Ken Borland

• Garmin Men’s Newcomer of the Year Award, here are the nominees,

• Joshua van Heerden – The 25-year-old Josh van Heerden was able to bank precious experience and notch personal milestones on his return to Pretoria this season. The top-order batter played in all three formats and reached his first century for the Momentum Multiply Titans when he scored an unbeaten 109 against the Tuskers in Pietermaritzburg, adding a record 252 for the first wicket with Matthew Kleinveldt. Van Heerden also scored his first T20 half-century for the Titans when he bashed 56 off 35 balls against the Dolphins.

• Merrick Brett – Merrick Brett has everything a coach wants to see in a young fast bowler – decent pace, the control to hit the good areas and hard lengths, bounce, and the ability to move the ball both ways. The 23-year-old took 12 wickets in four first-class matches for the Momentum Multiply Titans, including his brilliant five for 61 against the Dolphins at SuperSport Park.

• Lhuan-Dre Pretorius – Lhuan-Dre Pretorius moved smoothly from U19 cricket after an excellent Junior World Cup to the senior Momentum Multiply Titans ranks and he has shown enough in the CSA T20 Challenge to suggest he is going to play a big role in the franchise’s future. The 18-year-old is able to hit the ball ferociously hard, but is also able to score all around the field with sweetly-timed strokes that are most pleasing to the eye. He showed all those attributes in his 58 off 43 balls against the Tuskers at SuperSport Park and in his vital 52 off 32 balls in the de facto quarterfinal win over Western Province at Newlands. He has also kept wicket tidily.

• Garmin Men’s T20 Player of the Year, the nominees are:

• Rivaldo Moonsamy – It has been a wonderful season for the returning Rivaldo Moonsamy and he hit 428 runs at a strike-rate of 136.30 in the CSA T20 Challenge. He was the Momentum Multiply Titans’ leading run-scorer, averaging 30.57 and his two highlights were when he demolished the Lions attack with 88 off 52 balls at the Wanderers, and when he raced the Titans to a crucial bonus point victory against the Tuskers with 90 not out off just 41 deliveries at SuperSport Park.

• Sibonelo Makhanya – The experienced Sibonelo Makhanya was able to shine in the Momentum Multiply Titans’ middle-order with 348 runs at a strike-rate of 138.42, collecting three half-centuries along the way. As a seller of the T20 format as entertainment, Makhanya is one of the best, always bringing great urgency, quick running between the wickets and tremendous improvisation and skill to the crease, as well as being one of the best fielders in the competition.

• David Wiese – The evergreen David Wiese just keeps running in and delivering the goods with the ball. Despite playing just eight of the matches, he was the leading wicket-taker for the Momentum Multiply Titans with 17 at the near-superhuman average of just 9.29 runs per wicket, while conceding only 6.07 runs-per-over. Wiese took five for 29 against the Dolphins in Durban, his seventh five-wicket haul in T20 cricket, extending his world record. He may be 38, but clearly that motor’s still fine!

• The  Weber Men’s First-Class Player of the Year, the nominees in this category are,

• Junior Dala – The 34-year-old Junior Dala continues to bring high pace, aggression and ever-growing skill to the Momentum Multiply Titans attack, never mind his athletic fielding and useful runs down the order. Dala was the team’s leading wicket-taker in the four-day competition, taking 23 in just four matches at an excellent average of only 22.47. The highlight came when he took six for 58, and nine wickets in the match, against the Lions at SuperSport Park, in a valiant effort to bowl the Titans into the final.

• Rivaldo Moonsamy – It was a triumphant return to the Momentum Multiply Titans for Rivaldo Moonsamy in 2023/24 as he hit two centuries and two half-centuries in amassing 536 runs in the first-class competition, the team’s highest tally. It was Moonsamy’s dazzling 124 that turned the Titans’ fortunes around in their thrilling win over the Warriors, and he also scored 130 against the Dolphins, adding a record 209 for the sixth wicket with Dean Elgar. He also hit eight sixes in an innings of 98 off 72 balls against the Dragons.

• Dean Elgar – Titans stalwart Dean Elgar played just four matches in the four-day series but still managed to score over 400 runs and collect two centuries. The tenacious left-hander averaged 60.28, to finish third in the tournament averages. Elgar started the season with a tremendously determined 119 not out that took his team to a testing fourth-innings target of 257 against the Rocks in Paarl, and then he made 149 the next week against the Dolphins at SuperSport Park.

• Powerade Men’s One-Day Player of the Year, here are the nominees,

• Dean Elgar – Before his great efforts in the first-class competition, Dean Elgar regaled us with some spectacular form in the One-Day Cup. He scored 324 runs in just six innings at an average of 81 and an impressive strike-rate of 94.18. That tally included three centuries, all of which led to Momentum Multiply Titans wins: He stroked 103 off 99 balls against the Rocks to set up a total of 380 for seven; and then in back-to-back matches scored 100 not out and shared a 232-run partnership with Donovan Ferreira, the best for the fifth wicket in the history of the competition, to take the Titans to a target of 273, and 119 not out off 126 deliveries in a total of 355 for six against the Tuskers.

• Donovan Ferreira – The big-hitting Donovan Ferreira hammered 353 runs in seven innings, at an average of 58.83 and a strike-rate of 137.35 for the Momentum Multiply Titans in the One-Day Cup, ensuring we almost always had a phenomenal end to our innings. He sent 18 sixes sailing into the crowd during the competition, more than anyone else. Included in his tally were two fifties and a spectacular century when the Titans were in deep trouble against the Dolphins, on 41 for four chasing 273. He slammed 138 not out off just 106 balls, adding an unbeaten 232 with Dean Elgar, the highest-ever fifth-wicket stand in the history of the competition. Ferreira also chipped in with six wickets with his off-spin, giving away just five runs an over.

• Dewald Brevis – Dewald Brevis, who has just turned 21 – Congratulations! – showed that he will be a batsman for all situations in one-day cricket as he scored 372 runs in seven innings for the Momentum Multiply Titans, averaging 53.14 and striking at 97.89. His two centuries were contrasting efforts: Brevis made 100 off only 80 balls against the Dragons, and also scored 116 off 118 deliveries, out of a total of 217, the Titans having lost their first three wickets with just one run on the board, against Western Province.

• The Weber Men’s Player of the Year, the nominees are:

• Rivaldo Moonsamy – After two seasons away, Rivaldo Moonsamy certainly did not sell himself short upon his return to the Momentum Multiply Titans, being their leading run-scorer in both the four-day and T20 competitions. He averaged an impressive 48.72 against the red ball, scoring 536 runs which included two hundreds and two fifties and was the Titans’ Men’s First-Class Player of the Year. He was brilliant in the T20 competition as well, always entertaining at the crease as he lashed 428 runs at a strike-rate of 136.30.

• Dean Elgar – It was another prolific summer with the bat for Dean Elgar as he hit five centuries in 14 innings for the Momentum Multiply Titans across both the 50-over and four-day competitions. It did not matter whether he was opening the batting or coming in at number four, Elgar was immense with 746 runs across the two tournaments at an average of 67.81. He was the Titans’ Men’s One-Day Player of the Year.

• Dewald Brevis – It has been a brilliant first full season for the Momentum Multiply Titans for Dewald Brevis as he has contributed important runs for the team across all three formats. In first-class cricket, he scored 447 runs at an average of 40.63, with two centuries, 113 in a victory over the Dragons in Potchefstroom and 110, his maiden four-day hundred, in the thrilling win over the Warriors. His 372 runs in seven innings, averaging 53.14 and striking at 97.89, including another two centuries, saw Brevis nominated for the Men’s One-Day Player of the Year award. He only played three T20 games for the Titans, but struck at 150 and raced to 50 off 29 balls against the powerful Warriors side.

Professionalisation of the Women’s game

Women’s cricket continues to enjoy significant growth in South Africa and the evolution of the game reached another milestone in the 2023/24 season with the professionalisation of the domestic game.

For the first time, 11 professional contracts were awarded to the leading ladies of the Fidelity Titans squad, as well as the appointment of full-time support staff such as strength-and-conditioning coaches and physiotherapists.

It was no coincidence that the standards of play would quickly go to new heights and our Fidelity Titans were one of the strongest teams in the country, finishing fourth in both the One-Day Cup and T20 League.

Established Proteas such as Anneke Bosch, Masabata Klaas, Sune Luus and Laura Wolvaardt have combined with up-and-coming stars such as newly-capped Protea Eliz-Mari Marx, Katherine Prior, Robyn Searle, Gandhi Jafta and Paulinah Mashishi to make for a most convivial camp.

SuperSport Park and Titans cricket have always been at the forefront of chasing excellence in the women’s game. The stadium hosted the 2005 Women’s World Cup final between Australia and India, with the Aussies storming to a 98-run win.

The appointment of Karen Smithies, who captained England to the 1993 World Cup title, to the managerial staff of the Titans has also boosted the ladies game considerably.

All-rounder Smithies played against the first South African women’s team to tour a major nation, on the trip to England in 1997 under coach Conrad Hunte. The Proteas played at Lord’s – where Smithies took three for 15 to set up an England win – and a couple of the matches were televised.

The women’s game has since exploded with a rapid increase in support. In 2020, 86 000 spectators watched the T20 World Cup final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground when Australia again beat India.

South Africa’s rise in women’s cricket continued when they reached the final of the 2023 T20 World Cup, hosted in Cape Town, pushing Australia hard in front of thousands of enthralled spectators.

The Titans have a firm vision that men’s and women’s cricket should be viewed and treated equally and have made much progress towards this noble goal.

Spin bowler Keshav Maharaj was acknowledged as being at the heart of the Proteas team in all formats as he was named the 2021/22 SA Men’s Cricketer of the Year at Cricket South Africa’s virtual awards on Sunday evening.

Seamer Ayabonga Khaka claimed the SA Women’s Cricketer of the Year award, and both her and Maharaj were voted by their team-mates as the Players’ Player of the Year.

In the year’s action up to the end of the Test series against Bangladesh on April 11, Maharaj shone with the ball in all three formats. In eight Tests, the left-arm spinner took 30 wickets at an average of just 18.20; in 14 ODIs, he claimed 18 wickets at 31.77 and an economy rate of only 4.61, while he conceded just 5.84 runs per over in eight T20s, also taking six wickets while captaining the side on occasion.

Khaka has become an extremely consistent member of the effective Proteas Women’s attack, especially in ODIs, where she took 28 wickets in 15 matches.

Kagiso Rabada was named the Test Player of the Year, Aiden Markram the T20 International Player of the Year,and Janneman Malan was One-Day International Player of the Year.

Marco Jansen was named the International Newcomer of the Year, while other notable winners from the women’s categories were Lizelle Lee (T20 International Player of the Year)and Laura Wolvaardt (One-Day International Player of the Year).

Central Gauteng Lions paceman Sisanda Magala will continue to remind the national selectors of his abilities as he was the biggest winner on the domestic front, claiming the One-Day Cup Player of the Season, Domestic Players’ Player of the Season, and the SACA Most Valuable Player Award.

Mandla Mashimbyi of the Titans will go into the new season basking in the glow of his Coach of the Year award, while SuperSport Park’s Bryan Bloy was named Groundsman of the Year.

CSA AWARD WINNERS 2021/22

AMATEUR AWARDS

1. KFC MINI-CRICKET COACH OF THE YEAR – Jerry Thulo(CGL)
2. KFC MINI-CRICKET BUCKET LOADS OF GOOD AWARD – Joseph Ngqasa (Kei)
3. CSA BOYS U16 PLAYER OF THE TOURNAMENT – Riley Norton (Boland)
4. CSA GIRLS U16 PLAYER OF THE TOURNAMENT – Mpumelelo Mashiloane (Easterns)
5. CSA GIRLS U19 PLAYER OF THE TOURNAMENT – Elandri Janse van Rensburg (NW)
6. KHAYA MAJOLA CRICKET WEEK PLAYER OF THE TOURNAMENT – Ronan Hermann (CGL)
7. CSA U19 PLAYER OF THE YEAR – Dewald Brevis (Titans)
8. CSA BLIND CRICKET PLAYER OF THE YEAR – Buhle Bhidla (CGL)
9. CSA DEAF CRICKET PLAYER OF THE YEAR – Arthur McGee (Titans)
10. CSA RURAL CRICKET PLAYER OF THE YEAR – Nathan Engelbrecht (Boland)
11. T20 COMMUNITY CUP PLAYER OF THE TOURNAMENT – Nathan Engelbrecht (Boland)
12. CSA STUDENT PLAYER OF THE YEAR – Donovan Ferreira (Tuks)
13. WOMEN’S PROVINCIAL COACH OF THE YEAR – Wynand Schmitt (NW)
14. KEMACH EQUIPMENT GROUNDSMAN OF THE YEAR – Bryan Bloy – SuperSport Park, Centurion
15. CSA FAIRPLAY AWARD – EP Warriors
16. CSA WOMEN’S PROVINCIAL PLAYER OF THE YEAR – Tazmin Brits (NW)

PROFESSIONAL AWARDS – DOMESTIC

1. CSA UMPIRES’ UMPIRE OF THE YEAR – Allahudien Paleker
2. CSA UMPIRE OF THE YEAR – Allahudien Paleker
3. DOMESTIC NEWCOMER OF THE SEASON – Mitchell van Buuren (CGL)
4. SACA MOST VALUABLE PLAYER AWARD – Sisanda Magala (CGL)
5. DIVISION 1 COACH OF THE SEASON – Mandla Mashimbyi (Titans)
6. DIVISION 2 COACH OF THE SEASON – Mark Charlton (NC)
7. T20 KNOCK OUT COMPETITION PLAYER OF THE TOURNAMENT – Rilee Rossouw (FS Knights)
8. T20 CHALLENGE PLAYER OF THE SEASON – Pieter Malan (Boland Rocks)
9. DIVISION 1 4-DAY DOMESTIC SERIES PLAYER OF THE SEASON – Ryan Rickelton (CGL)
10. DIVISION 2 4-DAY DOMESTIC SERIES PLAYER OF THE SEASON – Thomas Kaber (Border Iinyathi)
11. DIVISION 1 ONE-DAY CUP PLAYER OF THE SEASON – Sisanda Magala (CGL)
12. DIVISION 2 ONE-DAY CUP PLAYER OF THE SEASON – Michael Erlank (KZN Inland Tuskers)
13. DOMESTIC PLAYERS’ PLAYER OF THE SEASON – Sisanda Magala (CGL)

PROFESSIONAL AWARDS  – NATIONAL

GENERAL CATEGORIES

14. THE BEST DELIVERY FUELLED BY KFC – Simon Harmer to Najmul Hossain Shanto (Bangladesh)
15. MAKHAYA NTINI POWER OF CRICKET AWARD – Nonkululeko Mlaba
16. SA FANS’ PLAYER OF THE YEAR – David Miller

MEN’S CATEGORIES

17. INTERNATIONAL MEN’S NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR – Marco Jansen
18. T20 INTERNATIONAL PLAYER OF THE YEAR – Aiden Markram
19. ONE-DAY INTERNATIONAL PLAYER OF THE YEAR – Janneman Malan
20. TEST PLAYER OF THE YEAR – Kagiso Rabada
21. SA MEN’S PLAYERS’ PLAYER OF THE YEAR – Keshav Maharaj
22. SA MEN’S PLAYER OF THE YEAR – Keshav Maharaj

WOMEN’S CATEGORIES

23. MOMENTUM WOMEN’S T20 INTERNATIONAL PLAYER OF THE YEAR – Lizelle Lee
24. MOMENTUM WOMEN’S ONE-DAY INTERNATIONAL PLAYER OF THE YEAR – Laura Wolvaardt
25. SA WOMEN’S PLAYERS PLAYER OF THE YEAR – Ayabonga Khaka
26. SA WOMEN’S PLAYER OF THE YEAR – Ayabonga Khaka

There is no doubt Duane Vermeulen is still highly valued at Loftus Versfeld, but having swept the board in two national awards ceremonies in the last 10 days it was a surprise that he was pipped to the main prize in the Bulls’ awards evening in Pretoria on Friday night.

The stalwart Springbok eighthman was named both the SA Rugby overall Player of the Year and the Players’ Player of the Year at separate functions, but on Friday night he had to settle for being the Bulls’ Currie Cup Player of the Year and the fans’ player of the year as voted for on the Bulls’ app.

Instead it was the indefatigable fellow loose forward Marco Van Staden, who will leave the Bulls in June, and the inspirational comeback kid Cornal Hendricks who shared the overall Player of the Year award for the franchise. So outstanding were their displays that, for the first since the inception of the awards, the Bulls decided to share the main prize.

Bright young attacking talents Stravino Jacobs and David Kriel were named the most improved and newcomer of the year respectively, while scrumhalf Ivan van Zyl’s stellar efforts in directing the backline were rewarded with the Super Rugby Unlocked Back of the Year award, with Hendricks claiming the same title for the Currie Cup.

Much of the Bulls’ Currie Cup success was down to their excellence at source and tighthead prop Trevor Nyakane was the Forward of the Year for that competition, with the untiring lock Ruan Nortje winning for Super Rugby Unlocked.

 

The equity of the Multiply Titans just keeps rising, with another rich haul of trophies gathered at the Cricket South Africa Awards this year, and much of the credit for that success must go to the leadership and equanimity of Northerns Cricket Union president John Wright.

Apart from achieving success on the playing field – a box the Titans certainly ticked by winning two of the three franchise trophies – the union also places a high premium on CSA’s scorecard system that ranks administration, and winning the Affiliate of the Year title for four successive years is a tremendous feather in their cap.

“For the Northerns Cricket Union to win CSA’s incentive scorecard for four years running is definitely a highlight from an admin perspective, as is every competition we have won on the field. We implemented a turnaround strategy for the stadium, which we remodelled with cosmetic upgrades and making it fit for different uses. Jacques Faul [CEO] has done really well to turn SuperSport Park into a multi-use venue.

“The function of our board is good and there has been very good support from council. Before 2013, there were many meetings postponed because we didn’t have a quorum, but it hasn’t happened once since then. Our club cricket continues to do well too and a good university is critical for any province. The involvement and success of Tuks is one of the reasons we do well, they are strong, with good facilities, coaching and infrastructure,” Wright said.

2013 was the year that Wright began his tenure as NCU president and initially he was meant to serve a maximum of two two-year terms. But then CSA decided in 2015 that presidents can serve two three-year terms and the Northerns council decided recently that the renowned international hockey umpire is eligible for another term when elections are held in August.

If Wright is re-elected, which would seem to be the obvious move, then the 47-year-old will be stressing that there can be no relaxing as the NCU and the Titans have to keep striving for greater heights.

“This is a fantastic union and franchise, steeped in a lot of history, but we mustn’t forget that we weren’t always one of the big dogs. Now we have to maintain our success and keep looking at opportunities to improve. We have achieved a lot, but to rest on our laurels would be a huge mistake.

“The well-being of our clubs is critical and I would like to empower them and provide them with even more opportunities. On the field, obviously the Titans had the chance to do the treble but only ended up with the double. But it’s a very cut-throat, tight competition. But I do believe that we have what it takes to win all three tournaments, we just have to be consistent all the way through,” Wright said.

The senior sports organiser at the Tshwane University of Technology stated that the Northerns provincial team and transformation in schools would be areas of focus for him if he serves another term.

“We’ve ridden the wave for a long time, we’ve been one of the most successful franchises in South African cricket history by winning two trophies for three years in a row, but this season coming will be a good test of where the franchise really is because we will be without a lot of Proteas players. And it’s great that we have provided a number of new players for South Africa recently.

“I would also like to see our Northerns provincial team be more competitive and more consistent, that needs a bit of rebuilding. I hope those coaches are allowed time to come through and are not just hung out to dry after one season. We need to give them an opportunity to establish themselves.

“There’s also a lot of work to do in the transformation of schools. We have not been as effective as we should have been at that level – there are some spectacular results but then some schools are dragging their heels. And I would like to see people have an even bigger attachment to SuperSport Park, make it feel even more familiar for our fans,” Wright said.

The chairman of the Titans franchise is certainly now a familiar face in South African cricket and, having achieved so much already, he still has plenty to give.