Gary and Peter, being the first to do it, for Western Province against Eastern Province in Port Elizabeth in 1989/90.

The rest of the Dolphins batsmen did not make full use of their starts, with Imraan Khan adding just four runs to his overnight score of 32 before being caught behind in the second over of the day, bowled by Ethy Mbhalati.

The veteran seamer then bowled Khaya Zondo for one before Cody Chetty and Daryn Smit were both dismissed for 16. Andile Phehlukwayo was then bowled by Roelof van der Merwe for 10, the left-arm spinner having earlier dismissed Divan van Wyk in the same fashion, and it was left to Calvin Savage (36*), hidden down the order, to partner the Dolphins captain, Morne van Wyk, in an unbroken stand of 81 that saw the visitors take the honours for the second day running.

Morne van Wyk made his entrance at a tricky time, coming to the crease midway through the second session with the Dolphins on 149 for four replying to the Titans’ first innings of 267. The veteran wicketkeeper/batsman batted through to the close of a day shortened by a thunderstorm, stroking 10 fours and a six as he batted for three-and-a-quarter hours, facing 122 deliveries.

*In Bloemfontein, Rassie van der Dussen, Dominic Hendricks, Neil McKenzie and Temba Bavuma all scored half-centuries to take the bizhub Highveld Lions to 320 for four, already a lead of 72 runs over the Chevrolet Knights.

Van der Dussen (70) and Hendricks (71) added 103 for the second wicket to set up the Lions’ innings after Duanne Olivier had had Stephen Cook (19) caught in the slips to inflict a rare failure on the skipper.

Van der Dussen fell to Malusi Siboto and when Hendricks edged off-spinner Werner Coetsee to wicketkeeper Rudi Second, the Lions were 189 for three.

But McKenzie and Bavuma (57) would win the battle against the second new ball as they then added 109 for the fourth wicket, before Bavuma edged a delivery from Olivier to Second.

McKenzie had gone to a top-class 72 not out by stumps and with Thami Tsolekile with him on 14 not out, the Lions are in a strong position to record a victory that would give them a massive lead at the top of the Sunfoil Series standings.

*A commanding batting performance by the Nashua Cape Cobras saw them take a stranglehold on their Sunfoil Series match against the Chevrolet Warriors at Newlands.

Rory Kleinveldt took the last two wickets of the Warriors’ first innings quickly on the second morning to bowl them out for 288, preventing Dane Paterson from completing a five-wicket haul, but they both finished with four for 59.

The Cobras then replied to the Warriors’ first innings with 316 for three at stumps.

Richard Levi used his bear-like forearms to club 79 with 14 fours as the Cobras raced away at the start to 131 for one.

The key partnership came, however, from Omphile Ramela (81*) and captain Justin Ontong (75*), who put on an unbeaten 141 for the fourth wicket.

Ontong’s innings was a particularly swift affair, his runs coming off just 98 balls, with nine fours.

There was little for the Warriors to get excited about, although off-spinner Simon Harmer bowled 30 overs for just 74 runs to go with the 94 he scored to rescue the Warriors innings.

Ramela, sent in at number three, has plodded through four-and-a-half hours of batting to post his fourth Sunfoil Series half-century.

Some awful things have happened in South Africa over the last 10 days, reflecting themselves in a depressing pall of negativity over a land that seems to have forgotten the miracle of the Rainbow Nation. Even us sports writers, fortunate as we are to pursue a career in something we love, are affected by the politics of the day.

Of course the results of our sporting heroes – and let’s be honest it’s been a poor year for South Africa – do affect us as well, although I always try to remember that it’s only a game. It’s far more important what sport can achieve in terms of bringing people together and changing lives.

So I’m delighted to report some good news in these tough times, a few encouraging things that have happened.

It is not easy to achieve complete transformation and equality because change is usually met with resistance and there is centuries of injustice to correct. It is difficult to come up with the right answers when one is trying to ensure representivity but also endeavouring to maintain standards and also do the right thing by the people you are trying to uplift.

It was most encouraging then to see our Springbok Sevens team triumph in the Cape Town stage of the World Series and do it with a fully transformed side. Following the blows to rugby’s transformation record at the 15-man World Cup, it was a timely reminder that there is plenty of black talent out there, it just needs to be nurtured.

Cricket had its own transformation scandal during their World Cup earlier in the year but it still seemed a low blow when Mark Nicholas, a former English county cricketer now commentating on Australian TV, suggested that South Africa will be the next international team to be “severely threatened” by the same disintegration that has afflicted West Indian cricket.

The financial situation outside of the Big Three is obviously a concern for Cricket South Africa, although it is ironic that the plummeting of the rand probably helps them (due to the sale of television rights in dollars) while it spells grave danger for rugby. But CEO Haroon Lorgat, a qualified chartered accountant, is a forward-thinking man and the organisation is running in a much leaner, efficient fashion than before.

Whatever White South Africans might think, the future of this country’s sport is Black – it’s simple economics and obvious when one considers the population.

The RamSlam T20 Challenge final at Centurion was a top-class evening, boasting great cricket, a sell-out crowd – one of the best I’ve seen for a domestic match since the days of isolation – and even the hero of the game was a Black player – Mangaliso Mosehle.

For me, the final offered a glimpse of what the future of South African cricket could be – and it took a lot of effort on the part of Cricket South Africa, the Titans and their marketing partners.

A thoroughly New South Africa crowd was entertained by Black Coffee and Euphonik; whereas Steve Hofmeyr would have been favoured by previous administrations.

I can only presume that Nicholas has been spending too much time with some of the expats in Australia who are notorious for broadcasting their opinion that everything is a nightmare in South Africa.

The day after the final, I spent the morning at Killarney Country Club where their Mandela Day fundraising is being put to good use coaching traumatised children in golf and tennis as part of their therapy. The sheer joy of the children and how apparent it was that they loved what they are doing, once again showed how much opportunity there is for sports bodies to tap into the raw talent that is there and hungry to be found.

The RamSlam T20 Challenge final,the Springbok Sevens’ success and the kids at Killarney Country Club showed what can be built when there is a will to be inclusive and a desire to spread the game and utilise the talent present in all communities.