Ken Borland

Newly-elected acting president Willie Basson said on Wednesday that his aim as the new head of Cricket South Africa (CSA) was to improve the standard of the administration so that it rivalled the professionalism of the national team on the field.
Basson was elected on Saturday to take over from AK Khan, who was also an acting president before resigning last week in the wake of the Nicholson Inquiry which found CSA chief executive Gerald Majola had “surreptitiously” received 1.8 million rand ($237,000) in unauthorised bonuses from the Indian Premier League, as well as irregular travel expenses, in contravention of the Companies Act.
Khan had headed CSA’s own investigation which cleared Majola of any serious wrongdoing, but which was subsequently described as a “cover-up” by the Nicholson Inquiry.
“A personal motivation for my decision to become involved is a long-standing concern for the large gap between the level of professionalism of the on-field activities as opposed to the off-field activities. This gap is a burning issue. In 40 years of being involved in sport, I’ve never come to terms with how much the players sacrifice but administrators, in general, just bumble along and hardly ever face any consequences, except when they’re up for re-election every two years. It’s a major irritation for me, this obvious weakness has to be aggressively addressed and we have to raise the bar.

“The time has come for those responsible for guiding and executing off-the-field activities to have better game plans, executed more effectively and efficiently,” Basson told a news conference in Centurion on Wednesday.

Having suspended Majola pending an independent disciplinary inquiry as per the recommendations of the Nicholson Inquiry, Basson said the CSA board would now place Judge Chris Nicholson’s other main edict – that the governing body should undergo a review of its corporate structure – in the hands of experts.

“The mere fact that we have acknowledged the Nicholson report and accepted it in principle, means we have laid the foundation to appoint competent people to look at a re-invented cricket system. But it’s essentially a legal document and we need to translate it in the light of practicalities for a sports system, so that it leads to an improvement in the administration of the game,” Basson said.

The veteran cricket administrator was previously the chairman of CSA’s transformation committee and he said this would be a key focus in his term.

“In the light of the minister of sport’s recent comments on the status of transformation in the country’s major sporting codes, it will be a high priority item. The board has recently in principle approved a model that will be considered by the transformation committee tomorrow [Thursday]. A fund to support transformation initiatives at provincial level has also been established and is the first in the country,” Basson said.
Basson said restoring the battered image of CSA would also be one of the board’s areas of focus.

“The complex process of damage control of CSA’s reputation and image on the basis of systematic and on-going communication with stakeholders will be an important focus area. CSA is under no illiusion … cricket is beleagured and its image and reputation have been dented over an extended period of time. Image is any organisation’s biggest asset and the process will require cool heads. We have to pinpoint where our image has been harmed and the reasons for the negative public opinion,” Basson said.

Faf du Plessis took ownership of the run-chase as he steered the Nashua Titans to a six-wicket victory over the Nashua Mobile Cape Cobras in their MiWay T20 Challenge match at SuperSport Park in Centurion on Sunday.

 – http://www.supersport.com/cricket/domestic-t20/news/120318/Faf_the_owner_of_the_runchase

Du Plessis finished with an unbeaten 38 off 27 balls as the 27-year-old continues to live up to his tag as one of the best finishers in South Africa, taking the Titans to their target of 157 with nine balls to spare.

Farhaan Behardien was with him at the end on 12 not out, scoring the winning runs with a tremendous six over extra cover off left-arm paceman Beuran Hendricks.

The target could have been a tricky one on a two-paced pitch against a Cobras attack that only had one quickish bowler and four spinners, but Henry Davids (24 off 17), Roelof van der Merwe (18 off 13) and Martin van Jaarsveld (24 off 18) provided the attacking impetus that gave the likes of Heino Kuhn (25 off 26), Du Plessis and Berhardien the freedom to play sensibly without taking risks.

The openers – Davids and Kuhn – gave the innings the ideal start as they added 48 in six overs. Davids showed great hands as he drove the ball inside-out superbly, collecting two sixes and a four in his 24.

Davids fell when he charged down the pitch and missed a slash at legspinner Alistair Gray, and Kuhn departed two overs later when he top-edged a reverse-sweep at offspinner Dane Piedt and was caught at short third man.

Justin Kemp and Dane Vilas combined superbly to dismiss Van der Merwe, although there was some doubt as to whether the batsman actually gloved a surprise bouncer that was brilliantly taken by the wicketkeeper standing up to the stumps.

There might have been some concern in the Titans camp with the score 74 for three at the halfway mark, but captain Van Jaarsveld threw the bat at anything remotely wide as he collected four fours off 18 balls.

Van Jaarsveld was stumped by Vilas off Gray in the 15th over, but with just 35 runs still needed, the Cobras knew their hopes of staying in contention for the playoffs were almost gone.

Du Plessis and Behardien calmly finished the match at the behest of their appreciative home crowd, but the Titans’ failure to secure the bonus point means their hopes of finishing top of the log and hosting the final are gone.

Even if the Titans get a bonus-point win over the Warriors on Wednesday, they can only draw level with the Lions’ current total of 35 points.

The applicable tie-breaker then is the results of matches between the Lions and the Titans, with both teams having seven outright wins overall. Unfortunately for Matthew Maynard’s team, the Lions won both of their round-robin contests.

Wrist-spinner Brad Hogg was the best of the Cobras bowlers, conceding just 16 runs in his four overs, but the visitors obviously lacked quality back-up and four spinners was perhaps overkill.

The Nashua Mobile Cape Cobras had earlier made run-scoring look difficult as they cobbled together 156 for six, although there were certainly hints of inconsistent bounce and spinners Eden Links and Van der Merwe both obtained noticeable turn.

Richard Levi more often than not makes run-scoring look easy when he charges at the top of the innings, and he bashed a quickfire 25 off 13 balls to give the Cobras a good start after they had won the toss and elected to bat.

The Cobras were 30 without loss after three overs thanks to Levi, but the Titans fought back as they claimed three wickets and conceded just 37 more runs in the next seven overs.

Albie Morkel removed Levi with his first ball, Behardien hanging on to a rocket of a catch at cover, and Yaseen Vallie (6) and Owais Shah (12) both fell cheaply as they misjudged slower balls from Alfonso Thomas and Morkel respectively.

Stiaan van Zyl and Vilas steadied the innings as they added 26 off 27 balls for the fourth wicket, before Van Zyl was bowled by Van der Merwe for 33, backing away and trying to deliver a big hit.

The Titans were in control as Morkel stood at the top of his mark at the Hennops River End with the Cobras on 120 for five after 18 overs.

But having bowled so well previously, taking two for 10 in three overs, Morkel’s final over was the one that allowed the visitors to substantially up their run-rate, Vilas and Kemp taking 27 runs from it.

The first ball of the over was up to the bat and driven majestically over cow-corner for six by Vilas, and even the Titans crowd clapped when Kemp pulled the last two balls of the over for sixes in the same vicinity.

It meant Morkel finished the innings with tired old figures of two for 37 in four overs, but the Cobras were still up against it at the other end, where Thomas closed with two overs for 13 runs and picked up the wicket of Kemp, who hit a slower-ball full toss off the toe of the bat, slapping a return catch.

Kemp’s 24 off 18 balls was a crucial contribution, but the real hero of the Cobras innings was Vilas, whose 48 not out off 28 balls was a top-class innings.

His composure and a talent for hitting boundaries in the closing overs provided a mighty boost to the innings as he collected four fours and two sixes.

The Titans bowling was a mixed bag. Ethy Mbhalati, Morkel and Van der Merwe were all expensive, while Links, David Wiese and Du Plessis bowled seven overs for 46 runs between them. Thomas’s figures of two for 22 in four overs took the cake, however.

The MTN Golden Lions overcame a messy first half to overwhelm the Valke 59-29 in their Vodacom Cup match at Wits University on Saturday.

The neighbouring teams were locked at 21-21 at halftime, the Lions having conceded two soft tries, but a jolly good shouting to at the break obviously did the trick as they attacked with verve and precision in the second half, providing good entertainment for the small crowd.

Centre Ruan Combrinck and wing Anthony Volmink both scored two tries for the Lions, who crossed the line nine times in total for their first win of the season.

Valke flyhalf Juan Kotze opened the scoring in the third minute with a penalty after the Lions were blown up for collapsing a scrum on their own ball, and the visitors also scored the first try of the match four minutes later.

The Lions lost the ball on attack in sloppy fashion and wing Kyle Hendricks pounced, outstripping the cover defence in superb fashion as he sped clear from 55 metres to score.

Kotze converted and the Valke were 10-0 up. The Lions finally made it into the opposition 22 after 15 minutes, but flank Jaco Kriel, one of the hardest-working players on the field, twice lost the ball close to the tryline. The Lions kept up the pressure, however, with the Valke eventually running out of numbers as flyhalf Andries Coetzee went over on the left-hand side.

Coetzee converted his own try to close the gap to three points, but the Valke scored again from the kickoff. They were fortunate as one of their passes went to ground, but Kotze kicked the ball through and was able to follow up and dot down, although he failed to kick the easy conversion (7-15).

The Lions scored again in the 29th minute when their rolling maul pushed the Valke back, lock Paul Willemse eventually barging his way over the line from close range. Coetzee converted and the Lions had closed to within a point.

Kriel’s powerful influence didn’t always bring reward for the Lions, as in the 31st minute when he stormed off a lineout inside his own 22 but his teammates then went off their feet at the ruck, presenting Kotze with a penalty (14-18).

The home side eventually went ahead in the 34th minute as fullback James Kamana inspired their third try with a mazy 60-metre run that put outside centre Combrinck into space for his first try.

Coetzee converted (21-18), but the Valke drew level in first-half injury-time as a great break by centre Coert Cronje earned Kotze another penalty.

The Lions were a changed side after the break, and the Valke were blown away by two tries in the first seven minutes.

The backline made sweeping attacks left and right, with Combrinck scoring his second try and the great hands of Kamana then putting wing Michael Killian away for the Lions’ fifth try, Coetzee’s excellent conversion stretching the lead to 33-21.

The Lions had some legal problems with the offside line in the 55th minute, giving Kotze another penalty (33-24), but their slick attacking systems produced a big overlap four minutes later, right wing Volmink throwing the dummy and stepping inside to score.

Stephan de Wit stretched over to score and seal the game for the Lions in the 66th minute, Coetzee converting to make the score 45-24, but there was some doubt as to whether the home side should have been given the try as the flank appeared to lose the ball as he dotted down. The try was awarded after the touch judge gave his recommendation to referee Ben Crouse.

Valke scrumhalf Jaco Snyman burst through a massive gap next to a ruck to score and give the visitors some cheer, but replacement prop Francois du Toit and Volmink crossed in the last six minutes to complete an emphatic victory for the Lions.

SCORERS:

MTN Golden Lions – Tries: Andries Coetzee, Paul Willemse, Ruan Combrinck (2), Michael Killian, Anthony Volmink (2), Stephan de Wit, Francois du Toit. Conversions: Coetzee (5), Marais Schmidt (2).

Valke – Tries: Kyle Hendricks, Juan Kotze, Jaco Snyman. Conversion: Kotze. Penalties: Kotze (4).

http://www.supersport.com/rugby/vodacom-cup/news/120317/Lions_overwhelm_Valke

Flyhalf JC Roos made the crucial kick in a match riddled with penalties as the Ford Pumas snatched a 19-19 (half-time 6-13) draw against the Blue Bulls in their Vodacom Cup match at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit on Saturday.

Both Roos and Bulls flyhalf Wesley Dunlop kicked four penalties in a match strictly policed by referee Marius van der Westhuizen, who took great delight in thwarting every one of the players’ tricks at ruck-time.

Roos succeeded with a 71st-minute penalty, after a ruck infringement by the Bulls, to draw the Pumas level, with both teams leaving Nelspruit with two points.

Both teams were content to keep the ball with their forwards for most of the match, not leaving the fans with much to cheer about.

Dunlop and Roos each kicked two first-half penalties before the Bulls grabbed the opening try after an impressive rolling maul and slick directing of the traffic by halfbacks Ruan Snyman and Dunlop allowed centre Ulrich Beyers to cross the line.

It was the Pumas supporters who were cheering in the second half, however, as flank Renaldo Bothma, showing pace and power, crashed over for an early try and Roos converted.

Dunlop and Roos then exchanged penalties until the end of the contest.

The fullbacks on either side – Jurgen Visser for the Bulls and Coenie van Wyk for the Pumas – were authoritative figures, but it was the forwards who dominated, the two packs leaving little leeway for expansive play.

Halfbacks Dunlop, Snyman and Roos used what little ball they received well, but both teams will be unhappy with their discipline at the breakdown.

SCORERS:

Ford Pumas – Try: Renaldo Bothma. Conversion: JC Roos. Penalties: Roos (4).

Vodacom Blue Bulls – Try: Ulrich Beyers. Conversion: Wesley Dunlop. Penalties: Dunlop (4).

http://www.supersport.com/rugby/vodacom-cup/news/120317/Pumas_hold_Bulls_to_a_draw