It was late May and the Moreleta Kloof Nature Reserve looked dry and worn-out as the harsh Highveld winter began to take its toll on this area of great peace and tranquility nestled in the suburbs of eastern Pretoria, below the Bronberg ridge.
The Rademeyerspruit, a tributary of the Moreleta River, runs through the reserve and one of the highlights of this suburban oasis is the Flufftail Hide, which overlooks a secluded little vlei area at the bottom of the hill on which the main entrance is situated.
But there was just a trickle of water to be seen and the only avian activity was some die-hard but non-breeding Southern Masked Weavers hanging around, flying between the tops of the reeds. What leaves were on the trees were dry and the veld was all dry, yellowing grass.
But close to the hide, next to the path leading from it, stood a tall, densely-branched Bluebush (Diospyros lycioides) with barely a leaf remaining from its autumnal shedding.
Suddenly there was a flash of bright yellow, like a torchlight in the gloom of all the dull winter colours, as a pair of Blackthroated Canary arrived at the top of the Bluebush. The yellow comes from their rumps, by far the most vivid colour on an otherwise rather drab grey, brown and black bird.
The ‘black throat’ is really just a smudge of black and is more obvious in the males. The Blackthroated Canary generally prefers drier conditions than its fellow Crithagra species, the Yellowfronted Canary, but is nevertheless often near water.
After a little while the pair flew off, making their charming, cheerful, high-pitched twittering & chirping calls.
Before leaving the general vicinity of the hide, I caught a glimpse of a Bushbuck, just before it dashed away into the riverine vegetation.
Heading back up the hill into the grasslands, a group of Redfaced Mousebird were flying between the bushy patches as I made my way towards the path that connects to the Duiker Route. A very large Leopard Tortoise was parked just off the path right at the junction.
The old fella having a snooze …
The Duiker Route heads around to the east and then up the hill into some denser vegetation: a thicket of woody species but with a variety of grasses in the understorey.
A Browncrowned Tchagra sat briefly on a low, horizontal branch and then dived into the long grass and tangled thicket below the Blue Guarris, Searsias and Wild Olives. These tough, hardy evergreen trees are characteristic of the Highveld grasslands.
A Barthroated Apalis briefly appeared, casting a curious pale eye our way, before it skulked back into the thicket; only to reappear moments later at the tops of the trees, where it went flitting about the canopy.
A Karoo Thrush was also lurking about, before it slinked off into the undergrowth.
As a great time just being in nature in one of the most popular walking spots in Pretoria drew to a conclusion, the close interactions continued as a Common Ostrich wandered about near the path, next to the parking lot. It had been a fun 75 minutes with much to see and enjoy in this healthy eco-system, never mind the abundance of fresh air in a safe location!
Supporting these green areas in the heart of suburbia is so important, and this 100 hectare reserve is certainly an exquisite little treasure.
Our DP World Lions made sure they will host Sunday’s CSA T20 Challenge final with a commanding win over the Momentum Multiply Titans in Johannesburg on Wednesday night, claiming victory in their semi-final by a sizeable eight wickets with 20 balls to spare.
The #PrideOfJozi continued the great form that carried them to the top of the log after the round-robin stage, overwhelming the Titans with the control and skill of their bowling, and then racing to victory with a powerful batting display. Having successfully converted first place in the standings to a home final at the DP World Wanderers Stadium on Sunday afternoon, the Lions will now face either the Dolphins or the Warriors, who play in Durban on Thursday night in the other semi-final.
Having won the toss, the DP World Lions took to the field first and immediately bossed the Titans. The visitors could only score 38 for one in the powerplay and a 20-minute delay to restore a floodlight did not break the momentum.
If anything, it saw the DP World Lions come back out with even more intent and ruthlessness, as they claimed the next eight Titans wickets for just 87 runs. Our chief hero was once again young leg-spinner Nqaba Peter, one of the finds of the domestic season, as he ripped through the Titans middle-order, taking four for 18 in his four overs.
The 21-year-old Peter has now taken 19 wickets in the campaign, at a ridiculously good average of just 7.78, while conceding only 5.19 runs per over. Another one of our exciting younger players, Codi Yusuf, was also excellent, taking two for 25 in his four overs.
With the match reduced to 18 overs-a-side due to the delay, the Titans finished on a meagre 131 for nine. The DLS recalculation meant our target was 134 in 18 overs.
Ryan Rickelton continued to pursue the leading run-scorer’s title as he struck a punishing 38 off 26 balls, his only boundaries being three large sixes, but the real slaughter came from the bat of Rassie van der Dussen.
The DP World Wanderers became a massacre site for the bowlers as the experienced Proteas star powered his way to a fiery 73 not out off just 45 balls, with eight fours and a six. He added 85 off 53 deliveries for the second wicket with Rickelton, and then Temba Bavuma (19* off 13) was out in the middle with him when the match was won, adding an unbeaten 46 off 31 balls for the third wicket.
Yusuf and Wiaan Mulder had earlier removed Titans openers Lhuan-dre Pretorius (8) and Rivaldo Moonsamy (24), with Peter coming on in the ninth over and immediately spinning his web.
The experienced Sibonelo Makhanya (6) was beaten in the flight and bowled trying to sweep, and then in his third over, Peter removed Neil Brand (7) and David Wiese (0) with successive deliveries. Brand was caught top-edging a sweep, Bavuma making plenty of ground to take a brilliantly-judged running catch at midwicket, while Wiese failed to spot the googly and was comprehensively bowled.
Corbin Bosch (9), hitting out ambitiously but in vain, then became Peter’s fourth and final victim, Yusuf taking a very composed catch on the cow-corner boundary. It is the second time this season the youngster who bowls brisk leg-spin with great variations has picked up four wickets in an innings.
The insignia of our mighty DP World Lions is a lion’s head with the mouth open to roar or feed, and men’s head coach Russell Domingo said on Monday that there is still a tremendous appetite within the squad to claim a second trophy this season and really stamp their names on the 2023/24 campaign.
The #PrideOfJozi are just two matches away from adding the CSA T20 Challenge to their four-day triumph, with neighbours and derby rivals the Momentum Multiply Titans their opponents in Wednesday’s semi-final at the DP World Wanderers Stadium.
With their two previous encounters this season both ending in last-ball victories for the home team, it is bound to be another intense outing against a Titans team that have won four games in a row leading into the semi-finals. But at the end of a long season, Domingo says our DP World Lions are primed to finish strong.
“It’s not a challenge to keep these guys hungry, they have the opportunity to win two out of the three competitions this season. We have no fears about them being jaded, they are all really up for it,” Domingo said on Monday at the moving launch of the DP World Beyond Boundaries initiative.
“There are also T20 World Cup spots up for grabs and the players know how important this last week of the competition is. If there’s any uncertainty about Proteas selection, then this tournament can really clarify things. It is still an important competition and there are some fantastic players involved in it.
“Everybody is still looking for that perfect game, that’s what we are striving for, even though you can never reach it – there’ll always be a wide or two. But we are just trying to get better, to stay grounded and not get too far ahead of ourselves,” Domingo said.
The former Proteas and Bangladesh head coach has mixed and matched his starting XIs in recent weeks, ensuring that the players are not only kept fresh, but that he has numerous options when it comes to deciding on a strategy to beat the Titans.
Will Lutho Sipamla and Codi Yusuf bowl in the powerplay or will Delano Potgieter bring his swing bowling into the mix? Or will Wiaan Mulder take the new ball with left-arm spinner Bjorn Fortuin and Evan Jones also feature in the powerplay?
In the batting, will Ryan Rickelton and Reeza Hendricks open, or will one of Rassie van der Dussen or Temba Bavuma go up the order? Will Zubayr Hamza or Connor Esterhuizen feature? Where does Mitchell van Buuren fit into the scheme of things?
“Obviously we have a lot of options. There are so many different bowlers we can use in the powerplay and it’s a good thing not to be predictable because then teams can not always plan against you,” Domingo said.
“We’ve also mixed the batting order around and the guys have all really bought into it. Full credit to them, they’ve got on with it. Maybe in the last couple of games we’ve lacked a really big score, so hopefully someone in the top four will be our in-batter at the death this time.
“But we are in a very blessed position and we’ve had a good competition, winning 10 out of 14 matches to top the log, and two of those lost games were off the last ball. So we have competed well.
“In terms of selection, I’ve tried to take performance out of it and given as many guys opportunity as possible. That has served us well, but it’s time to settle down now,” Domingo said.
Our DP World Lions, the #PrideOfJozi, continue to justify the adulation of their fans as they finished top of the Cricket South Africa T20 Challenge and will host their semi-final on Wednesday, following their clinical victory over the AET Tuskers in Johannesburg on Sunday.
The Lions comfortably saw off the Tuskers by seven wickets with two-and-a-half overs to spare at the DP World Wanderers Stadium on Sunday, taking them to 44 points from their 10 wins, and setting up a semi-final against the Titans at home on Wednesday.
Victory in that match will ensure our Pride host the final at the DP World Wanderers Stadium next Sunday, against either the Dolphins or the Warriors, who will play the other semi-final at Kingsmead on Thursday.
Our Pride won the toss against the Tuskers and sent the KwaZulu-Natal Inland team in to bat on a DP World Wanderers pitch that provided some assistance for the bowlers but nothing excessive. An excellent bowling and fielding effort saw the visitors restricted to 132 for nine.
Seamers Delano Potgieter and Lutho Sipamla set the tone up front by each grabbing a wicket, and then young leg-spinner Nqaba Peter continued his sensational introduction to franchise cricket as he ripped through the Tuskers middle-order with outstanding figures of three for 15 in his four overs.
Those three wickets came in the space of four deliveries as he dismissed Kyle Nipper for 30 off 25 balls and then trapped hard-hitting Keith Dudgeon lbw first ball. Peter then bowled Ntando Zuma for a duck two deliveries later with his trademark slider.
Sipamla (4-0-25-2) returned to take a second wicket and left-arm spinner Bjorn Fortuin also took two wickets, for just 19 runs in his four overs.
The writing was on the wall for the Tuskers as Zubayr Hamza and Rassie van der Dussen added 46 off 34 balls for the third wicket. Hamza, as usual, painted some beautiful pictures with his strokeplay as he scored 49 off 38 deliveries, before Van der Dussen splattered three sixes around the field in scoring 51 not out off 35 balls to see the Lions home. The exciting Mitchell van Buuren scored 23 not out off 19 deliveries as he and Van der Dussen added 53 unbeaten runs off 35 balls to seal the victory.
And now the Titans await in the semi-finals. The DP World Lions and their Gauteng neighbours have written the treatise on close finishes in this season’s T20 competition, our Pride winning by one run five weeks ago at the Wanderers, while Northerns won by two runs at the start of the weekend at SuperSport Park.
Sent in to bat at Centurion, a methodical effort by the DP World Lions saw them post 154 for eight. Reeza Hendricks was the pick of the batsmen with 48 off 35 balls, stroking five fours and a six. But he had good support from Temba Bavuma (21 off 13), Wiaan Mulder (25 off 13) and Potgieter (21 off 15).
A terrific bowling effort by the DP World Lions subjected the Titans to pressure throughout their innings, reducing them to 135 for eight after 18 overs. But from there, the Titans managed to scramble a bye off the last ball to win.
Codi Yusuf (4-0-25-1), Mulder (4-0-24-1) and Peter (4-0-29-2) all produced fine displays with the ball.
People have a distorted understanding of values, but I believe:
Financial riches are not of greater importance than an honourable character;
It is better to give than to receive;
Helping someone for nothing brings its own rich reward.
“The highest standards are those given to man by God. They are the old, proven values of love, honesty, unselfishness and purity … allow these God-given principles to govern your conscience.
“As you live according to these divine standards, God’s best for you will outshine all the plans you can make for yourself.” – A Shelter From The Storm by Solly Ozrovech
My Springbok team (URC & Champions Cup players only)
15-Damian Willemse
14-Canan Moodie
13-Henco van Wyk
12-Andre Esterhuizen
11-Kurt-Lee Arendse
10-Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu
9-Cobus Reinach
8-Evan Roos
7-Elrigh Louw
6-Siya Kolisi
5-Ruan Nortje
4-Jean Kleyn
3-Wilco Louw
2-Johan Grobbelaar
1-Ox Nche
Replacements: Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Gerhard Steenekamp, Asenathi Ntlabakanye, Ruan Venter, Marco van Staden, Cameron Hanekom, Grant Williams, Makazole Mapimpi.
