Ken Borland

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.

The selection policy for the Proteas cricket team has not changed, according to the convenor of selectors, Victor Mpitsang, despite the speculation that has unfolded following the completion of the T20 series against England on Tuesday night in which South Africa were hammered 3-0.

Eyebrows have been raised over the selection of the starting XI for all three matches and rumours of an increased quota of three Black African players have circulated. They were given more credence in the last game when, with Kagiso Rabada ruled out with a groin strain, Lutho Sipamla was selected in his place despite having not played any cricket since March.

The unfortunate 22-year-old conceded a whopping 45 runs in 2.4 overs, the second-most expensive figures in South Africa’s T20 history. Two fours and four sixes were hit off his 16 deliveries.

But Mpitsang denied that there had been any change in selection policy when it came to transformation targets. At the moment the Proteas have to reach a target of 56% Black representation over a season, and an average of two Black Africans per starting XI.

“The transformation targets are still measured over time in terms of the Eminent Persons Group policy we still adhere to. Nothing has changed in terms of that policy. But selection is also about getting the right balance in a team and with both our all-rounders [Andile Phehlukwayo & Dwaine Pretorius] not being available it created a headache for us, even though we had a 24-man squad.

“I understand there has been a lot of speculation, there will always be that, but it is unfair on the players who have been selected. They have all done well in T20 cricket. Due to the Covid-19 quarantine regulations, we couldn’t just fly someone in. The problem was we needed six bowlers but we also needed enough batting as well. George Linde’s all-round displays were a big positive though,” Mpitsang told The Citizen on Wednesday.

There have been statements made by Cricket South Africa acting CEO Kugandrie Govender and a CSA document proposing revised targets up until 2023 that would make it extremely difficult for the Proteas to ever field more than five White players. CSA have projected an average of 58% black players, of which 25% are Black African over the next two seasons. That equates to 6.38 Black players per team, of which 2.7 must be Black African, so the Proteas will have to field at least six black players in most games and seven in some games to meet those targets. They will have to use at least two Black African players in almost every game and regularly field three to reach these targets over the course of a season.

There is a proposed increase for the 2022/23 season of 63% Black players, with 33% having to be Black African.

Proteas coach Mark Boucher acknowledged on Wednesday night that there have been discussions over new targets, but he did not feel he was allowed to specify what they were.

“We had a transformation meeting in which we were given the outline and we’ve got to abide by that. I don’t think there has been a document given to the sports minister yet though. But I think someone with a higher pay grade than me should talk about the numbers, I don’t think I can,” Boucher said.

The Titans once again demonstrated some philanthropy with the ball and in the field on their home ground, but all credit to the Cape Cobras duo of Pieter Malan and Aviwe Mgijima for batting their team into a powerful position after the first day of their 4-Day Domestic Series match at Centurion on Monday.

Opening batsman Malan showed he has lost none of the powers that took him to a Test debut last season as he stroked a classy 125 in just over five hours, off 221 balls, driving the ball impressively as he collected 20 fours.

Mgijima showed good composure and judgement as he scored 86 in two-and-a-half hours, his fourth-wicket partnership of 90 with Malan being the bedrock of the Cobras’ total of 351 for five.

There were solid partnerships all the way down the innings after the Cobras had been sent into bat, which turned out to be a generous decision as the pitch played well for batting. Malan and Jonathan Bird (22) added 76 for the first wicket, captain Zubayr Hamza (28) helped add 60 for the second wicket, and Malan and Tony de Zorzi (29) then shared a 53-run stand for the third wicket.

Even when Malan was sensationally caught by Aiden Markram in the gully – he also took a blinder to dismiss Bird – the runs kept flowing for the Cobras as Mgijima and Calvin Savage (30*) added another 67 for the fifth wicket.

In Durban, fast bowler Daryn Dupavillon sent seven Knights batsmen on their bicycles as he caused a dramatic post-lunch collapse that saw the Dolphins skittle their opponents for just 116.

Dupavillon’s seven for 38 in 14-and-a-half overs saw the Knights crash from 87 for three,  losing their last seven wickets for just 29 runs.

The Dolphins also struggled in their reply, slipping to 52 for four as young Gerald Coetzee took three wickets. But Grant Roelofsen batted fluently and tenaciously to reach 64 not out at stumps to lift the home side to 169 for seven at stumps. He shared a key stand of 63 for the fifth wicket with Khaya Zondo (35).

In Port Elizabeth, Wesley Marshall showed his objection to the Imperial Lions being reduced to 15 for two after they had elected to bat first in no uncertain terms as he blazed a commanding 145 off just 160 balls, with 21 fours and three sixes, lifting the defending champions to 385 for eight at stumps.

Basheer Walters removed both Lions openers inside the first five overs and finished the day with outstanding figures of five for 58, but it was a most disagreeable day for the rest of the Warriors bowlers.

Ryan Rickelton stroked a slick 72 and Wiaan Mulder breezed to a brilliant 91 as they gave Marshall superb support.

Bulls flyhalf Chris Smith said on Monday that the team’s culture and care for each other was the source of their incredible determination that took them to a remarkable 22-20 victory over Western Province in their Currie Cup clash at Newlands at the weekend, despite the visitors having to play with 14 men for the last 35 minutes.

Smith was a key figure in the Bulls’ first triumph in Cape Town since 2009, not only kicking an angled last-minute conversion to win the match, but also shining in the final quarter with a couple of telling breaks and generally taking control of the contest.

“The hunger was obviously there in the team to fight to the end and to pull through for the win showed our desperation, our hunger and that we play for each other. That’s thanks to the culture of the team, we really care for each other. It was an incredible feeling because the Bulls have not beaten Western Province at Newlands in 11 years and I was 15 years old when Morne Steyn made the kick to win that one, at school just down the road at SACS.

“And for me to now make the winning kick was a very special moment in my career, an awesome feeling and I was very chuffed. I missed a similar one against the Free State Cheetahs, having been put on after Morne had kicked well from the start. Those are the big moments that you want to step up, but I learnt from it and moved forward, and I’m stoked it didn’t happen twice,” Smith said.

Smith admitted that it helped not having the usual passionate Newlands crowd cheering on Western Province … and trying to distract the opposition kicker at such a key moment.

“A big crowd can definitely fiddle with your mindset a bit, so it was nice to be able to kick in peace. But we’re a few games in now without having crowds so it has become normal. But a lot of players do get energy from the crowd, they find it highly motivating. The kick was a bit of a blur for me, but I tried to just stick to my process and I knew I had put in the prep.

“I’ve been very lucky to have a mentor like Morne Steyn, I learn from him daily. He’s been playing incredible rugby and is probably the form flyhalf in the country right now. So I’m just being a sponge because he’s a Springbok legend and an even bigger legend off the field, I just follow and learn from him. Having good players around me definitely makes life easier,” Smith said.