Ken Borland

Much as I love technology, I have to admit I’m a bit behind the times and it oftens flummoxes and frustrates me no end. I’m relatively new to discovering the joys (and irritations) of a Blackberry and I enviously look at iPads like Neil Armstrong and Co must have looked at the moon during the training for their historic Apollo mission.

But even I know that you have to have the correct software running on any technical device in order for it to work properly. Windows 95 on my current laptop would be an absolute nightmare.

It’s the same with our lives. If we’re not in communion with our Creator, we’re not going to run properly. For those of a bygone technological age, it’s like those old 45″ singles you used to play on the gramaphone … the ones that had the big holes in the middle. If you didn’t centre that thing properly on the record player, the music would be horribly distorted.

Man, in disobedience, declares himself to be independent of God and causes a great separation. As Solly Ozrovech puts it so well in his book A Shelter From The Storm, “He thought that this would liberate him, but in reality he became the slave of influences stronger than himself. The egotistical I replaced God.”

But man’s declaration of independence from God has been a disaster. It’s clear that mankind cannot rule the world in their own wisdom and strength … just look at South Africa.

But here’s the Good News: “Even though humanity turned away from God, God did not turn away from his people. The purpose of Christ’s coming into this world as a man was to bridge the gaping chasm that separated man from God.”

2 Corinthians 5: 18-19 – “All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.”

Through Christ, God has revealed to us what we can become through his strength: Liberated from sin

Enriched by his Spirit living in us

and in communion with Him

Through Christ, our relationship with God is fully restored!

AB de Villiers played one of the greatest Indian Premier League innings ever seen as his sensational onslaught took the Royal Challengers Bangalore to a five-wicket win over the Deccan Chargers and back to the brink of the playoff places at the Chinnaswamy Stadium on Sunday.

 – http://www.supersport.com/cricket/indian-premier-league/news/120506/AB_snatches_most_amazing_win

The Challengers, chasing 182 for victory, were struggling to get on top of the persistent Chargers bowlers and they went into the last five overs needing 69 runs.

They almost immediately lost the top-scorer, Tillakaratne Dilshan, for a fantastic 71 off 54 balls, but De Villiers went on to steal the show with an astonishing innings of 47 not out off just 17 balls, with five fours and three sixes.

Whatever the reputation of T20 cricket, the onslaught De Villiers unleashed on countryman Dale Steyn in the 18th over was some of the best cricket one can ever hope to see.

To the man in the street, Steyn, who had earlier bowled a magnificent maiden over to Chris Gayle, is the best fast bowler in the world, and De Villiers is rapidly earning a reputation as the number one batsman.

Steyn’s bowling was accurate, putting every ball pretty much where he wanted to, but De Villiers was always a step ahead. The first ball of the over was short and imperiously pulled for six, the second delivery was an excellent yorker which De Villiers squeezed through square-leg for two runs.

De Villiers then clubbed a slower ball through wide mid-on for four, before playing the most extraordinary shot of them all, backing away and lifting another 146km/h yorker over extra cover for six. The South African limited-overs captain then stepped outside off stump and paddled another four, before keeping the strike as he calmy steered a lifter to third man.

Anand Rajan was the other bowler to suffer at the hands of De Villiers’s brilliance as he hit him for four, four and six off the first three balls of what turned out to be the final over, Bangalore winning with seven balls to spare.

The Challengers’ other big gun, Chris Gayle, was content to play second fiddle to Dilshan as he scored 26 off 22 balls in a first-wicket stand of 91 off just 64 balls.

Rajan gained the scalp of Gayle, bowling him the ball after the left-hander had launched him for a massive six out of the ground, and the match seemed to have turned in the favour of the visitors when leg-spinner Amit Mishra took two wickets in the 14th over.

The first was down to the brilliance of Steyn in the field as he leapt to pluck Virat Kohli’s sweetly-struck drive out of the sky at wide long-off and Steyn contributed to the second wicket as well when he caught Asad Pathan for four.

Dilshan, who had gone fluently to his half-century off just 29 balls, the bowlers having no answer to his commanding strokeplay, suddenly seemed to have doubts as he scored just 21 runs off his next 25 balls. He hit Veer Pratap Singh for four through square-leg but then missed the next ball aiming for the same place and was bowled.

Mayank Agarwal then came in and scored a priceless 18 off six balls, including a four and two sixes, before he missed a slog-sweep at Ashish Reddy and was given out lbw.

But then De Villiers took over and produced the most extraordinary and breathtaking of match-winning innings.

PAPER-THIN ATTACK

Earlier, Shikhar Dhawan and Cameron White were once again in fine form as they led the Deccan Chargers to 181 for two.

Opener Dhawan and White added 82 in 44 balls to boost the Chargers after a solid but unspectacular start on a good pitch and a small field in Bangalore.

White was spectacular as he plundered 45 off 24 balls, with three sixes, before skying a pull off Prasanth Parameswaran and being caught by the bowler in the final over.

Dhawan scored an elegant, fluent 73 not out off 52 balls, with 10 fours and a six. This is his third half-century of the season, but his highest score.

The big news of the day in terms of team selection was that Bangalore captain Daniel Vettori had dropped himself in favour of the more penetrative Muttiah Muralitharan and, even though the great Sri Lankan did not take a wicket, he was the home side’s best bowler, conceding just 18 runs in his four overs.

Despite the presence of international stars such as Muralitharan and Zaheer Khan, the Bangalore attack still looked paper thin with Parameswaran taking the only wicket to fall to a bowler as late as the final over.

Australian Daniel Harris, brought into the team as an opening batsman, scored a powerful 47 off 41 balls as he and Dhawan made a strong start, adding 86 for the first wicket off 71 balls.

The partnership was ended by a run out as Harris, charging off for a silly run, was beaten back to the bowler’s end as Kohli swooped wonderfully in the covers.

That was in the 12th over and White settled in well before hitting the ball hard and straight in his final onslaught.

Parameswaran’s last three overs cost 39 runs and Abhimanyu Mithun was hit for 6,4,4 by White as the 17th over ended disastrously for Bangalore. The last five overs of the innings brought 64 runs as the Challengers bowlers were hit silly.

Kumar Sangakkara hit a six and a four in the three balls he faced in the final over.

Left-arm paceman Zaheer was the next best of the Bangalore bowlers, conceding 32 runs in his four overs.

Cheetahs captain Adriaan Strauss led a top-class forward effort as the hosts beat the Western Force 17-13 in a Super Rugby match in Bloemfontein on Saturday.

The hooker, a powerful force with ball in hand, scored a 54th-minute try to give the Cheetahs a 14-13 lead after a charge down and try by centre Winston Stanley had put Force 13-9 ahead shortly after halftime.

The Cheetahs dominated territory and possession and were eager to run at the Force who were let down by ill-discipline.

Flyhalf Sias Ebersohn kicked three penalties and scrumhalf Tewis de Bruyn one for the Cheetahs, who gained consolation for their heart-breaking loss last weekend when they surrendered a 30-9 lead to lose 36-33 to the Otago Highlanders.

Force flyhalf Dave Harvey kicked two penalties in the first half but their joy at seeing left wing Samu Wara cross the tryline in the left corner quickly turned to frustration as the score was disallowed due to foul play by prop Salesi Ma’afu who held an opponent in a headlock and slapped him.

Ebersohn, who missed crucial kicks for the Cheetahs last weekend, kicked the resulting penalty and was spot-on again in the 19th and 37th minutes.

The Force took the lead six minutes after halftime when Cheetahs fullback Hennie Daniller took his time over a clearance kick, which was charged down by Stanley who gathered the ball and scored.

But the visitors paid again for their ill-discipline when obstruction by Harvey and dirty play by prop Pek Cowan when he hauled airborne flank Heinrich Brussow out of a lineout led to a penalty close to the tryline for the Cheetahs.

The concerted pressure of the forwards’ driving play eventually led to the space outside for Strauss to score.

The Cheetahs’ final points came after a penalty had been advanced 10 metres after the Force kicked the ball away after the whistle. The extra 10 metres brought the kick into range for Ebersohn who succeeded from the halfway line.

The Ford Pumas were too strong at home for a disappointing EP Kings team as they won their Vodacom Cup quarterfinal 30-19 (half-time 17-9) at the impressive Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit on Friday.

The Pumas were full value for their win, with the Kings behind throughout the match and simply outmuscled and out-skilled by the home side, raising the spectre of serious problems in SuperRugby next year.

The Pumas team were physical, gutsy in defence and took their chances, their reward being just their second appearance in the Vodacom Cup semi-finals.

The Mpumalanga side made a great start as they pressured the EP Kings from the kickoff, leading to a poor clearance. They then rumbled a rolling maul to within sight of the tryline, earning a penalty, which they tapped, prop Ashley Buys then crashing over for the opening try from close range.

Fullback JC Roos, whose powerful boot played an important role in the victory, converted.

EP Kings flyhalf Justin van Staden kicked a good penalty in the seventh minute (3-7), but the Pumas played their way back into opposition territory. They showed their liking for phase play with four rucks set up going left and then another three going right, before wing Deon Scholtz went dashing down the touchline like a greyhound before passing inside for hooker Torsten van Jaarsveld to charge over the line.

Eight minutes later, flank Jaco Bouwer, one of the Pumas’ champions, went streaking through a gap in the Kings’ defences to score their third try and, with a 17-3 lead, the home side were well on their way to keeping their title hopes alive.

The Pumas defence was at times a little over-enthusiastic and Van Staden was able to kick penalties in the 23rd and 38th minutes to reduce the gap to 17-9 and keep the Kings in the game.

And, the Kings ended the half and began the second playing against 14 men after Pumas flank Renaldo Bothma high-tackled fullback SP Marais and was yellow-carded.

The one-man advantage gave the visitors the opportunity to score their only try, six minutes into the second half, when strong runs by eighthman Jacques Engelbrecht and lock Johan Snyman, and slick work by replacement scrumhalf Boela Abrahams, who gave the Kings some spark, provided Marais with the space to dot down.

Van Staden’s conversion made the score 16-20 and the Pumas had been given a little scare. They immediately upped their game and the pressure told on the Kings.

The ball was knocked-on inside the EP 22 by Marais after a risky pass from centre Scott van Breda and, from the scrum in the shadow of the posts, prop Corne Fourie, with the support of Bothma on his back, burst straight through the defences to score the match-winning try.

Roos added the Pumas’ remaining points with the conversion and a 70th-minute penalty, while Van Staden could only kick one of the three penalty attempts he was given in the second half.

SCORERS

Ford Pumas – Tries: Ashley Buys, Torsten van Jaarsveld, Jaco Bouwer, Corne Fourie. Conversions: JC Roos (2). Penalties: Roos (2).

EP Kings – Try: SP Marais. Conversion: Justin van Staden. Penalties: Justin van Staden (4).

http://www.supersport.com/rugby/vodacom-cup/news/120504/Pumas_too_strong_for_Kings