Ken Borland

(from left) Albie Morkel, Ethy Mbhalati and Rowan Richards model the new Titans away kit.

The Unlimited Titans will bolster their reputation as the most innovative cricket franchise in the country in the new season when they become the first team to wear an away kit.

The Titans announced the new concept at SuperSport Park yesterday with the team set to sport an attractive purple and mauve kit in all their away limited-overs games next season. The franchise’s chief sponsors, The Unlimited, are behind the move with the aim being to publicise the Unlimited Child charity, an initiative to provide proper stimulation for the development of the more than six million pre-school children in South Africa.

“When they brought us the idea of building awareness for The Unlimited Child, an early childhood development initiative, we jumped at the opportunity. The away kit confirms that the Titans are not only one of the powerhouses on the South African domestic cricket scene, but one of the trendsetters too,” Titans CEO Jacques Faul said.

Pretoria is known as the Jacaranda City and the purple colour of the new kit will further connect with fans in Tshwane and the wider northern Gauteng region.

While helping the image of the Titans, the new away kit will also hopefully help create awareness around wider socio-economic issues like early childhood development, the CEO of The Unlimited, Steph Bester, said.

“The state of early childhood development in South Africa is shocking as it’s estimated that there are more than six million pre-school children in this country that receive little or no proper stimulation. Unless children between the ages of 0 and 6 years old are exposed to effective stimulation, their potential in life is seriously affected and they are destined to a life of poverty,” Bester said.

The formation of the Unlimited Child initiative has already given rise to more than 500 crèches, 1400 caregivers and over 48 000 children being enrolled in KwaZulu-Natal, the Western Cape and Gauteng. The Unlimited Child aims to replicate the programme in all nine provinces as the impact of this intervention on teaching and learning has proved to be immediate.

“We’re excited that the Titans have embraced the work of The Unlimited Child, and have joined us in driving awareness for the great work being done by the organisation,” said Bester. “This exposure will help us expand our footprint in the rest of the country, helping us realise our aim of getting up to 20 000 crèches nationally by 2020.”

Hardus Viljoen - spearhead of the Lions

SUNFOIL SERIES: P10 W5 L2 D3 (second)

Captains: AN Petersen (1), SC Cook (9)

MOMENTUM ONE-DAY CUP: P10 W5 L2 NR3 (joint champions)

RAMSLAM T20 CHALLENGE: P10 W7 L3 (champions)

Contracted players: Temba Bavuma, Gulam Bodi, Stephen Cook, Cliffe Deacon, Quinton de Kock, Dominic Hendricks, Eddie Leie, Pumelela Matshikwe, Neil McKenzie, Chris Morris, Ethan O’Reilly, Brett Pelser, Aaron Phangiso, Jean Symes, Rassie van der Dussen, Hardus Viljoen. Rookie contracts: Grant Mokoena, Shaylen Pillay, Dwaine Pretorius. CSA contracts: Alviro Petersen, Imran Tahir, Thami Tsolekile, Lonwabo Tsotsobe. Head coach: Geoff Toyana.

A memorable 2012/13 season saw the Highveld Lions claim their first franchise trophies since 2006/07.

The Standard Bank Pro20 crown they won that season was their only triumph in franchise cricket, but that all changed as Geoff Toyana was an instant success as the new head coach and the honours list was doubled in length by the addition of the Momentum One-Day Cup (shared with the Cobras) and the RamSlam T20 Challenge.

They were also strong contenders in the Sunfoil Series, finishing one win behind the Cobras, and they reached the final of the Champions League T20.

Lions coach Geoff Toyana

According to Toyana, the secret of the Lions’ success was consistency and their ability to bounce back from occasional setbacks.

“We sat down at the start of September and made our plans and the biggest focus was consistency in all formats. We have shown that and it was a wonderful season.

“Another part of our planning was that if we played badly on a certain day, then we would take it on the chin and move on. We were able to lose and bounce back,” Toyana said.

To be fair though, the Lions had few bad days.

To start the season with a 10-wicket defeat at the hands of the Cobras was obviously not ideal, but they were able to take some solace from Quinton de Kock’s phenomenal 194 in defeat and they were able to enter the Champions League T20 in confident mood after Chris Morris’s magnificent eight for 44 had bowled them to victory over the Dolphins.

The Lions made it all the way to the final of the CLT20, losing just twice in six matches and on both occasions that was to the powerful Sydney Sixers side.

The momentum was carried into the One-Day Cup in which the Lions played some magnificent cricket, winning their first four games and losing just twice overall. They began the campaign by registering the biggest ever margin of victory between two premier domestic sides as Stephen Cook’s century and Hardus Viljoen’s superb six for 19 demolished the Titans by 269 runs.

Cook scored another century and two half-centuries on his way to finishing as the second-highest run-scorer in the competition, while Neil McKenzie also played some vital innings.

The bowling of Viljoen was the stand-out feature of the campaign, however, as the new signing from the Titans roared to 20 wickets at an average of just 13.40 and an economy rate of 4.63.

Left-arm spinner Aaron Phangiso was even more economical and with the firepower of Chris Morris backing up Viljoen and the leg-spin wizardry of Imran Tahir also available, it was obvious the Lions had the best balanced, most potent attack in the country.

The washing out of the final and the replay was a major disappointment and the Lions were then subjected to the horrors of being bowled out for 59 by the Ayabulela Gqamane-inspired Warriors at the Wanderers as they returned to four-day action.

The Lions did not suffer another defeat, however, in the Sunfoil Series and the weather once again cruelly denied them when they had the Titans seven down in their follow-on innings when the match was washed out.

The Lions were once again fast out of the blocks in the RamSlam T20 Challenge, winning the first four games and the final was the ultimate recognition for the excellence of their bowlers as Phangiso, Sohail Tanvir, Viljoen, Morris and Tahir took two cheap wickets apiece to bowl the Titans out. De Kock scored 44 to take his tally for the competition to an extraordinary 524 runs.

Toyana created a relaxed environment in which the Lions were able to produce the goods and the players responded superbly to his backing.

McKenzie, the leading run-scorer in the Sunfoil Series, said the people skills of the first black African to coach a franchise were Toyana’s greatest strength.

“He’s a people-person, he’s well-liked and he got the guys to play for him. His man-management was excellent, he was honest and he gives responsibility to the players. It’s his personality rather than his technical knowledge, although he was a gutsy player at the highest level, that’s his biggest strength,” McKenzie said.

LIONS v COBRAS

Played at Senwes Park, Potchefstroom on 20, 21, 22, 23 September 2012

Toss: Cape Cobras

Result: Cape Cobras won by 10 wickets

Man of the Match: Andrew Puttick

Points: Highveld Lions 2.20 Cape Cobras 18.54

The unheralded spin duo of Piedt and Gray out-bowled an erratic and no-ball plagued Imran Tahir on a flat pitch as the Cobras began the four-day campaign in compelling fashion. Puttick thrived on three chances and dominated the final session of the first day as the Cobras racked up 322 for two. The Lions’ first innings, with Petersen unable to bat because he broke his left hand in dropping a chance from Puttick, folded meekly after a solid start had taken them to 125 for one. De Kock provided plenty of cheer in the second innings, making his maiden four-day half-century and going on to a dazzling record score for the Lions against the Cobras, stroking 24 fours and three sixes. But he was largely alone in his resistance as off-spinner Piedt kept chipping away with plenty of runs to play with.

LIONS v DOLPHINS

Played at BidVest Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg on 27, 28, 29, 30 September 2012

Toss: Dolphins

Result: Highveld Lions won by 53 runs

Man of the Match: Chris Morris

Points: Highveld Lions 17.30 Dolphins 7.26

Morris made certain of victory on the final day with a record-breaking performance that gave him the best innings and match figures in Lions history. The Dolphins had begun the last day well in contention needing 92 to win with six wickets in hand, but Morris brought the same fiery aggression he had displayed on the third afternoon, when he took three wickets in 10 balls.

An assertive Tsolekile had ushered the tail well in rescuing the Lions first innings, but Khan and Vandiar batted confidently in a 121-run second-wicket stand before the Dolphins fell away.

Cook’s second-innings defiance gave the Lions a defendable target, made safe by Morris’s superb bowling.

LIONS v WARRIORS

Played at BidVest Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg on 20, 21, 22 December 2012

Toss: Highveld Lions

Result: Warriors won by 10 wickets

Man of the Match: Ayabulela Gqamane

Points: Highveld Lions 8.30 Warriors 16.70

With the elements in his favour, Warriors four-day debutant Aya Gqamane ripped through the Lions second innings as he condemned them to their lowest ever total. Warriors openers Jacobs and Price then chased down the target with some bravado to seal victory with a day-and-a-half remaining.

The defiance of Cook, McKenzie and Tsolekile had ensured a valuable first-innings lead of 80 for the Lions in testing batting conditions, before their farcical second-innings collapse.

LIONS v KNIGHTS

Played at Senwes Park, Potchefstroom on 27, 28, 29, 30 December 2012

Toss: Knights

Result: Drawn

Man of the Match: Temba Bavuma

Points: Highveld Lions 8.96 Knights 7.86

De Kock’s aggressive innings on the first morning and Kruger’s fine bowling on the second day put the Lions in control. Bavuma’s marvellous century and some inspired late hitting by Tahir then left the Knights with a daunting target of 369 in 102 overs. The visitors were in some trouble after medium-pacer Pelser’s double strike left them on 65 for three. But Erlank and Pienaar could not be separated in the second session of the final day and the two captains shook hands for the draw in the changerooms in the tea break.

LIONS v TITANS

Played at BidVest Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg on 17, 18, 19, 20 January 2013

Toss: Titans

Result: Drawn

Man of the Match: Zander de Bruyn

Points: Highveld Lions 8.06 Titans 4.00

Newcomer Hendricks and Bavuma received enough bad balls on the first morning, after the Lions were sent in under cloudy skies, to race the hosts to 124 for one at lunch. De Bruyn then batted well with the lower-order to get the Lions to a solid first-innings score.

Rain and bad light meant only two deliveries could be bowled on the second day, but the Titans lost wickets in groups on the third day and were forced to bat again on the final day.

Morris and Viljoen then kept consistent pressure on the Titans and shared six wickets, before heavy rain, followed by bad light, kept the players off the field from before tea.

Heino Kuhn anchored the Unlimited Titans during their phenomenal late run to a share of the Momentum One-Day Cup trophy this season and the top-order batsman’s reward came last night as he picked up three major honours at the franchise’s annual awards dinner at SuperSport Park, celebrating his 30^th birthday in tremendous style.

Kuhn scored successive centuries in run-chases, preceded by an innings of 92 off 80 balls to keep the Titans alive in the competition, as he finished as the leading run-scorer in the One-Day Cup with 470 runs at an average of 47. Unsurprisingly, he was named as the Titans’ player of that tournament and must be the favourite to take the overall national honour too.

His decision to relinquish the wicketkeeper’s gloves in order to concentrate on his batting certainly paid off in the limited-overs formats and Kuhn also enjoyed an excellent RamSlam T20 Challenge run, averaging 36 at a strike-rate of 141.

A disappointing Sunfoil Series has seen Kuhn only average 25, but he has scored three half-centuries and is the Titans’ second-highest run-scorer. Overall, the man from Piet Retief who has played five T20 internationals for South Africa did enough to also take away the Players’ Player of the Year award as well as the overall Player of the Year honour.

The Sunfoil Series player of the tournament award was won by leg-spinner Shaun von Berg, who has been the leading wicket-taker with 28 at an average of 29, as well as making the only century by a Titans player in the competition this season – a blazing 105 off 73 balls against the Cobras in Benoni which broke Lance Klusener’s record for the fastest hundred by a franchise batsman.

The Titans were hugely boosted by the presence of Pakistani mystery spinner Saeed Ajmal in the T20 Challenge and he proved his worth by taking 15 wickets in six matches at an average of 9.26 and an economy rate of 6.13. Ajmal was a worthy winner of the Titans T20 Challenge Player of the Tournament.

Perhaps the biggest strides made this season were by 23-year-old rookie Graeme van Buuren, who made runs in all formats and chipped in valuably with his slow left-arm spin in the limited-overs formats.

Van Buuren’s progress was recognised by both the Newcomer and Most Improved Player of the Year awards.

–

Those people who have portrayed the Knights as a franchise in freefall have ignored the valid reasons, and gross misfortune, which afflicted their performances this summer, according to chief executive officer Johan van Heerden.

The Knights finished fifth in the Sunfoil Series, winning just two of their 10 matches, and fourth in the Momentum One-Day Cup, winning three of their 10 games. But those figures fail to take into account the horrendous run of injuries and bad weather that stalked the central franchise almost throughout the season.

Living in Bloemfontein or Kimberley, one doesn’t expect prolonged bouts of rain, but the Knights had two home One-Day Cup matches abandoned without a ball being bowled, leaving them an agonising one point short of a playoff place.

In the four-day competition, the Knights opened their campaign by having the better of a draw against the defending champion Titans in Kimberley, but then had matches washed out on successive weekends in Paarl, Pietermaritzburg and East London.

Once they could get on the field, the Knights were actually in reasonable form and, strangely enough, the only two Sunfoil Series matches they lost were in Bloemfontein, against the Warriors and the Cape Cobras.

As if the weather was not a bad enough blow to the hopes of the franchise, it also suffered an extraordinary run of injuries.

Morne van Wyk scored a century and Reeza Hendricks a half-century in that opening match against the Titans, but it would be the last game they played as the veteran wicketkeeper/batsman badly injured his shoulder and the young top-order prospect broke his ankle.

With Dean Elgar often on national duties, it meant the Knights had lost almost their entire first-choice top-order.

“Serious injuries hit us. We had the whole season planned but then we had to go without key players like Morne van Wyk and Reeza Hendricks. Those are quality players who are extremely important to our set-up,” Van Heerden said.

“Unfortunately, their replacements were not able to front up and Rilee Rossouw and Obus Pienaar became our most senior batsmen. But they are still struggling with things in their own games and that’s why we were 25 for four too often. If the other top-four batsmen had been there, it would have taken the pressure off them.”

Pace bowlers Quinton Friend and Dillon du Preez also suffered injuries at inopportune times, and Ryan McLaren was also often absent with the national team.

But the good news after a tough season in Bloemfontein and Kimberley is that all but two of their players have opted for the safety of renewing their contracts with the Knights.

Unfortunately, the two players leaving are both batsmen – Van Wyk and Ryan Bailey.

Van Wyk has been a great servant of Knights cricket and is the franchise’s leading run-scorer with over 4000 runs, but he will be relocating to Durban.

“Morne has never left Bloemfontein, he never played county cricket, and he believes he has maybe two years left in his career, so he just wants to play in a different area,” Van Heerden explained.

And Bailey, whose double-century in the opening round of Sunfoil Series matches accounted for over half of his total runs and he only managed 71 runs in six innings in the One-Day Cup, declined a one-year contract from the Knights and will take up a two-year offer from the Eastern Cape Warriors instead.

These departures – and the fact that the likes of Johan van der Wath and Du Preez are also coming to the end of their careers – would be a real pain in the neck for Van Heerden, were it not for the really cosy situation the Knights are in in terms of the talent coming through just below franchise level.

The Free State team have excelled in the amateur competitions, mounting a strong challenge in the three-day league, reaching the final of the one-day tournament and making an unbeaten start to the T20s.

The likes of Gihahn Cloete, Rudi Second, Michael Erlank, Patrick Botha and Corne Dry have already featured in the Knights team, while Pite van Biljon, Duanne Olivier, Keagan Rafferty and Romano Terblanche are waiting in the wings.

“The youngsters can see that there are spots opening up for them and the policy of the board is that if two players are on an equal footing, then we go for the younger player. We have a youth policy for the franchise and we want to lure youngsters here, we have great arrangements for that in place with the University of the Free State and the Central University of Technology,” Van Heerden said.

An example of this is the Ewie and Hansie Cronje Project which provides a bursary for a promising cricketer and student to study at UFS.

“The bursary pays for three years’ study and pocket money and their equipment is paid for too. They must be athletic and have the potential to study further, because we believe people who qualify with a degree become better decision-makers.

“It provides specialised training and physical monitoring for young fast bowlers and it was the idea of Paul Harris [the top banker], especially the scientific side, and he has funded it along with Johann Rupert and Rembrandt,” Van Heerden explained.

The excellent schools in the region are still providing the talent, with Diego Rosier and Rafferty being recent SA U19 captains and either of them could be playing for the Knights next summer.

The mood is certainly positive in the central region, despite the hardships of the last summer and the bigger picture is healthy, according to Van Heerden.