What happened on Pink Day sealed the deal for Ken Borland

The Ball in Play

Both the Proteas and Australia agreed at the end of their Pink Day ODI at the Wanderers on Sunday that it had been the South African spin bowlers who had once again been the difference between the two great rivals.

Sure, Temba Bavuma scored a masterful century and David Miller smashed a career-best (statistically and maybe in terms of what it meant personally too) 142 to take South Africa to 365 for nine after being sent in to bat.

But when Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head had added 130 for the first wicket in just 17 overs and Australia were ahead of the required run-rate, it was the spinners who turned the tide once again for the home team.

Left-arm spinners Keshav Maharaj and Bjorn Fortuin repeated their heroics of the first ODI in Durban on Heritage Day [September 24), and this time they had the support of part-time off-spinner Aiden Markram.

Together, that triumvirate of twirlers all bowled their full ration of overs and took five wickets for 179 in 30 overs. Not only did they go for less than a run-a-ball at a venue which can be very tough on spinners, but they also removed five of Australia’s top six.

Having been the key factor in the ODI series win with a game to spare, I believe Proteas coach Shukri Conrad should also look to spin for the Test series that starts on October 9.

When the fixtures were announced for this Australian tour back in February, the fact that the three Tests were being played at Kingsmead, St George’s Park and Newlands got me thinking.

All three matches being played at coastal venues made me wonder if Conrad, who often dissents with the popular or cliched view, was planning to attack the Australians with spin. South Africa’s coastal venues, especially Durban in recent years, are the most spin-friendly in the country.

Keshav Maharaj is based at Kingsmead and Prenelan Subrayen and Senuran Muthusamy all made their Test debuts while playing for the KZN Dolphins, such has been the success of spin in Durban.

St George’s Park in Gqeberha, formerly Port Elizabeth, can also be very spin-friendly depending on the wind. When thinking of the Test venues, my mind immediately went back to April 2022 when Maharaj and Simon Harmer destroyed Bangladesh, taking all 10 second-innings wickets at Kingsmead as they bundled them out for just 53, and then repeating the feat further down the coast in the next match, where they shot the tourists out for just 80. They are the only pair of bowlers to have achieved this in back-to-back Tests in the history of the game.

Newlands in Cape Town has also traditionally been a favoured venue for the spinners, Paul Adams and England’s Colin Blythe are both in the top-10 wicket-takers in Tests there, while Paul Harris, Shane Warne, Nicky Boje, Johnny Briggs, Hugh Tayfield and Maharaj are all in the top-20. When I was growing up, Western Province leg-spinner Denys Hobson was always a threat for visiting teams in domestic cricket, and I remember Transvaal’s slow left-armer Alan Kourie routinely winning games there on the third day, using the wind superbly.

The best red-ball return at Newlands in the last four seasons is left-arm spinner Kyle Simmonds’s seven for 39 against the KZN Dolphins in 2023/24.

My learned colleague Stuart Hess, whose coverage of South African and domestic cricket for TimesLive and the Sunday Times should be compulsory reading for cricket fans, did rather dampen my spinner daydreams when he informed me Conrad had told him the thinking around the fixtures was early-season pitches on the coast seaming around, the coach mentioning when Marco Jansen took seven for 13 at Kingsmead as he bowled Sri Lanka out for a measly 42.

But that match was actually at the end of November in 2024. Normally when I have disagreed with coach Shukri, he has invariably proven me wrong, but I would be very surprised if, having seen what has transpired in the ODI series, he is not thinking of attacking Australia with both Maharaj and Harmer.

Conrad did say this week that the double-spinner tactic, planned before what he called the “hamstring pandemic” amongst the quick bowlers, had “exposed” some weaknesses in the Australian ODI team, but he added that their Test batting line-up is very different to their limited-overs personnel.

But just to strengthen my argument, I can report that marvellous Miller agreed with my idea when he spoke to the media after his magnificent 142 off just 93 balls.

“I would love to see us test the Australians on days three and four with turn because we have great spinners. Playing our spinners has probably been a weakness for them. Our spinners are extremely good at holding a good length and asking questions. When the surface holds a bit, it takes a lot to hit them off that length,” Miller said.

Australian all-rounder Jack Edwards, who was their best bowler with five for 67 in just his second ODI and then scored 25 to give them a sliver of hope, explained why facing the Proteas spinners has been such a problem.

“The spinners are both really good at controlling their length and when the pitch is a bit dry and the ball a bit softer, one delivery will turn sharply and the next one skids through. So it’s a considerable risk to try and hit boundaries, they are quality bowlers,” Edwards said.

But let’s go back to Bavuma and Miller, who are both such inspirational figures in the batting line-up.

Captain Bavuma had to come in after the shock of Aiden Markram, back in the team for the first time since the T20 World Cup, being dismissed first ball of the match courtesy of a spectacular Cooper Connolly catch. A lengthy delay before the opening delivery was bowled – either due to SuperSport delaying things or the event managers getting their timings wrong – probably did not help him.

Bavuma looked in fine touch from the get-go and played some of the most elegant strokes of the day, while also showing he is capable of brutal dispatching too as he collected 10 fours and two sixes in his 103. Bavuma now averages 49 against Australia in ODIs, striking at 85, and averages 41 in Tests.

Whether he is still batting at number three in the next World Cup will become more clear in the months ahead, but what is certain is that he will be the lynchpin in the South African batting line-up, allowing the strokeplayers and boundary-hitters to bat around him.

Just like Miller did at the Wanderers. Their ground-record partnership of 156 off 135 balls for the fourth wicket featured timing as sweet as the most invigorating balsam, and just as medicinal for South Africa’s health after they had slipped to 93 for three after a difficult first 15 overs when the ball moved around and there was some steep bounce.

The previous fourth-wicket record for the Proteas at the Wanderers was 105 between AB de Villiers and JP Duminy, against India in 2013/14.

There are some who have written off the 37-year-old Miller’s chances of making the 2027 World Cup squad, but he has not averaged below 40 in his last four seasons of ODI action, while striking at 114. He has scored three centuries and seven half-centuries in that time.

His strokeplay had the large Pink Day crowd purring with delight, especially when he sent the Australian bowlers over the boundary fencing on nine occasions. His record against South Africa’s greatest rivals is extraordinary: He now averages 59.20 against them, at a strike-rate of 106, with four centuries.

“I just want to contribute in the best way I can, make an impact. I just try to stick to my processes, I’ve been around for a long time so it’s also time for me to lead from the front and stick my hand up.

“I was pretty hungry today. You can never 100% guarantee that you’re going to make the World Cup squad and I still have a lot of hard work to do. This is a very important series because we haven’t played at home for a long time. It’s going to be very nice to have a big summer here against some really good opposition before we host the World Cup next year.

“The key for us leading up to the World Cup is to find our balance and ensure our depth is good. There are a lot of batsmen coming through, and it’s similar with the bowlers,” Miller said.

Ruthless finisher starts South African season with exceptional century

The Ball in Play

Sep 21, 2026

Donovan Ferreira is back in South Africa, eager for the new season and daring to believe that he is the finisher the Proteas need for both next year’s ODI World Cup and T20 cricket. And yet it was in four-day, red-ball cricket where he first showed his class this season with an exceptional innings in the Northerns Titans’ opening match.

Ferreira has not been selected for the Proteas squad for the three ODIs against Australia starting on Thursday, but he knows competing with the likes of David Miller and Tristan Stubbs for the finisher role in the Proteas team is a tough challenge. He is full of belief, however, that he certainly belongs in that company. And the 28-year-old is pleased that his season started with a couple of four-day games for the Titans.

He made spectacular use of his first innings back in the country, scoring a magnificent 163 off just 180 balls as the Titans beat the KZN Dolphins by an innings at SuperSport Park. Ferreira came to the crease late on the first day after a powerful Titans attack had dismissed the Dolphins for just 157, but then the home side had been effectively reduced to 125 for five with one batsman retired hurt. He ensured he survived the dozen overs until stumps, but then produced a masterclass on the second day, batting through the entire morning session with Simon Harmer.

Ferreira batted within himself until he reached his century off 143 deliveries, but he is such a ruthless dispatcher of anything loose, whatever the length or line, that he was still scoring fluently against bowlers who were holding sway. He then exploded, lashing 63 runs off his next 37 balls. It was a career-best effort, his fourth first-class century lifting his first-class average to 49.59 after 15 matches.

“This is going to be a big season and I’m glad I’m going to be available for quite a few games for the Titans. The franchise means a lot to me, it’s my base and it’s a chance for me to reset and grow. It’s really nice to be part of the Titans because Albie Morkel [assistant coach] has helped me a lot with my batting, he knows my game well. And I’m pleased to start the season with red-ball cricket because it’s important to have that base for your batting,” Ferreira told kenborland.com.

“In terms of Proteas selection, I can only focus on what I can do. The higher powers have their job to do in terms of selection; my responsibility is to score as many runs as possible. That’s my focus. I will give everything and just try to contribute to the Titans team, share my knowledge and experience from playing T20 around the world.

“In terms of the domestic Pro20, I’m going to put a lot of focus on preparation and backing myself. My role as a finisher is an important one and it’s a diverse role because the situations you come into are not aways the same. I still believe I can contribute to the national team, if you don’t believe that then it becomes a lot harder. I definitely believe I can conquer that challenge,” Ferreira said.

Central to Ferreira’s belief is the fabulous IPL tournament he had earlier in the year. He was able to start 15 games this season for the Rajasthan Royals, having played only two matches for them in 2024 and just once for Delhi Capitals in 2025. His confidence grew and grew as he ended the campaign with 317 runs (75% in boundaries) in 13 innings, at a strike-rate of 179 and an average of 35.

Ferreira was a standout player as the Royals reached Qualifier 2, competing with lethal compatriot Heinrich Klaasen and Australian behemoth Tim David for the most sixes in the death overs (16-20). He has become one of the best in the world at hitting yorkers over the boundary and his fantastic numbers speak to a batsman who has matured, pacing his innings superbly thanks to the mental clarity he has developed.

“The IPL was big for me in terms of performance. I’d sat bench for three years and I was just trying to cement myself when I went back to Rajasthan. Fortunately for me, Sam Curran got injured and that opened a door for me. I had to take the opportunity and thankfully my game was in an improved space.

“Things happen for a reason and I believe it was an important stage of my career. My process now stays the same, I’m used to conditions in India and my spin play has improved. I used those three years to grow me and get ready for the highest level.

“You need stumbling blocks to keep growing and I’ve learnt a lot of lessons through all the ups and downs. Playing a lot of cricket gives you the opportunity to do well. If I stick to my processes, I believe I can really push the bar. I still need to fine-tune one or two things,” Ferreira said.

While the seasoned Miller and the exciting Stubbs currently have the inside lane in the squabble for the finishing role with the Proteas at next year’s 50-over World Cup, don’t underestimate Ferreira’s claims. He is a steely character with audacious skills when it comes to striking a cricket ball, and there was a grim determination in his eyes when he said:

“I missed out on the T20 World Cup earlier this year when I fractured my collarbone, so that was an opportunity taken away, but it was out of my control. For any player, being in a World Cup is the ultimate goal. But I need to keep my focus on the process, just give myself the best opportunity to score runs.

“And then it’s in the selectors’ hands. To play in and hopefully win the World Cup at home would be the absolute ultimate.”

Proteas coach Shukri Conrad has been known to do some daring things, and perhaps Stubbs’s ability to bat in different positions and Ferreira’s added strings to his bow in being able to bowl off-spin or keep wicket will encourage the maverick to do something left-field like picking them both, as well as Miller …

Following a hugely successful 2024 in which they conquered both hemispheres, former Springbok great Naas Botha believes South Africa have entered rugby Elysium and deserve to be ranked alongside the greatest ever teams to play the game.

The Springboks won the southern hemisphere’s Rugby Championship by a whopping eight points, losing just one of their six matches (by one point in Argentina), and then recently beat Scotland, England and Wales for an unbeaten tour for the Autumn InternationalSeries in the UK.

Their only other defeat in 2024 was against Ireland in July, losing 25-24 in Durban thanks to a last-minute drop goal by Ciaran Frawley. The 12 months since their 2023 World Cup triumph have been good for the Springboks, who remain the number one ranked team.

Flyhalf Botha was the key member of the South African team between 1980 and 1992, but due to the country’s banning from international competition, he only played 28 Tests. Nevertheless, he scored 312 points as one of the most accurate kickers the game has known.It was a record tally for the Springboks until Percy Montgomery surpassed it in 2004 in his 50^th match. The World Cup winning fullback still holds the record with 893 points in 102 Tests.

A brilliant rugby strategist, Botha, who was chosen for the World XV in 1986 and 1992, led his province, Northern Transvaal, to nine titles in the famous Currie Cup. He is that competition’s leading points-scorer with 1699, including a record 135 drop goals,many of them in high-pressure situations.

“It’s absolutely amazing what Rassie Erasmus and his squad have achieved and you have to give them that credit. One win does not make a great team, a magic moment does not make a great team. But magic season after season after season makes a great team. Youcan’t compare this Springbok team to any of their current rivals because we know the pool of players they have is frightening,” Botha told SportsBoom.com at Sun City, where he was playing in the Gary and Vivienne Player Invitational, a golf tournament that raises money for needy children at the Blair Atholl Pre-Primary School on Player’s Johannesburg estate.

Botha is now 66 years old and his rugby memories go back a long way, making him highly qualified to weigh in on the debate as to whether the current Springboks are the greatest team ever.

“By repeating in 2023 what they did in 2019 and winning the World Cup again, they did something that nobody can ever take away from them. No matter how you analyse it, they are the first South African team to do that. So who do you compare them to?

“You can’t really compare different eras and the 1980s were totally different to 2024. I played in some really good Springbok teams like the 1981 one that went to New Zealand was fantastic and the 1986 side that played the New Zealand Cavaliers. Then we havethe Jake White (2007) and Francois Pienaar (1995) teams that won World Cups.

“Going back, people used to talk about the 1937 Springbok team that won a series in New Zealand. We thought we had become only the second team to do that in 1981, before referee Clive Norling intervened.

“The 1974 British Lions were a great team, but they started in 1971 in New Zealand where they had an absolutely brilliant tour and then finished the job in 1974, unfortunately against us in South Africa. So we had to rebuild after that and we beat the BritishLions in 1980, so you have to give that Springbok team some credit too.

“The Australia team in 1984 won the Grand Slam, beating all four Home Nations, and Australia also won the World Cup in 1991 and 1999 when they cleaned up France in the final. And then we have the 2003 England team winning the World Cup in Australia.

“And what about all the New Zealand teams since then? Forget about World Cups, which you win in six or seven weeks, for the last 20 years, who has really dominated rugby before South Africa and you’d have to say the All Blacks, so give them credit as well.

“But the pleasure of this current Springbok team is that they have taken over and are playing at a different level. For once the world is following South Africa. I’m not meaning to sound arrogant, but I don’t think the rest of the world wants us around. They’reeven trying to make laws to eliminate our dominance, instead of just letting rugby be rugby and allowing the game to succeed. There is enough nonsense outside of rugby, we don’t need to let it on to the field,” Botha said.

Our DP World Lions were able to find both their winning form and a ready-made replacement for new Proteas leg-spinner Nqaba Peter as they won both their weekend home matches in the CSA T20 Challenge, with Junaid Dawood collecting a haul of eight wickets against the Warriors and the Dolphins.

Having spearheaded #ThePrideOfJozi’s charge to the title last season, young Peter has deservedly found his way into the national set-up. But after a tough opening encounter for both him and the team against the Titans, Dawood stepped up superbly this weekend when given the chance to emerge from the shadows.

The 28-year-old destroyed the Warriors’ batting line-up with five for 30, the second-best ever CSA T20 Challenge figures at the DP World Wanderers Stadium, as our DP World Lions secured a bonus point victory by 62 runs on Friday night. Dawood was then instrumental in the nine-run win over the Dolphins on Sunday, helping to trigger a middle-order collapse as he took three for 22.

Figures of eight overs, eight for 52 are an outstanding weekend’s work, and Dawood’s success is once again an indication of the healthy pipeline that DP World Lions cricket enjoys at the moment.

Chasing 157 for victory, the Dolphins were in good shape on 48 for one in the seventh over, but Dawood then deceived key batsman Marques Ackerman (32) and had him stumped by the lightning-quick gloves of Wandile Makwetu.

Codi Yusuf then got Jon-Jon Smuts (1) and Bradley Porteous (0) out with successive deliveries, and an outstanding hat-trick ball just went over off-stump, having completely squared-up Andile Simelane.

Dawood then removed Tshepang Dithole (26) and Simelane (1) to reduce the Dolphins to 81 for six in the 13^th over.

But the return of opener Khaya Zondo, who had retired hurt in the fourth over, to partner captain Prenelan Subrayen, ensured the visitors were not out of the contest as they added 52 off 34 balls. Our DP World Lions had 19 to defend in the final over and Evan Jones held his nerve after his first two deliveries went to the boundary, getting Zondo out for 28 and conceding just one more run.

Young left-arm quick Kwena Maphaka enjoyed more success as he took two for 24 in his four overs, while Yusuf also had a fine evening with two for 24 in his ration of overs.

There was more good news in the depth department when our DP World Lions batted first after winning the toss as Josh Richards, coming in for Reeza Hendricks, who had flown overnight to Abu Dhabi to replace injured Proteas captain and #ThePrideOfJozi superstar Temba Bavuma, laid a good platform with an assured 38 off 32 balls.

Delano Potgieter (32 not out off 29 balls) and Evan Jones, who monstered four sixes in his 29 not out off just 10 deliveries, then piled more misery on to the Dolphins bowlers at the death, adding 42 runs for the unbroken sixth-wicket partnership, off just 23 balls. That took the Lions to 156 for five in their 20 overs, a competitive total on a slowish pitch on which taking pace off brought dividends for the bowlers.

There was more pace in the pitch on Friday night and our DP World Lions produced a magnificent batting display, again after winning the toss, plundering 239 for four, their highest ever total in the competition.

Makwetu received a dreadful blow to the helmet from an accidental Siya Plaatjie beamer, which seemed to inspire the wicketkeeper/batsman as he exploded into action, going from a sedate 23 off 29 balls to a dazzling 55 off 41 deliveries, including five sixes.

Hendricks showed why the Proteas wanted him as he cruised to a classy 41 off 26 balls, hitting three sixes, the second-wicket pair setting the scene for a big finish as they added 75 in seven overs.

And what a finish it was!

Delano Potgieter, who was promoted up the order, smashed 36 off just 15 deliveries, and then captain Mitchell van Buuren and Connor Esterhuizen wowed the crowd with their unbeaten partnership of 87 in just four-and-a-half overs, clobbering eight sixes between them.

Van Buuren scored 41 not out off 16 balls and Esterhuizen showed why he has been entrusted with finishing duties this season, lashing 40 not out off 17 deliveries.

It was a total our DP World Lions defended with ease as they restricted the Warriors to 177 for six.

Maphaka (4-0-29-1) produced a top-class display with the new ball, claiming a key wicket when he bowled Warriors captain Matthew Breetzke (1) with a beauty, and Tshepo Moreki (4-0-27-0) was an excellent partner up front.

It was the leg-spin of Dawood that had the fans all a-twitter thereafter though, as he claimed the other five wickets to fall.

A thrilling weekend of action at the DP World Wanderers Stadium has ensured that our Pride all have shining smiles as they prepare for Wednesday’s visit to Bloemfontein to take on the Knights.