Ken Borland

Just 52 balls was enough time for Rilee Rossouw to spend at the crease to notch a dazzling century and lead South Africa to a comprehensive 104-run victory over Bangladesh in their T20 World Cup match at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Thursday.

Rossouw proved his world-class credentials with 109 off just 56 balls, an innings of sheer class, skill and power, with the left-hander hitting seven fours and eight sixes to set South Africa up for a formidable score of 205/5. Coming in to bat in the second over, Rossouw found fifth gear quickly and showed his boundary-hitting prowess as well as some clever innovation on the touch-shots.

Having won the toss and elected to bat – surprisingly, given the rain around – South Africa lost Temba Bavuma (2) at the end of the first over. The embattled captain shaped to come down the pitch to Taskin Ahmed, but then just fended at an away-swinger and was caught behind.

But a free-scoring Quinton de Kock and Rossouw hardly skipped a beat though as they added 163 in 13.3 overs, the second-highest partnership in T20 World Cup history, just behind the 166 the legendary Sri Lankan pair of Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara put on against the West Indies in Bridgetown in 2010.

De Kock blazed 63 off just 38 balls in another great display, showing more of the surgeon’s touch as he stroked seven fours and three sixes, and used a variety of sweeps to great effect.

De Kock’s dismissal at 170/2 with five-and-a-half overs left saw South Africa go into their shells a bit as just 35 runs were scored off the last 33 balls. Rossouw took fewer risks as he approached his century, becoming the first batsman from a Full Member nation to score back-to-back T20 International hundreds, something not even Chris Gayle managed. His hundred was also South Africa’s first in the T20 World Cup.

The pitch was also slowing down and Bangladesh fought back superbly with the ball.

But their chase was almost all over bar the shouting by the end of Anrich Nortje’s first two overs as he removed both openers, Soumya Sarkar (15) and Najmul Hossain Shanto (9), in the third over and then trapped Shakib al-Hasan lbw for a single in the fifth over to leave Bangladesh 39/3.

Nortje then returned to knock over Taskin’s rook for 10 to finish with magnificent figures of 4/10 in three-and-a-half overs, Bangladesh being all out for a paltry 101.

Before that, wrist-spinner Tabraiz Shamsi enjoyed his return to form, taking 3/20 in his four overs.

The Sharks scored five tries and contributed superbly to a dazzling game of rugby, but sadly their defence was found wanting and was nowhere near the quality of their attacking play, as Leinster thumped them 54-34 in their United Rugby Championship match in Dublin on Saturday evening.

A brilliant first half saw Leinster and the Sharks trade tries as the home side went into the break just 21-20 up. They were still just one point ahead as the hour mark loomed, a magnificent solo try by wing Thaakir Abrahams lifting the visitors back to 27-28.

But the Sharks unfortunately lost the plot in the final quarter as Leinster scored five tries to one in those 20 minutes. A game that had produced so much brilliant rugby sadly ended on a sour note as Sharks centre Rohan Janse van Rensburg was correctly red-carded for a wild tackle that saw his swinging arm hit opposite number Robbie Henshaw in the chin, sparking off a melee.

While the Sharks showed fantastic skill and imagination in attack, cutting Leinster open off lineout drives and scrums, their defence was consistently found wanting out wide, where Leinster found space through brilliant kicks or great handling.

Leinster flyhalf Jonny Sexton, or Sir Jonny as he is known in Dublin, pulled the strings superbly, his kicking being brilliant. He kicked seven out of eight conversions, which kept the hosts ahead on the leaderboard in the early stages, and his crosskicks were a real thorn in the Sharks’ flesh, with centres Henshaw and Charlie Ngatai also setting up tries from precise kick-passes.

The Sharks’ defence was again caught too narrow too often, and coach Sean Everitt will need to sort that out.

But he will be delighted with their wonderful attacking play, highlighted by the brace of tries scored by Abrahams. His second try, in the 55^th minute, was outrageous. He did well to claim a tricky, pressure high-ball, and then scampered away from a crowd of defenders, kicked ahead and then beat replacement wing Garry Ringrose to the touchdown.

Fullback Aphelele Fassi scored two tries as well, but had a mixed evening as he was a revolving door in defence at times.

Flank Dylan Richardson bossed the breakdowns, and the Sharks seemed to have the edge at scrum time, although there were precious few of those, which speaks to the quality of the game and how few handling errors there were.

Leinster’s forwards also carried superbly, and it was the attention they demanded from the Sharks defence which also contributed to the space out wide.

Scorers

Leinster: Tries – Jason Jenkins, Garry Ringrose (2), Andrew Porter, Robbie Henshaw, Rob Russell, Jonny Sexton, John McKee. Conversions – Sexton (7).

Sharks: Tries – Aphelele Fassi (2), Werner Kok, Thaakir Abrahams (2). Conversions – Boeta Chamberlain (2), Nevaldo Fleurs. Penalty – Chamberlain.

Ryan Rickelton is collecting centuries these days like the rich and famous buying accessories, and Wednesday’s hundred to lead the Central Gauteng Lions to victory over the North-West Dragons at the Wanderers was arguably the most dazzling of the lot.

Rickelton blazed 110 off 75 balls, a great innings in terms of quality, beautiful strokeplay and the class of a different level that oozed from each of his 12 fours and four sixes.

After a morning that called for flippers and masks rather than cricket bats and leather balls, play at the Wanderers was delayed from the scheduled 1pm start to 3.45pm and the CSA One-Day Cup match was reduced to 31 overs a side.

Considering the weather, North-West won the toss and sent the Lions in to bat, but openers Josh Richards and Rickelton were superb in getting on top of the bowlers pretty much from the outset.

They cruised to fifty at a run-a-ball and their hundred stand came off just 80 deliveries. Richards was also classy and easy on the eye as he scored 44 off 51 balls before being caught on the boundary off left-arm spinner Senuran Muthusamy.

That ended the first-wicket stand on 132, off just 109 balls, but Reeza Hendricks then came in and ensured there was no loss of momentum with a brisk 37 off 24 deliveries.

Rickelton went to his century, his fourth in six innings to go with a 99 in his previous visit to the crease, off just 71 balls. It was a ferocious pace, but the left-hander barely seemed to be breaking a sweat and was never anything less than elegant.

It eventually took an outstanding catch by Dwaine Pretorius, running along the long-on boundary and then diving, to dismiss Rickelton. The bowler was Eldred Hawken, the best of the Dragons attack and a former Lions player, who married excellent control with some handy variations to finish with two for 31 in his seven overs, which included two maidens.

The Lions were then 201 for two in the 25th over and would have been targeting beyond 270.

But North-West, led by Hawken, did fight back with the ball, restricting the Lions to 260 for five. Evan Jones made the other significant contribution with 29 not out off 21 balls.

Even that was way too much of an ask for the North-West batting line-up though as they were bundled out for just 127 in 22.1 overs.

Sisanda Magala, almost as prolific a matchwinner as Rickelton, was the destroyer-in-chief with outstanding figures of five for 31 in five overs. One wonders how much more they need to do to become Proteas regulars.

Magala delivered the opening wicket when he deceived the dangerous Wesley Marshall (9) and had him caught at mid-off.

Lesego Senokwane (41) and Grant Mokoena (16) then stabilised with a second-wicket stand of 53, but they scored at no better than a run-a-ball, needing to provide more acceleration if they were to keep up with the ever-ballooning asking rate.

Wiaan Mulder (6-1-39-1) and Malusi Siboto (4-0-17-2) did tidy jobs in the middle overs, as the Dragons began to lose regular wickets under the pressure.

Spinner Bjorn Fortuin (3.1-0-12-2) removed the last bit of resistance in dismissing Chris Britz (28), and Magala then ran through the tail as North-West lost their last seven wickets for 22 runs in a handful of overs.

As tight and disciplined as the Lions bowling was, they were also outstanding in the field, with Mitchell van Buuren and Richards both taking magnificent catches.

Victory by 133 runs brought with it a bonus point, allowing the Lions to overtake North-West and move into second place on the log, with a couple of games in hand.

Coach Wandile Gwavu could not have asked for much more than the superbly-polished all-round display his team produced.

The Sharks were a dazzling regiment of powerful ball-players in the third quarter, making up for a messy first half, as they beat Connacht 41-21 in their United Rugby Championship match at Kings Park on Saturday.

Second-half transformation

The Sharks were their own worst enemies in the first half, their mistakes leading to a 10-21 deficit at the break. But whether it was the magic of fullback Aphelele Fassi or a rocket dispensed in the changeroom by some regimental sergeant-major type during the break, the Sharks were inspired when they came out for the second half.

They scored three tries in the first 14 minutes.

Really strong carries by prop Ox Nche and flank Henco Venter were followed by patient phase play and then Grant Williams, playing as a replacement on the wing, stepped and darted through the defensive line, with centre Marius Louw in support to finish well.

Four minutes later, hooker Bongi Mbonambi muscled over from a ruck following a lineout maul, and then some magnificent running and handling by the Sharks earned a 54^th-minute penalty. The lineout and maul were set and, after a series of pick-and-goes, lock Gerbrandt Grobler burrowed over from close range to put the Sharks 31-21 up.

Get Fassi on the international stage

If there was one player who provided the urgency for the spectacular Sharks’ turnaround, then it was Fassi.

It started with his brilliant 50/22 kick that gave the Sharks the territory for their first try after halftime.

Fassi also played a key role in the next try through his brilliant up-and-under take and then searing break that took him clear into the Connacht 22.

Fassi also produced two probing kicks into the corner that could well have led to tries with kinder bounces of the ball.

The 24-year-old should definitely be in the Springbok squad, if not to be played on the wing then to be groomed as Willie le Roux’s successor.

Hellish first half

The Sharks were horribly untidy in the first half against a Connacht team that were clinical and highly combative in the collisions and breakdown. But they made life more difficult for themselves through poor kicking options, bad handling and slack discipline which saw them concede seven penalties. The halftime score of 21-10 certainly did not lie when it came to who had been the better team, Connacht scoring two tries and flyhalf Conor Fitzgerald kicking three penalties.

Two of those penalties came after the Sharks were caught with their hands in the cookie jar at ruck time and  if coach Sean Everitt tells no fibs then he will acknowledge that the home team did not learn from their mistakes in the first 40 minutes.

Williams and Kok at 13 boosted the Sharks attack

Lukhanyo Am will be back for their next match, but the Sharks’ midfield has been a problem for a while. It is probably no coincidence that their second-half resurgence came with Werner Kok having moved to outside centre to replace the injured Ben Tapuai and livewire scrumhalf Grant Williams coming on at right wing.

Kok just brings more attacking thrust and is wholehearted in defence, if not necessarily a mastermind. Williams has the pace for the wing and a very dangerous step as well.

Hooker Mbonambi and lock Grobler were the other standout players for the Sharks.

Scorers

Sharks – Tries: Gerbrandt Grobler (2), Marius Louw, Bongi Mbonambi, Le Roux Roets. Conversions: Curwin Bosch (5). Penalties: Bosch (2).

Connacht – Tries: Gavin Thornbury, Caolin Blade. Conversion: Conor Fitzgerald. Penalties: Fitzgerald (3).