Ken Borland

Jacques Kallis is not about to sign for the Unlimited Titans and weekend rumours that the cancellation of his long-term relationship with the Cape Cobras is imminent have been described as “very premature speculation” by Titans chief executive Jacques Faul.

Weekend reports suggested that the Titans could well be enjoying the services of Kallis next season, but Faul told The Pretoria News that these reports were based on nothing more than just a suggestion made in connection with a new commercial product the franchise are launching.

“One of the commercial sponsorship products we are looking at is a thing called The Art of Fast Bowling and, in our discussions with people like Kallis and Dale Steyn and their representatives, it was mentioned that it might provide the opportunity for big-name players to play here.

“But we haven’t even got sponsors confirmed yet so it’s very premature speculation,” Faul said.

As a nationally-contracted player, Kallis is allowed to nominate which franchise he wants to represent and the Cape still holds the most obvious attractions for him. The great all-rounder has lived his whole life there, his best friends live there and the Cobras have qualified for the Champions League T20 while the Titans have not.

The Art of Fast Bowling will be a series of masterclasses and speaking breakfasts hosted by some of the biggest names in South African cricket, which the Titans will market and sell.

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Now that the sun has finally set on the glorious Test career of Jacques Kallis, South Africa will spend the rest of the summer trying to ascertain the best way of replacing a genuine, almost unique three-in-one cricketer.

And that is going to take time. Whoever steps into the great man’s shoes today, whether that be another all-rounder like Ryan McLaren or Wayne Parnell, or an extra bowler in Rory Kleinveldt, or even an extra batsman in Dean Elgar, it should not be taken as a guarantee that that will be the way forward in the future for South Africa.

“Whether we choose the extra batsman, an all-rounder or the extra bowler depends on which one of those options is right for the conditions and for this stage of the series,” captain Graeme Smith said yesterday on the eve of the Test.

Kallis has been a key factor in South Africa reaching number one in the Test rankings, but he has retired before the Proteas can honestly say they have built a dynasty like that of the West Indies in the late 1970s-1980s or the Australians from the late 1990s-2000s.

And one of the chief stars of that great West Indian outfit, fast bowler Michael Holding, had some advice for the South African team: “Don’t look for another Jacques Kallis!”

Holding pointed to England’s experience in trying to replace Ian Botham, the great Somerset all-rounder.

West Indian great Michael Holding

“England tormented themselves for many years trying to find the new Ian Botham, choosing players like Derek Pringle and David Capel. But you cannot replace a player like that every day, you’re going to hang around and wait a long time, and the same applies to Kallis.

“If South Africa want four fast bowlers then they must just pick them. If you want four fast bowlers, then you have six batsmen and a wicketkeeper. We did it because we had enough depth in our batting with Jeffrey Dujon scoring hundreds at number seven and only one of our fast bowlers not scoring a 50 in Tests,” Holding said yesterday at a SuperSport breakfast.

The problem with South Africa just playing four frontline seamers is that they will then not have a specialist spinner in their line-up. Coach Russell Domingo has already said he does not feel JP Duminy is ready yet to bowl 20 overs in a Test, and the same surely applies to Elgar, and Smith is reluctant not to have a specialist spinner in the team.

“The forecast is for pretty warm weather and if it’s hot, you generally have a good batting surface. Then we’re certainly reluctant not to play a specialist spinner, we feel his role is crucial and I would be surprised if we don’t play one,” Smith said.

South Africa’s tactics revolve around creating pressure through strangulation and their efforts to stringently police the run-rate can be nullified by a team attacking the spinner and hitting him out of the attack, something Australian batsmen have always been most adept at doing.

Which is where the fourth seamer, performing a holding role, becomes a crucial part of the attack.

The presence of McLaren, who has a first-class batting average of 30.63, added to the usefulness of Robin Peterson, Vernon Philander and even Dale Steyn down the order, would also give South Africa plenty of batting depth if conditions are in favour of the bowlers.

While South Africa should be eternally grateful for the 13 289 runs, 292 wickets and 200 catches Kallis provided from 1995, it is time to move on and choose the best balanced XI to win Tests, not try to find someone to mimic the same role as a top-order batsman and bowler.

Notwithstanding the effort to find a solution to the Kallis conundrum, Holding fancies South Africa to have the edge over Australia in the three-Test series.

“South Africa are a very, very good side, even without Jacques Kallis, who leaves a big hole. They have more depth than this Australian team, which is not as good as previous ones.

“I think it will be a very tight series, Australia have a fair amount of confidence but South Africa are a better team and should end up in front. The better batting team will win,” Holding said.

The man known as “Whispering Death” because of his near-silent approach to the crease and the destruction he wrought at the other end, encouraged South Africa to seize the initiative.

“Michael Clarke knows in his mind that they are underdogs, he’s not just saying it. South Africa should recognise that they are the better team, but never ever be complacent.”

An unbeaten half-century from Richard Levi saw South Africa to a 10-wicket victory, set up by a top-class bowling performance, over Zimbabwe in their ICC World T20 match at Hambantota on Thursday.

 – http://www.supersport.com/cricket/sa-team/news/120920/Levi_and_pacemen_see_SA_to_victory

Having been sent in to bat, Zimbabwe’s hopes of staying in the tournament were quickly soured by a brilliant display by the South African pacemen, led by Jacques Kallis, as they were restricted to a paltry 93 for eight.

South Africa’s prior two encounters, both unofficial, with Zimbabwe had ended in embarrassing defeats, but the difference this time was the tremendous strikepower that was available with Kallis, Morne Morkel and Dale Steyn all in action.

It was pros against amateurs as Craig Ervine (37 off 40) was the only batsman to score more than 15.

Kallis returned with new career-best figures of 4-15, tearing through the middle-order with 3-3 in his first two overs.

It was a good toss to win for South Africa as their fast bowlers revelled in the moist conditions after a heavy afternoon shower, and Morne Morkel (4-0-16-2) immediately justified the decision to send Zimbabwe in as he removed Vusi Sibanda (0) and Brendan Taylor (4) in his first two overs.

Sibanda was bowled by a marvellous delivery that jagged back through the gate to hit the top of off stump, while both Taylor and Hamilton Masakadza, who was caught off Albie Morkel for six, erred in trying to manufacture strokes that the conditions did not allow.

Ervine produced a couple of beautiful strokes through the off side and Zimbabwe were dreaming of a comeback as he and Stuart Matsikenyeri added 35 for the fourth wicket.

But then Kallis, the man with the golden touch, seized control of the innings.

He didn’t have much to do with his first wicket, Matsikenyeri leaving his crease and slapping the ball straight to cover to be caught for 11, but Kallis’s next delivery was far too quick and straight for Elton Chigumbura, who stayed back and played all around it to be trapped lbw for a golden duck.

Graeme Cremer averted the hat-trick, but Kallis had his career-best figures three overs later when he surprised Cremer (6) with a bouncer that was gloved through to wicketkeeper AB de Villiers.

Prosper Utseya (5) was soon sent on his way by a superb diving catch down the leg side by De Villiers off Steyn, South Africa’s bowling spearhead not disappointing with outstanding figures of 1-9 in his four overs.

Ervine, the one Zimbabwean to emerge with some credit, was the last batsman to fall, caught behind as he failed to control a well-directed lifter from Kallis.

South Africa’s chase was a mere formality, even though Hashim Amla was dropped on 29 and Levi erred once in top-edging a hook for four off left-arm paceman Brian Vitori.

Most importantly, Levi put to bed the doubts over his place at the top of the order as he cruised to 50 not out off 43 balls, with six fours.

While Zimbabwe’s limited bowling was clearly right up his street, Levi impressed by not playing across the line so much and half his boundaries were straight through the covers.

Amla finished on 32 not out off 33 balls, with three fours, as Zimbabwe were condemned to a flight back to Johannesburg and then home after just three days of the tournament.

There were no nasty surprises for South Africa as they thrashed neighbours Zimbabwe by 10 wickets, with 7.2 overs to spare, in their ICC World T20 match at Hambantota on Thursday.

12th over – Kyle Jarvis returns and his first delivery is cut hard to backward point by Hashim Amla, but Vusi Sibanda can’t hang on to the catch going to his left. Amla gets a let-off on 29.

11th over – A touch short from Ray Price and Richard Levi slashes the ball through the covers for a fine boundary.

9th over – Nicely controlled and crisply struck as Levi slog-sweeps Prosper Utseya for a one-bounce four.

6th over – Two cracking drives on the up through the covers for four by Levi off Brian Vitori.

5th over – Amla creates room for himself so well and his quick hands allow him to lean back and slash a perfectly good delivery from left-arm spinner Price through extra cover with great timing for four.

4th over – In the slot from Jarvis and Levi pulls it from off stump over mid-on for a one-bounce four.

2nd over – Levi top-edges a hook at left-arm paceman Vitori for four.

1st over – Jarvis drags a slower ball down short and wide, Amla waits for it and cuts the ball powerfully through the covers for four. Jarvis again provides too much width on the last ball of the over and an edged slash by Amla flies to the third man boundary for another four.

Zimbabwe innings

Jacques Kallis was the hero as the South African pacemen blasted Zimbabwe and restricted them to 93 for eight in their ICC World T20 match at Hambantota on Thursday.

20th over – Ray Price ends the innings by stepping back and forehand-smashing Kallis between mid-off and extra cover for four.

18th over – WICKET – Kallis has four now and it’s the admirable Craig Ervine out for 37 off 40 balls. Kallis sends down a well-directed short-pitched delivery which the left-hander tries to run down to third man. But there’s steep bounce and the line is tight, so a cramped shot can only succeed in giving wicketkeeper AB de Villiers his fourth catch.

17th over – Dale Steyn has conceded just three runs in his previous three overs, but now Ervine half-steers/half-edges him past the slip for four. WICKET – Steyn ends with a well-deserved wicket as Prosper Utseya (5) tries to fend off a fast, short-pitched delivery on leg stump and can only glove the ball, wicketkeeper De Villiers taking a superb diving catch.

14th over – WICKET – Kallis now has tremendous figures of 1.4-1-2-3 as Graeme Cremer (6) gloves an attempted hook at a bouncer and is caught behind by De Villiers.

11th over – Two wickets in two balls for Kallis in his first over! WICKET – Stuart Matsikenyeri (11) comes down the pitch and slaps the ball hard, but straight to Robin Peterson at cover. WICKET – Elton Chigumbura goes back to his first delivery, but it’s full, the bat is nowhere near the ball and he’s plumb lbw for a royal duck.

9th over – Johan Botha tosses up the first ball of the over and Ervine responds with a beautifully-played drive through the covers for four.

8th over – Robin Peterson joins Botha in the attack but a flatter, quicker delivery is brilliantly reverse-swept for four by Ervine.

5th over – Albie Morkel joins the attack, but his first delivery is short and angling across the left-hander and Ervine punches the ball crisply through the covers for four. WICKET – But three balls later, Morkel gets in on his brother’s act with a wicket of his own. Hamilton Masakadza (6) gives himself room, Albie Morkel follows him and a cramped drive, on the up, loops to deep mid-on.

4th over – WICKET – Morne Morkel strikes again as Zimbabwe captain Brendan Taylor plays an awful shot. Taylor backs away to leg and then plays a half-hearted cut shot as Morkel puts the ball outside off stump, presenting a comfortable edge for De Villiers and Taylor is caught behind for four. The first boundary of the innings comes after 23 balls as Masakadza bashes a delivery straight down the ground as Morkel over-pitches a touch.

2nd over – WICKET – A brilliant delivery from Morkel bowls Vusi Sibanda for a duck! Morkel gets a ball to jag back and bowl Sibanda through the gate, hitting the top of off stump.

1st over – A fantastic opening over from Steyn. All six deliveries are pitched just outside off stump, swinging away and he concedes just a single as Masakadza comes down the pitch and then defends the ball into the covers.