Ken Borland

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Batsmen will be able to relieve their tensions but it will be a nervewracking few days for bowlers when the Global Softech Sixes kicks off at SuperSport Park this morning.

The first two days of action is dedicated to the Franchise Challenge, to be followed by the Africa Challenge on Saturday and Sunday.

Given that the boundaries have been brought in by at least 25% at SuperSport Park, the five-over games are going to be all about sixes and batsmen should have plenty of fun watching the ball soar out of the playing arena – even a well-timed defensive stroke is likely to clear the fence.

For the poor bowlers, there is the very real possibility of being hit for the dreaded six sixes in an over.

“We were joking that if you get hit for six fours in an over, you’re probably winning!” Unlimited Titans captain Henry Davids told The Pretoria News yesterday. “Batsmen are going to be trying to hit practically every ball for six, so it’s going to be exciting. But it’s big pressure for the bowlers and it’s very different to even T20 because that’s played on a normal ground.”

If one over can change the course of a match in T20 cricket, then it stands to reason that one delivery – a wicket or a dot-ball – will do the same in Sixes. So a premium is once again being placed on skills, especially those of the bowlers, because mis-hits are also going to carry for six at the new-look SuperSport Park this week.

“Whoever hits the most sixes is probably going to win and one good over will make all the difference. So if a bowler can bowl a good over in Sixes then he knows he can do a great over in T20 or one-day cricket, so he can look forward to those competitions with confidence,” Davids said.

The six franchises will play each other, with three games each today and two tomorrow, before handing over to the national teams of South Africa, Kenya, Namibia, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe on Saturday and Sunday.

Some fine international cricketers have come over the border to compete in the inaugural Global Softech Sixes Africa Challenge, including Namibians Sarel Burger, Gerrie Snyman and Christi Viljoen, Zimbabwe’s Malcolm Waller and Timycen Maruma, and Kenyans Nehemiah Odhiambo and Collins Obuya. Two well-known figures in South African domestic cricket, Kenyan legend Steve Tikolo and former KZN Dolphins opener Doug Watson, who is coaching Namibia, will be returning to SuperSport Park, where both have scored centuries over the years.

While it will all be huge fun for batsmen and spectators, bowlers might be contemplating turning to religion as they are thrown into the lions’ den.

Squads

Titans: Farhaan Behardien, Albie Morkel, Dean Elgar, Roelof van der Merwe, Mangaliso Mosehle, Henry Davids, David Wiese.

Cape Cobras: Justin Ontong, Justin Kemp, Rory Kleinveldt, Richard Levi, Aviwe Mgijima, Stiaan van Zyl, Dane Vilas.

Highveld Lions: Temba Bavuma, Dwaine Pretorius, Chris Morris, Hardus Viljoen, Jean Symes, Shaylen Pillay, Pumelela Matshikwe.

Warriors: Colin Ingram, Ryan Bailey, Lundi Mbane, Basheer Walters, Jon-Jon Smuts, Rusty Theron, Christiaan Jonker.

Knights:  Shadley van Schalkwyk, Reeza Hendricks, Tumelo Bodibe, Pite van Biljon, Dillon du Preez, Malusi Siboto, Quinton Friend, Werner Coetsee.

Dolphins: Cameron Delport, Keshav Maharaj, Khaya Zondo, Morné van Wyk, Robbie Frylinck, Sibonela Makhanya, Thandi Tshabalala.

*South Africa’s squad for the Africa Challenge will only be chosen after the Franchise Challenge.

Kenya: Rakep Patel, Shem Ngoche, Nehemiah Odhiambo, Collins Obuya, Nelson Odhiambo, Narendra Patel, Alex Obanda.

Namibia: Nicolaas Scholtz, Sarel Burger, Raymond van Schoor, Gerrie Snyman, JP Kotze, JJ Smit, Christi Viljoen.

Tanzania: Abhik Patwa, Hamisi Abdallah, Khalil Rehemtulla, Nasibu Mapunda, Kassim Mussa, Goodluck Tandika, Benson Nyaikini.

Uganda: Frank Nsubuga, Deusdedit Muhumuza, Roger Mukasa, Daniel Ruyange, Brian Masaba, Arnold Otwan, Jonathan Sebanja.

Zimbabwe: Forster Mutizwa, Malcolm Waller, Timycen Maruma, Kevin Kasuza, Stephen Trenchard, Roy Kaia, Carl Mumba.

Fixtures

Today: 10h00 Cobras v Knights; 10h50 Titans v Warriors; 11h40 Dolphins v Lions; 12h30 Warriors v Cobras; 13h20 Lions v Titans; 14h10 Knights v Dolphins; 15h00 Cobras v Lions; 15h50 Titans v Dolphins.

Tomorrow: 10h00 Warriors v Knights; 10h50 Dolphins v Cobras; 11h40 Knights v Titans; 12h30 Warriors v Lions; 13h20 Titans v Cobras; 14h10 Warriors v Dolphins; 15h00 Knights v Lions; 16h10 Franchise Sixes final.

Saturday: 10h00 Kenya v Namibia; 10h50 Uganda v Tanzania; 11h40 South Africa v Zimbabwe; 12h30 Tanzania v Kenya; 13h20 Zimbabwe v Uganda; 14h10 Namibia v South Africa; 15h00 Kenya v Zimbabwe; 15h50 Uganda v South Africa.

Sunday: 10h00 Tanzania v Namibia; 10h50 South Africa v Kenya;11h40 Namibia v Uganda; 12h30 Tanzania v Zimbabwe; 13h20 Uganda v Kenya; 14h10 Tanzania v South Africa; 15h00 Namibia v Zimbabwe; 16h10 Africa Sixes final.

The Unlimited Titans’ opponents in the Global Softech Sixes Franchise Challenge next week will have to face the twin threats of both Albie Morkel and David Wiese, two of the longest hitters in the country, after the pair of all-rounders were named yesterday in the hosts’ squad for the inaugural event.

Roelof van der Merwe, Henry Davids and Farhaan Behardien provide only a marginally more veiled threat as the Titans take on the other franchises on September 4 and 5 at SuperSport Park.

Big hitters will certainly be calling the tune in the event, for which the boundaries will be brought in, allowing corporate hospitality to encroach on to the field, with Justin Kemp, Richard Levi, Dwaine Pretorius, Chris Morris, Dillon du Preez, Cameron Delport and Robbie Frylinck all named in their respective franchise squads.

The national team is away that weekend, probably playing in the final of the triangular series in Zimbabwe, but there is enough bludgeoning power on hand to ensure spectators at the Global Softech Sixes have an entertaining time.

Bowlers will be under threat, but the Titans squad is blessed in this department with everyone, except wicketkeeper/batsman Mangaliso Mosehle, being an all-rounder of some sort and Van der Merwe, Wiese, Morkel and Davids are all established limited-overs practitioners.

The Franchise Challenge is to be followed by the Africa Sixes Challenge on September 6, featuring South Africa, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.

Squads

Titans: Farhaan Behardien, Albie Morkel, Dean Elgar, Roelof van der Merwe, Mangaliso Mosehle, Henry Davids, David Wiese, Qaasim Adams.

Cape Cobras: Justin Ontong, Justin Kemp, Rory Kleinveldt, Richard Levi, Aviwe Mgijima, Stiaan van Zyl, Dane Vilas.

Highveld Lions: Temba Bavuma, Dwaine Pretorius, Chris Morris, Hardus Viljoen, Jean Symes, Shaylen Pillay, Pumelela Matshikwe.

Warriors: Colin Ingram, Ryan Bailey, Lundi Mbane, Basheer Walters, Jon-Jon Smuts, Rusty Theron, Christiaan Jonker.

Knights:  Shadley van Schalkwyk, Reeza Hendricks, Tumelo Bodibe, Pite van Biljon, Dillon du Preez, Malusi Siboto, Quinton Friend, Werner Coetsee.

Dolphins: Cameron Delport, Keshav Maharaj, Khaya Zondo, Morné van Wyk, Robbie Frylinck, Sibonela Makhanya, Thandi Tshabalala.

The Titans’ bold efforts to reorganise pre-season domestic cricket moved a step closer on Thursday with the announcement of the fixtures for the inaugural Global Softech Sixes to be played at SuperSport Park from September 4-7.

The Sixes tournament is the brainchild of Titans CEO Jacques Faul and is an attempt to attract a new audience to an enterprising brand of cricket, with an emphasis on corporate hospitality.

The first Global Softech Sixes will bring the six domestic franchises and six African countries including South Africa to Centurion for an event that Faul is hoping will grow to rival the famous Hong Kong Sixes.

There are going to be eight five-overs-a-side games on each of the four days and the South African team to play in Hong Kong this year will be announced after the tournament.

A major attraction of the event is the chance it will provide for leading players in Zimbabwe, Namibia, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania to play top-class cricket against the stars of the South African game.

“This is exciting for Africa cricket and our 23 member countries. It has never happened before in Africa, it is a special and unique concept, and it will be televised through the whole continent,” Cassim Suleman, the CEO of the Africa Cricket Association, said.

Africa Cricket CEO Cassim Suleman

Dolphins coach Lance Klusener said the Global Softech Sixes will provide some competitive preparation for his team ahead of their participation in the Champions League T20.

“Any time out in the middle before the Champions League will be like gold. It’s only five overs, so our batsmen can get used to swiping from ball one, and it will be even more useful to the bowlers, who get a chance to bowl an over of yorkers. We’ll be able to see where we are in terms of our skills,” Klusener said.

Fixtures

Thursday, September 4: 10h00 Cobras v Knights; 10h50 Titans v Warriors; 11h40 Dolphins v Lions; 12h30 Warriors v Cobras; 13h20 Lions v Titans; 14h10 Knights v Dolphins; 15h00 Cobras v Lions; 15h50 Titans v Dolphins.

Friday, September 5: 10h00 Warriors v Knights; 10h50 Dolphins v Cobras; 11h40 Knights v Titans; 12h30 Warriors v Lions; 13h20 Titans v Cobras; 14h10 Warriors v Dolphins; 15h00 Knights v Lions; 16h10 Franchise Sixes final.

Saturday, September 6: 10h00 Kenya v Namibia; 10h50 Uganda v Tanzania; 11h40 South Africa v Zimbabwe; 12h30 Tanzania v Kenya; 13h20 Zimbabwe v Uganda; 14h10 Namibia v South Africa; 15h00 Kenya v Zimbabwe; 15h50 Uganda v South Africa.

Sunday, September 7: 10h00 Tanzania v Namibia; 10h50 South Africa v Kenya; 11h40 Namibia v Uganda; 12h30 Tanzania v Zimbabwe; 13h20 Uganda v Kenya; 14h10 Tanzania v South Africa; 15h00 Namibia v Zimbabwe; 16h10 Africa Sixes final.

Sixes are a relatively old concept in cricket, with the famous Hong Kong Sixes being held since 1992, but they have never really caught on in South Africa. That could be about to change thanks to Titans cricket introducing the Global Softech Sixes, to be hosted by SuperSport Park from September 4-7.

Sixes are certainly part of mainstream cricket elsewhere in the world, with Glenn Maxwell, currently Australia’s most destructive batsman, the player of the tournament in the 2010 Hong Kong Sixes, while Pakistan star Umar Akmal has won the same award in the last two editions at Kowloon.

The Titans see the Global Softech Sixes as an ideal starter for the 2014/15 season and as a chance to develop the game elsewhere in Africa as Tanzania, Uganda, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Kenya have all been invited to take part.

The first two days of the competition will be played as an inter-franchise event, with the Titans, Cape Cobras, Dolphins, Knights, Highveld Lions and Warriors all taking part, before a South African side joins the five other countries in a two-day international competition.

Titans CEO Jacques Faul, whose brainchild the event is, promised plenty of fun and games over the four days in Centurion.

“It’s a unique opportunity to pioneer our sport to a younger generation and bring in a fun element, as well as embracing our neighbours from the broader African continent. We’re planning some new and fresh ideas, so the tournament will evolve and hopefully develop into a full circuit one day,” Faul said at the unveiling of the tournament at SuperSport Park yesterday.

Each match will be completed quickly in 40 minutes and smaller boundaries will add to the frenetic action.

Faul said he envisaged ticket prices being the same as for domestic cricket and there will be full coverage of all four days on SuperSport “so we can reach as far as we can with this new concept”.

The Titans CEO is hopeful that a posse of Proteas will take part in the pre-season event, even though South Africa’s ODI squad will be completing their triangular series in Zimbabwe that weekend.

The Global Softech Sixes do, however, have the full backing of Cricket South Africa, according to their CEO, Haroon Lorgat.

“Jacques has been working on this for a long time and it’s an opportunity to develop the sport as well as provide some fun and entertainment. We wish the Titans well with their initiative, we are very pleased to be associated with it and we will provide whatever support is needed. It’s probably the right time for Cricket South Africa to become more involved with Africa cricket,” Lorgat said.