Ken Borland

Xerox Golden Lions coach Johan Ackermann said on Thursday that his team are likely to face a tremendous onslaught from the Vodacom Blue Bulls pack in their Absa Currie Cup Premier Division match at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday which is why he has chosen a five-two split between forwards and backs on the bench.

Springbok Sevens cap and former Natal Sharks wing Mark Richards could make his Lions debut off the bench, while centre Howard Mnisi, a recent signing from Griquas, is the only other back on the replacements bench.

Ackermann on Thursday named hooker Armand van der Merwe, prop Jacques van Rooyen, lock Martin Muller, utility forward Willie Britz and loose forward Kwagga Smith as the other five substitutes for Saturday’s local derby.

“The Bulls will obviously bring a big onslaught up front and being able to bring on fresh legs will be in our favour. We’ve got a lot of versatile players in the backs – Andries Coetzee can play scrumhalf and between Mark Richards and Kwagga Smith, because of their time as Sevens Springboks, they can cover from scrumhalf to wing.

“So we’ve been able to choose a specialist lock and Willie Britz covers both lock and flank, so it’s a really good mix. It’s going to be very hard at forward, so we’ve gone with five forwards on the bench to bring fresh legs on. We expect a big physical onslaught, we’re ready for it and if the game becomes loose then Willie can do some damage, he’s shown how he can turn games in the second half,” Ackermann said on Thursday.

The Lions coach said he had also decided to hand the captaincy of the team to Derick Minnie, who returns to the starting line-up at eighthman, because last week’s skipper in the victory over the EP Kings, Lionel Mapoe, is too removed from the action on the wing.

“We saw last week Lionel gets caught out wide and can’t get messages to the referee in time, I explained it to him that he’s too far from the action. That’s why so many captains are up front.

“I rely a lot on the captain to set the tone and Derick has done that before. The one with the armband speaks to the referee and to us [the coaching staff], but I want leadership from the players in general, which is why we have unit leaders for the scrums, lineouts and backs,” Ackermann explained.

Minnie has replaced Britz at eighthman, while the other change sees experienced former Bulls hooker Willie Wepener come into the front row in place of Van der Merwe.

Ackermann said he was pleased to welcome Jaco van der Walt back into the flyhalf position.

“I’m pleased to have Jaco back, we saw a lot of potential in him and it’s good to have him back so we can continue our development of him. He’s a specialist flyhalf so hopefully we’ll have more flow, and he’s kicked well in training.

“There are definitely areas and times when you need to relieve the pressure with a kick and Jaco has a long boot. That’s in our favour and will definitely be a factor if things are not going for us,” Ackermann said.

The other change to the Lions team sees Ruan Combrinck moving from fullback to replace Courtnall Skosan on the wing, with Coetzee moving from flyhalf to fullback.

Team: 15-Andries Coetzee, 14-Lionel Mapoe, 13-Stokkies Hanekom, 12-Alwyn Hollenbach, 11-Ruan Combrinck, 10-Jaco van der Walt, 9-Ross Cronje, 8-Derick Minnie, 7-Warwick Tecklenburg, 6-Jaco Kriel, 5-Franco Mostert, 4-MB Lusaseni, 3-Ruan Dreyer, 2-Willie Wepener, 1-Schalk van der Merwe. Bench – 16-Armand van der Merwe, 17-Jacques van Rooyen, 18-Martin Muller, 19-Willie Britz, 20-Kwagga Smith, 21-Mark Richards, 22-Howard Mnisi.

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Batsmen will be able to relieve their tensions but it will be a nervewracking few days for bowlers when the Global Softech Sixes kicks off at SuperSport Park this morning.

The first two days of action is dedicated to the Franchise Challenge, to be followed by the Africa Challenge on Saturday and Sunday.

Given that the boundaries have been brought in by at least 25% at SuperSport Park, the five-over games are going to be all about sixes and batsmen should have plenty of fun watching the ball soar out of the playing arena – even a well-timed defensive stroke is likely to clear the fence.

For the poor bowlers, there is the very real possibility of being hit for the dreaded six sixes in an over.

“We were joking that if you get hit for six fours in an over, you’re probably winning!” Unlimited Titans captain Henry Davids told The Pretoria News yesterday. “Batsmen are going to be trying to hit practically every ball for six, so it’s going to be exciting. But it’s big pressure for the bowlers and it’s very different to even T20 because that’s played on a normal ground.”

If one over can change the course of a match in T20 cricket, then it stands to reason that one delivery – a wicket or a dot-ball – will do the same in Sixes. So a premium is once again being placed on skills, especially those of the bowlers, because mis-hits are also going to carry for six at the new-look SuperSport Park this week.

“Whoever hits the most sixes is probably going to win and one good over will make all the difference. So if a bowler can bowl a good over in Sixes then he knows he can do a great over in T20 or one-day cricket, so he can look forward to those competitions with confidence,” Davids said.

The six franchises will play each other, with three games each today and two tomorrow, before handing over to the national teams of South Africa, Kenya, Namibia, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe on Saturday and Sunday.

Some fine international cricketers have come over the border to compete in the inaugural Global Softech Sixes Africa Challenge, including Namibians Sarel Burger, Gerrie Snyman and Christi Viljoen, Zimbabwe’s Malcolm Waller and Timycen Maruma, and Kenyans Nehemiah Odhiambo and Collins Obuya. Two well-known figures in South African domestic cricket, Kenyan legend Steve Tikolo and former KZN Dolphins opener Doug Watson, who is coaching Namibia, will be returning to SuperSport Park, where both have scored centuries over the years.

While it will all be huge fun for batsmen and spectators, bowlers might be contemplating turning to religion as they are thrown into the lions’ den.

Squads

Titans: Farhaan Behardien, Albie Morkel, Dean Elgar, Roelof van der Merwe, Mangaliso Mosehle, Henry Davids, David Wiese.

Cape Cobras: Justin Ontong, Justin Kemp, Rory Kleinveldt, Richard Levi, Aviwe Mgijima, Stiaan van Zyl, Dane Vilas.

Highveld Lions: Temba Bavuma, Dwaine Pretorius, Chris Morris, Hardus Viljoen, Jean Symes, Shaylen Pillay, Pumelela Matshikwe.

Warriors: Colin Ingram, Ryan Bailey, Lundi Mbane, Basheer Walters, Jon-Jon Smuts, Rusty Theron, Christiaan Jonker.

Knights:  Shadley van Schalkwyk, Reeza Hendricks, Tumelo Bodibe, Pite van Biljon, Dillon du Preez, Malusi Siboto, Quinton Friend, Werner Coetsee.

Dolphins: Cameron Delport, Keshav Maharaj, Khaya Zondo, Morné van Wyk, Robbie Frylinck, Sibonela Makhanya, Thandi Tshabalala.

*South Africa’s squad for the Africa Challenge will only be chosen after the Franchise Challenge.

Kenya: Rakep Patel, Shem Ngoche, Nehemiah Odhiambo, Collins Obuya, Nelson Odhiambo, Narendra Patel, Alex Obanda.

Namibia: Nicolaas Scholtz, Sarel Burger, Raymond van Schoor, Gerrie Snyman, JP Kotze, JJ Smit, Christi Viljoen.

Tanzania: Abhik Patwa, Hamisi Abdallah, Khalil Rehemtulla, Nasibu Mapunda, Kassim Mussa, Goodluck Tandika, Benson Nyaikini.

Uganda: Frank Nsubuga, Deusdedit Muhumuza, Roger Mukasa, Daniel Ruyange, Brian Masaba, Arnold Otwan, Jonathan Sebanja.

Zimbabwe: Forster Mutizwa, Malcolm Waller, Timycen Maruma, Kevin Kasuza, Stephen Trenchard, Roy Kaia, Carl Mumba.

Fixtures

Today: 10h00 Cobras v Knights; 10h50 Titans v Warriors; 11h40 Dolphins v Lions; 12h30 Warriors v Cobras; 13h20 Lions v Titans; 14h10 Knights v Dolphins; 15h00 Cobras v Lions; 15h50 Titans v Dolphins.

Tomorrow: 10h00 Warriors v Knights; 10h50 Dolphins v Cobras; 11h40 Knights v Titans; 12h30 Warriors v Lions; 13h20 Titans v Cobras; 14h10 Warriors v Dolphins; 15h00 Knights v Lions; 16h10 Franchise Sixes final.

Saturday: 10h00 Kenya v Namibia; 10h50 Uganda v Tanzania; 11h40 South Africa v Zimbabwe; 12h30 Tanzania v Kenya; 13h20 Zimbabwe v Uganda; 14h10 Namibia v South Africa; 15h00 Kenya v Zimbabwe; 15h50 Uganda v South Africa.

Sunday: 10h00 Tanzania v Namibia; 10h50 South Africa v Kenya;11h40 Namibia v Uganda; 12h30 Tanzania v Zimbabwe; 13h20 Uganda v Kenya; 14h10 Tanzania v South Africa; 15h00 Namibia v Zimbabwe; 16h10 Africa Sixes final.

If multi-tasking is one of the greatest attributes of a woman then SuperSport Park should forthwith be referred to as a “she” given the plans Northerns Cricket Union president and Easterns Titans chairman John Wright has for her in the second year of his term.

The feminine touch dominated SuperSport Park last weekend when more than 26 000 runners took part in the Pretoria leg of the Spar Women’s 10km Challenge which started and ended at the venue, but the fairer sex have been taking pride of place at the ground since Elise Lombard, the efficient, much-loved former CEO, oversaw the move there from Berea Park in 1986. Lombard’s sad passing in August 2012 has seen Jacques Faul replace her as chief executive, but Patricia Kambarami has been promoted to chief operating officer to continue the tradition of female leaders in Northerns cricket.

Wright is adamant that events such as the Spar Women’s 10km Challenge and promotions such as Kambarami’s are crucial to the future well-being of Titans cricket.

“Titans cricket cannot sustain itself with only cricketing content, we have to make our assets work for us. One of those is our world-class stadium, but we can’t rely on just 14 days of profitable cricket every year. We need other streams of income and this is where Jacques Faul has been so good and he’s way ahead of the rest in terms of innovations.

“The Franchise and Africa Sixes and the Northerns Bash are all his initiatives and he’s making the stadium work for us in enhancing the Titans brand. It’s been set back a bit recently, but we’re busy getting proposals from developers and there’s a fair amount of interest that shows that SuperSport Park is not just seen as a cricket-only ground.

“We need other revenue sources and we want to attract more people to SuperSport Park. Things like the Spar Women’s Race, which markets and promotes the ground as more of a community centre. And we’re not just looking at sports events, we want to be multi-cultural. SuperSport Park is at the hub of business and a rich sporting culture and it’s ideally situated in terms of the Gautrain and the N1,” Wright told The Pretoria News.

As for Kambarami’s appointment, Wright says the former marketing and events manager’s promotion was thoroughly well-deserved and another sign that the Titans are looking to the future.

“Transformation is a term that’s used loosely sometimes, but the essence of it is that I don’t see it as an appointment of someone of colour; Patricia has been appointed because of her abilities and she just happens to be black. She has shown her qualities and it’s absolutely on merit. She’s proven to everyone that she’s more than qualified for the post and that’s why it’s been so well accepted.

“Things like that have to happen in this cut-throat environment and recently there have been some other bold steps like all Premier League clubs being required to have at least one player of colour and our executive becoming 50/50. In the past there was a stigma around transformation and we were very much Afrikaans and all-white, but that is changing,” Wright said.

When Wright is not wearing a jacket and tie in his role as president of the union, he is out on the sports fields himself. While he played some Premier League cricket for the then Pretoria Tech, and has been in charge of cricket and hockey at the renamed Tshwane University of Technology for 20 years, he is perhaps best known as one of the leading hockey umpires in the world.

Wright has officiated in four Olympic Games (one final) and four World Cups, including being in charge of three finals.

“I think I’ve got two or three years left as an umpire, there’s an age cut-off of 47 for international hockey. So the Rio Olympics are in sight, but it depends on how fit I stay and whether the fire still burns. I have accomplished most things in terms of hockey umpiring, but I still want to contribute, although I now have a huge responsibility to cricket,” Wright said.

A board meeting can often be like a hockey Test with 22 under-pressure players getting emotional, and Wright has a knack of handling those sort of explosive situations.

“I think my umpiring does help at board meetings! I’ve learnt to listen and operate under pressure, how to deal with personalities.”

While the stadium and the union finances are important, Wright, exposed as he has been to top-class sport, knows how important it is for the Titans team to have the right culture and to enjoy success on the field.

“We’re not as prescriptive as to say trophies are required, but the coach is under no illusions as to how handy trophies are! We have to be realistic, a team will always have ups and downs, but with the quality squad we have, the Titans should always be in contention.

“I’m not a president who digs his nose into the team’s affairs, the coach and CEO must run that show, but there was previously an ethos of lacklustre performance and preparation and to survive in the franchise environment, there can be no place for that. It’s difficult for the coach to turn that around, but Rob Walter is determined and committed to promoting far more responsibility and productive preparation,” Wright said.

The product of Selborne College in East London also gives full support to the University of Pretoria’s dominance of local club cricket, which has ruffled some feathers.

“I know it’s not the opinion of all the clubs, but Tuks are an extremely valuable asset for us. If we draw comparisons with other franchises who don’t have a strong university, then we see they battle. Tuks are at the forefront of coaching and performance in South Africa and their record speaks for itself.

“They must be doing something right and their professionalism and ethics must rub off positively on the other clubs. So I see no reason to clip their wings, it would only be to the detriment of the franchise,” Wright said.

While the changing face of cricket is most obvious at the franchise level, the amateur, club game also needs plenty of attention. Fortunately Wright is a leader who has his feet firmly in both camps.

“I’m very much a  club man, I support the old traditions. Clubs are critical but we’re also moving into a very professional era. The days of volunteers running the show are few and far between. We need the right mix of club and professional people to steer us in the right direction.”

John Wright certainly seems to have the Titans ship facing in the right direction.

The Unlimited Titans’ opponents in the Global Softech Sixes Franchise Challenge next week will have to face the twin threats of both Albie Morkel and David Wiese, two of the longest hitters in the country, after the pair of all-rounders were named yesterday in the hosts’ squad for the inaugural event.

Roelof van der Merwe, Henry Davids and Farhaan Behardien provide only a marginally more veiled threat as the Titans take on the other franchises on September 4 and 5 at SuperSport Park.

Big hitters will certainly be calling the tune in the event, for which the boundaries will be brought in, allowing corporate hospitality to encroach on to the field, with Justin Kemp, Richard Levi, Dwaine Pretorius, Chris Morris, Dillon du Preez, Cameron Delport and Robbie Frylinck all named in their respective franchise squads.

The national team is away that weekend, probably playing in the final of the triangular series in Zimbabwe, but there is enough bludgeoning power on hand to ensure spectators at the Global Softech Sixes have an entertaining time.

Bowlers will be under threat, but the Titans squad is blessed in this department with everyone, except wicketkeeper/batsman Mangaliso Mosehle, being an all-rounder of some sort and Van der Merwe, Wiese, Morkel and Davids are all established limited-overs practitioners.

The Franchise Challenge is to be followed by the Africa Sixes Challenge on September 6, featuring South Africa, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.

Squads

Titans: Farhaan Behardien, Albie Morkel, Dean Elgar, Roelof van der Merwe, Mangaliso Mosehle, Henry Davids, David Wiese, Qaasim Adams.

Cape Cobras: Justin Ontong, Justin Kemp, Rory Kleinveldt, Richard Levi, Aviwe Mgijima, Stiaan van Zyl, Dane Vilas.

Highveld Lions: Temba Bavuma, Dwaine Pretorius, Chris Morris, Hardus Viljoen, Jean Symes, Shaylen Pillay, Pumelela Matshikwe.

Warriors: Colin Ingram, Ryan Bailey, Lundi Mbane, Basheer Walters, Jon-Jon Smuts, Rusty Theron, Christiaan Jonker.

Knights:  Shadley van Schalkwyk, Reeza Hendricks, Tumelo Bodibe, Pite van Biljon, Dillon du Preez, Malusi Siboto, Quinton Friend, Werner Coetsee.

Dolphins: Cameron Delport, Keshav Maharaj, Khaya Zondo, Morné van Wyk, Robbie Frylinck, Sibonela Makhanya, Thandi Tshabalala.