Ken Borland

A back-of-the-hand slower ball and a stronger mentality are a couple of the upgrades fast bowler Junior Dala has added to his game as he looks to become a regular member of the Titans team in all three formats in the coming season.

Having spent the 2015 winter at the national academy, Dala showed those improvements in limited-overs cricket last season, especially in the Momentum One-Day Cup, where he played in all 10 matches and ended as the tournament’s third-highest wicket-taker with 16, while conceding barely more than a run-a-ball.

He was also a stalwart of the Titans team that won the RamSlam T20 Challenge, taking eight wickets at an average of 25.12 and conceding less than eight runs an over.

But he only played in four of the Sunfoil Series matches, taking just five wickets at an average of 57, so that is clearly where he wants to improve greatly.

“I had a lot more belief in myself and I learnt valuable lessons with the academy when we toured Sri Lanka and I did reasonably well against Test players. I had early success in the One-Day Cup, I was the leading wicket-taker at the halfway mark, and in the T20 I just went with that flow. I worked on extra skills and I learnt a lot as well from the Proteas bowlers in our squad.

“I felt I was playing for my place the season before that, but last season changed my whole outlook. Sometimes I have to taper down, it’s not just about outright pace, it depends on what’s required for the situation, like the back-of-the-hand slower ball for instance. I’ve grown mentally, I use my head more and I have extra confidence and belief,” Dala said.

“But I haven’t played enough of the long format, the more I play, the better I’ll be. I maybe let myself down a bit in the four-dayers last season, so it’s definitely a major goal to put that right. I’m working hard so hopefully I will play in all three formats next season, I just need to do what I need to do.”

Ironically, the most impressive performance of last season came in a long format game as he destroyed the England second innings with five for 34 in 12 overs for the SA Invitation XI in Potchefstroom, earning the respect of Jimmy Anderson, the leader of the touring attack.

“Taking five against England on a flat Potch pitch made me believe that I can compete at that level, I just need to be more consistent. I got Alex Hales a couple of times and Alastair Cook showed such super skills, but I thought I handled myself well and showed that I can do it. James Anderson came and congratulated me and told me I had big things ahead of me.

“But I never went to a big school and the first time I was ever coached was when I played for Gauteng. So I’m a work in progress and I’m still trying to figure out my action, there are still basics to get right and I need to understand it more,” the unorthodox 26-year-old said.

But the opinions of the great Anderson and coaches Shukri Conrad, the head of the academy, and Rob Walter of the Titans are surely right on the money when it comes to Dala.

Andy Sullivan is the sole master of golf in Johannesburg after the Englishman added the Joburg Open title on Sunday to his victory seven weeks ago in the South African Open at Glendower.

In a thrilling final day at Royal Johannesburg and Kensington, Sullivan fired a brilliant six-under-par 66 on the testing East Course to finish on 17-under-par, two strokes ahead of fellow Englishmen Anthony Wall and David Howell, Ireland’s Kevin Phelan and South Africans Wallie Coetsee and Jaco van Zyl.

A playoff looked the most likely conclusion to the day as a handful of golfers jockeyed for the lead, which changed hands several times on the final day, but it was Sullivan who ended alone on top, a comfortable winner having made the putts that mattered most. Overnight leader Coetsee was two shots ahead at the start of the final round, but Sunday was just not his day as he posted a one-under-par 71 and had to settle for one of the bridesmaid’s positions on 15-under.

Phelan and Van Zyl both matched Sullivan’s 66, but the Irishman could only collect two birdies on the back nine after going out in a superb 32. Van Zyl came agonisingly close to eagle on the 18th hole, but his birdie left him with a blemish-free round and an outstanding return to top form after double knee surgery last year.

Wall claimed a share of the lead with back-to-back birdies on 13 and 14, but made crucial lapses on the 15^th and 18^th holes.

On 15 his approach slid off the green into the reeds surrounding the dam in front of the putting surface, leading to a bogey, while his drive on the final hole went under the trees on the left, forcing him to settle for par when he really needed at least a birdie to put pressure on Sullivan.

Howell also made two crucial errors in the closing holes, driving into the water on 14 which led to bogey, and then missing a vital five-foot birdie putt on 15. The former Ryder Cup player and top-10 golfer parred his way in for a 69, failing to add to his four birdies on the front nine.

Sullivan smiled his way through the tense closing stages of the co-sanctioned European Tour/Sunshine Tour event and he believes one of the main reasons for his dramatic rise up the world rankings has been the perspective given to him by his daughter’s birth 18 months ago.

“It’s been a long, hard slog for me and it took me a long time to realise that the best way to play golf is to enjoy it. My little girl Ruby put that into perspective for me, when I see my daughter’s little face at the end of the day, golf doesn’t matter so much. She doesn’t know whether you’ve played good or bad golf.

“I felt really good down the stretch at Glendower and even better today. There wasn’t any pressure, I was very relaxed and it was just me and ‘Macca’ [caddy Sean McDonagh] having a laugh, a Saturday afternoon stroll on the golf course,” the 28-year-old Sullivan said.

Sullivan began the day three shots off the pace and, after the disappointment of only making par on the par-five first hole – eight of the top-10 made birdie or better there on Sunday – he was able to make birdie on the daunting, long par-three second after a superb tee-shot.

He added further birdies to his cart on the fourth and sixth holes, and then snatched the lead with successive birdies as he reached the turn.

But an approach shot into the water on the signature 11^th hole threatened to bring him to his knees, except Sullivan kept his cool and nailed a 25-foot putt that limited the damage to just one dropped shot.

Sullivan picked up just two more birdies after that, on the 15^th and 18^th holes, but the size of the task proved too much for all his challengers.

The birdie on 18 was accompanied by a sigh of relief because Sullivan left his eagle putt eight feet short of the hole, leaving him with a crucial tester.

“I knew if I got a birdie on the last I’d have a really good chance of winning, but I left myself with a bit more than I would have liked,” he admitted.

Although the man from the English midlands strikes a happy-go-lucky demeanour on the course, he never does anything silly and solid, tee-to-green golf and making the putts that mattered is what earned him his second European Tour title.

“I don’t know what it is about playing in Johannesburg, but I just feel really relaxed here. I wish I could play here every week. Maybe it’s because the wine is unbelievably cheap here, which is great,” Sullivan joked.

Being in contention is what Sullivan thrives on and he said he would love to “bottle the unbelievable emotions every time I’m in contention”.

The man from the English midlands also grabbed one of the three places on offer for the Open Championship in July at the Old Course at St Andrew’s, the home of golf.

The other two spots went to Wall and Howell, on the basis of the tie-breaker that relied on the highest-ranked golfers on the world rankings that finished in the top three at Royal Johannesburg and Kensington.

http://citizen.co.za/336123/sullivan-adds-joburg-open-title-to-his-victory/

Englishman Andy Sullivan said he would be happy to play all his golf in Johannesburg after he added the Joburg Open title on Sunday to the South African Open he won seven weeks ago at Glendower, the 28-year-old sealing a two-shot triumph with a brilliant 66.

Sullivan won the national open in a dramatic playoff with Charl Schwartzel, impressing with his happy demeanour despite the tension down the stretch, and yesterday he was once again relaxed as he dropped just one shot in making up a three-shot deficit.

“I’ve been working hard with my coach and psychologist, but enjoying myself too. Every time I’m in contention, I wish I could bottle those emotions, it’s an unbelievable feeling and I seem to thrive on it.

“I wish I could play in Johannesburg every week! I felt really good down the stretch at Glendower and even better today. There wasn’t any pressure, I was very relaxed and it was just me and ‘Macca’ [caddy Sean McDonagh] having a laugh, a Saturday afternoon stroll on the golf course,” Sullivan said after his second European Tour title.

There were a handful of golfers in contention in the final round, with the lead changing hands several times, but the most serious challenges came from fellow Englishmen Anthony Wall and David Howell.

But both made a couple of crucial errors in the closing holes.

Wall bogeyed 15 after his approach slid off the green into the reeds surrounding the dam in front of the putting surface, while his drive on the final hole went under the trees on the left, forcing him to settle for par when he really needed at least a birdie to put pressure on Sullivan.

Howell sent his drive into the water on 14 which led to bogey, and then missed a crucial five-foot birdie putt on 15.

Sullivan himself was holding a tenuous one-shot lead when he found the water with his approach shot on the par-four 11^th, but a brilliant 25-foot pressure putt saw him limit the damage to just a bogey.

The man from the English midlands then closed out a thrilling win with a top-class finish, birdies on 15 and 18 sealing victory.

There was a tense moment on 18 when he left his eagle putt eight feet short of the hole and was left with a tricky, and crucial, birdie putt.

“I knew if I got a birdie on the last I’d have a really good chance of winning, but I left myself with a bit more than I would have liked. But I did not believe my second win would come so quickly, I thought it was unbelievable to win the SA Open but this is even better,” a beaming Sullivan said.

Overnight leader Wallie Coetsee missed several birdie putts as he shot a one-under-par 71 and finished in the bunch of runners-up on 15-under – Wall, Howell, Ireland’s Kevin Phelan and fellow South African Jaco van Zyl.

The iron play of Coetsee was just not sharp enough to get him closer to the flags, and he also missed out on one of the entries to the Open Championship which went to Sullivan, Wall and Howell after the tie-breaker of world golf ranking had been applied.

“I’ve never played in a major championship before, so obviously that’s massive. It will also be nice to put a stop to the stick of my manager and caddy, who have both played in majors, and it’s at St Andrew’s, the home of golf, on top of that,” Sullivan said.

One of the biggest smiles in golf is only getting bigger.

Victor Matfield has stormed his way back into the Springbok squad

Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer on Monday added veterans Schalk Burger, Victor Matfield and Heinrich Brussow, as well as eight uncapped players, to his plans as he announced a 36-man squad to attend a national training camp in Durban from May 25 to 28.

The returns of Matfield – the second-most capped Springbok of all time with 110 Tests – and Burger (68 Tests) will provide an injury-hit South African team with plenty of experience as they head into a challenging series against Wales and another Rugby Championship campaign beyond that.

Hookers Scarra Ntubeni and Chiliboy Ralepelle, prop Frik Kirsten, locks Pieter-Steph du Toit and Franco van der Merwe, loose forwards Arno Botha and Pierre Spies, scrumhalf Louis Schreuder, utility backs Pat Lambie and Gio Aplon, and centre Jaque Fourie are all out with injury.

The 37-year-old Matfield made a controversial return to rugby this year, having last played in the 2011 World Cup, but has performed with aplomb for the Bulls, stamping his usual mark on the lineouts and also showing good work-rate.

With all the other locks in the squad – except for Flip van der Merwe – still making their way in international rugby, Matfield will be one of the adults amongst all the young, talented children and will have an important role in guiding them through the crucial year before the World Cup, which is often a fraught one for Springbok teams.

Schalk Burger can be satisfied with his return to action

Although Meyer is better off in terms of loose forward stocks, the return of Burger, who has shown glimpses of his old high-energy destructiveness for the Stormers, should be welcomed.

“Victor and Schalk have been out of rugby for a long time. They’ve really been in great form recently and the fact that they have not been with the Boks for more than two years has made them hungry for Test rugby yet again,” Meyer said.

“It’s great to welcome them back into the Springbok fold and I know both of them can still add a lot of value to the team with the Rugby World Cup in 2015 looming.

“This is a very big year for us and the players know they will have to step up a gear, be sharp and focused from the moment we get going in Durban. We have 14 very challenging matches ahead in 2014 and it’s imperative that we build on what was a good season last year.

“It’s important that we start building continuity because there are just 18 matches left until the Rugby World Cup starts. But it’s just as important to recognise continuous good form. We also have a number of players struggling with injury niggles or returning from injury which we have to assess.”

Heinrich Brussow will want to show he has the power-game to fit in with Meyer's plans

Meyer has made it clear before that he does not care for public pressure to select anyone, but the inclusion of Brussow will also be welcomed. Whether there is a place for the pocket dynamo in Meyer’s back row remains to be seen, however.

Duane Vermeulen and Willem Alberts are certainties for the number eight and seven jerseys, while Meyer is unlikely to jettison Bath’s Francois Louw (European-based players were not considered for this squad) after his superb displays for the Springboks last year.

Marcell Coetzee, Burger and Siya Kolisi are probably all ahead of Brussow in the queue as well, leaving him and Bulls rookie Jacques du Plessis, and even Cheetahs lock/flank Teboho Mohoje, to fight over scraps.

Meyer has kept the transformation police happy by selecting 10 players of colour, including six Black Africans, while the fresh blood in the squad is provided by centre/wing Damian de Allende, flyhalf Marnitz Boshoff, lock Lood de Jager, wing Cornal Hendricks, wing/centre S’Bura Sithole, flank Jacques du Plessis, lock/flank Teboho Mohoje and prop Marcel van der Merwe.

“A few new players have put up their hands, which is good to see with the first match of the season, against the World XV in Cape Town, only a few weeks away,” said Meyer.

“It’s very encouraging to see a bunch of new players emerging from Vodacom SuperRugby. This camp will provide us with a great opportunity to work with these players before the squad for the Castle Lager Incoming Series is finalised. I am looking forward to work with these players for the first time,” the coach said.

The contentious areas when it comes to the final selection of the squad for the incoming series would appear to be tighthead prop, lock, scrumhalf, centre and wing. Hooker is a worry in that only two have been named – Bismarck du Plessis and Adriaan Strauss – and while their quality is undeniable, Meyer will be terrified of one of them getting injured.

The Sharks front row of the two Du Plessis brothers and Tendai Mtawarira are certain starters, but who the back-up to old warhorse Jannie will be remains to be seen.

The Cheetahs scrum has laboured in recent weeks with Coenie Oosthuizen at tighthead and one hopes that the experiment is called off and the destructive 25-year-old is allowed to return to loosehead, particularly with the rise of the promising Frans Malherbe and Marcel van der Merwe in the number three jersey.

Flip van der Merwe, young star Eben Etzebeth and Matfield would appear to be certainties for the squad, but if a fourth lock is chosen, who will it be? Will Meyer once again call on Bakkies Botha, who seems to have regained the enthusiasm of his teen years while playing in France?

Fourie du Preez was typically influential in his five Tests last year and is surely the first-choice scrumhalf. Francois Hougaard was unimpressive when the Bulls were struggling overseas, but seems to be regaining some form in recent weeks.

Ruan Pienaar was nominated for the European Rugby Player of the Year award last month and will probably be the back-up to Du Preez.

Jean de Villiers was richly praised for both his captaincy and play at inside centre by Meyer last year, but the 2013 SA Rugby Player of the Year could be in for a move due to the return of Frans Steyn after a year of injuries.

Steyn was used exclusively in the number 12 jersey by Meyer in 2012 and it seems clear that Morne Steyn and Johan Goosen will be the Springbok flyhalves this year, so perhaps De Villiers will shift to outside centre to accommodate the 2007 World Cup winner and offer an exceptionally experienced midfield, even with Jaque Fourie likely to be out of action for the entire Test season with an ankle injury.

Willie le Roux looks set to continue as the Bok fullback, there being no other specialist contenders in the squad, while Sharks wing Lwazi Mvovo has deservedly been called up after an impressive SuperRugby campaign.

There is an abundance of outside-back talent for Meyer to choose from, with the classy JP Pietersen joined in the squad by Bulls talents JJ Engelbrecht and Jan Serfontein, the in-form De Allende and Juan de Jongh from the Stormers, Bjorn Basson, Cornal Hendricks and S’Bura Sithole.

Wing Bryan Habana, flank Francois Louw and scrumhalf Ruan Pienaar should all join the squad once they have been released from their European clubs, with prop Gurthro Steenkamp and lock Bakkies Botha also possibly on Meyer’s wish-list.

Where Meyer seems to be heading is the following final squad for the Incoming Series –

• Fullback: Willie le Roux
• Wings: JP Pietersen, Bryan Habana, Lwazi Mvovo, Bjorn Basson/Damian de Allende
• Centres: Jean de Villiers, Frans Steyn, Jan Serfontein, JJ Engelbrecht
• Flyhalves: Morne Steyn, Johan Goosen
• Scrumhalves: Fourie du Preez, Ruan Pienaar, Francois Hougaard
• Eighthman: Duane Vermeulen
• Loose forwards: Willem Alberts, Francois Louw, Marcell Coetzee, Schalk Burger, Siya Kolisi
• Locks: Flip van der Merwe, Eben Etzebeth, Victor Matfield, Bakkies Botha/Lood de Jager
• Props: Jannie du Plessis, Tendai Mtawarira, Trevor Nyakane, Frans Malherbe/Coenie Oosthuizen/Gurthro Steenkamp
• Hookers: Bismarck du Plessis, Adriaan Strauss

The players who can consider themselves unfortunate to have just missed out on the squad are Ryan Kankowski and Warren Whiteley, the form eighthmen in South Africa after Vermeulen, and Stormers loose forward Nizaam Carr, while Sharks scrumhalf Cobus Reinach and Bulls lock Paul Willemse are stars of the future whose time will surely come.

Springbok training squad: Willie le Roux, JP Pietersen, JJ Engelbrecht, Cornal Hendricks, S’Bura Sithole, Jean de Villiers, Jan Serfontein, Juan de Jongh, Frans Steyn, Damian de Allende, Lwazi Mvovo, Bjorn Basson, Johan Goosen, Marnitz Boshoff, Fourie du Preez, Francois Hougaard, Duane Vermeulen, Willem Alberts, Schalk Burger, Jacques du Plessis, Marcell Coetzee, Siya Kolisi, Heinrich Brussow, Flip van der Merwe, Victor Matfield, Eben Etzebeth, Lood de Jager, Teboho Mohoje, Jannie du Plessis, Frans Malherbe, Coenie Oosthuizen, Marcel van der Merwe, Bismarck du Plessis, Adriaan Strauss, Tendai Mtawarira, Trevor Nyakane.