Ken Borland

Black cricket was already being played in the Titans’ catchment area of Northerns and Easterns in the 19^th century, with a record of a match between the Elandsfontein Diggers from Germiston and Doornfontein in 1898.

In 1932, Brakpan and Sub Nigel were playing in the first league for the Mangena Cup, while Brakpan East were in the second division. By 1937 there were more than 50 black clubs in the area between Randfontein and Nigel and the Transvaal Coloured Cricket Union featured a team from Pretoria – Brotherly United – as one of the six affiliates that competed for the Shahabodien Cup.

The 1940s saw the formation of the North-Eastern Transvaal African Board and they won the Transvaal Inter-Race Trophy in 1952/53 as well as their interprovincial tournament in 1953/54 and 1954/55. By then the North-Eastern Transvaal Bantu Cricket Union, the Eastern Transvaal Indian and Coloured Cricket Association, the Eastern Transvaal Indian Cricket Union and the Northern Transvaal Indian Cricket Union were all playing under the auspices of the Johannesburg Inter-Race Board.

If there was one person who epitomised the strength of black cricket in those days, it was Julius ‘Genius’ Mahanjana of North-Eastern Transvaal, who captained the national African team from 1955-1958. Born in Middledrift, in the heartland of Black African cricket in the Eastern Cape, he grew up at Modder B in Benoni, where his father worked. Julius excelled in all sports and his brothers Justin and Japhta also played for the national team.

The name Mahanjana actually entered into the local cricketing lexicon thanks to Japhtha ‘Super’ Mahanjana, who salvaged a famous draw for Natal against his brother Julius’s North-Eastern Transvaal side in the IPT in December 1956 in Port Elizabeth. Natal were set 245 to win in four hours, but a draw would deny North-Eastern Transvaal a place in the final and ‘Super’ Mahanjana opened the batting and batted through to secure the draw. He usually used to change to a long-handled bat once he was set at the crease, but on that occasion he stuck with the short handle to sum up his defiant mood. The saying Yi draw Mahanjana,“It is a Mahanjana draw”, comes from that day.

Their star contemporaries were batsman Eric Fihla and the fast bowling pair of Gidi and Mashinqana.

But the oppression of Apartheid and forced removals was starting to gather momentum and black cricket became isolated and fragmented. Places such as Hammanskraal, Mamelodi, Marabastad, Atteridgeville, Soshanguve and Eersterus would become the homes of the game in the black community.

The end of Apartheid and the unity process would bring cricketers from all those places back into the fold and the likes of Nqaba Matoti, Ernest Mokoenenyane and the Mokonyamas were the trailblazers who appeared in provincial cricket for Northerns in the 1990s.

 

Residents of Gauteng have become accustomed to three different cricket unions – the Gauteng Cricket Board, Northerns Cricket Union and Easterns Cricket Union – controlling the game in the province, but this is likely to change as Cricket South Africa accede to Sascoc’s demand that the sport be administered along the same lines as the geopolitical boundaries of the country.

People in the Cape can expect the same change as Eastern Province, Border and Kei will need to merge into a single Eastern Cape controlling body, while Western Province, Boland and South-Western Districts will need to do the same in the Western Cape.

That change is along already-existing franchise lines, and KwaZulu-Natal, Free State and Northern Cape (Griqualand West team) will be in a similar position. But Gauteng will need to reorganise itself because there are two franchises – the Highveld Lions and Titans – based in that province.

CSA chief executive officer Haroon Lorgat confirmed that the change is in the offing, but added that they can still keep their same franchise and competition structure.

“That’s the next big thing we are planning, we might have to change the demarcations of our unions to mirror the geopolitical boundaries. But we can still have the same franchises and semi-professional teams and it won’t affect our competitions.

“But we’ll need to have nine controlling bodies from each of the provinces. So the Lions and Titans can still play and be run as separate teams, but they’ll need to have an overall Gauteng board above them,” Lorgat explained to The Citizen at the announcement of Momentum’s R475 000 backing of the academy at the University of Fort Hare in Alice.

Lorgat was critical of government’s support for grassroots development at that function but said the new geopolitically-aligned structure can improve the relationship between CSA and the state.

“It can be beneficial because then the unions can go to provincial government as one entity. I think it will help because then the provincial government is just dealing with one board. At the moment, the Titans, Lions and Easterns all go to the Gauteng provincial government for assistance and maybe they don’t know who to help?” Lorgat said.

At the moment, government expects CSA to fill their teams with previously disadvantaged players, but offers scant support in terms of the infrastructure that is essential to achieving that. Even the academy at Fort Hare, in the heartland of Black African cricket, has received nothing from the state.

“People think transformation is about black and white, but in my view Lance Klusener and Dale Steyn are both transformation products because they come from remote, rural areas. If it wasn’t for these programs, like our joint venture at the University of Fort Hare, then these jewels would not be found. We have not yet unlocked the potential in our country,” Lorgat said.

 

Pace bowler JP de Villiers will no doubt want to spend more time in the Titans team next summer and the 25-year-old reminded everyone of his talents when he won the Northerns Senior Provincial Player of the Year award at the union’s prizegiving over the weekend.

De Villiers played just two Sunfoil Series games for the Titans last season, but showed his all-round promise by averaging 29 with the bat and taking seven wickets at 27.28.

He was Northerns’ leading wicket-taker in the three-day competition, however, with 36 scalps at an average of 20.19 and he averaged 24.72 with the bat, including an unbeaten century.

De Villiers also helped himself to the best Senior Provincial Bowler award, while Shershan Naidoo and Heinrich Klaasen were his fellow winners, sharing the batting award.

Maggie Mpahlele was his mimic for the Northerns women’s side, winning the bowler and player of the year awards, while national captain Mignon du Preez took home the award for best batter.

Du Preez was honoured alongside Marcia Letsoalo, Sunė Luus and Andrie Steyn for making the national women’s team, while Northerns’ long-term future looks bright with

Driaan Bruwer, Aiden Markram, Corbyn Bosch, Luus and Steyn all acknowledged for making the SA U19 side.

Left-arm spinner Ryan Houbert has previously played for Northerns and he was named the Best Club Cricketer of the Year for his 53 wickets for CBC Old Boys.

A club-mate, Henk Coetzee, was the leading batsman with 880 runs, but CBC Old Boys could not prevent the top-class Tuks first XI from winning the Premier League.

A host of other awards were handed out as a memorable evening celebrated the achievements of cricketers from U9 to international level.

 

 

AWARD WINNERS – 2014

 

Primary Schools

 

U9 Large Schools League        –           Hennopspark

U9 Medium Schools League   –           Mayville

U10 Large Schools League      –           Hennopspark

U10 Medium Schools League –           Pretoria Oos

U11 Large Schools League      –           Midstream College

U11 Medium Schools League –           Tygerpoort

U11 Small Schools League      –           Die Poort

U12 Large Schools League      –           Lynnwood Laer

U12 Medium Schools League –           Elarduspark

U13 Large Schools League      –           Constantiapark

U13 Medium Schools League –           Tygerpoort

U13 Small Schools League      –           Lynnwood Ridge

U13 Girls League                    –           Boerefort

 

High Schools

 

A League                                –           Waterkloof 1

B League                                –           AHS 2

C League                                 –           AHS 3

D League                                 –           PBHS 2

E League                                 –           Menlopark 3

F League                                  –           Menlopark 4

G League                                 –           Wagpos

H League                                 –           Garsfontein 4

I League                                  –           AHS 4

J League                                  –           Erasmus

U15 A League                          –           Garsfontein

U15 B League                          –           Midstream College

U14 A League                          –           Menlopark

U14 B League                          –           Midstream College

U19 Girls League                    –           Zwartkops

 

Individual School Awards

 

Best Player of the year: U13 Standard Bank              –           Anslin Fortuin

Best Player of the year: U15 Week                            –           Shared : Dean Foxcroft

& Nkosinathi Msiza

Best Player of the year: U17 Week                            –           Jannaman Malan

Best Player of the year: U19 Coca Cola Khaya Majola –        Driaan Bruwer

Best Player of the year: U19 Girls Week                    –           Sunė Luus

 

KFC Mini Cricket

 

Recognition Award                 –           Ian Morton

Recognition Award                 –           Sagree Naicker

Recognition Award                 –           Nicolien van Deventer

Recognition Award                 –           Lana Hattingh

Recognition Award     –           Angie Makhafola

Recognition Award     –           Madelien Vivieres

 

 

Junior Clubs

 

U9 Platinum                –           Tshwane Metro A

U9 Gold                       –           Moot A

U9 Silver                      –           Tshwane Metro B

U11 Platinum              –           Assupol Tuks A

U11 Gold                     –           Tshwane Metro A

U11 Silver                    –           Assupol Tuks C

U13 Platinum              –           Centurion Kavaliers A

U13 Gold                     –           Irene Villagers B

U13 Silver                    –           Tuine C

U15 Platinum              –           Willowquins A

U15 Gold                     –           Defence B

 

Senior Clubs

 

Premier League                      –           Assupol Tuks 1

Promotion League                  –           Pretoria 1

Reserve League                      –           Shared : Assupol Tuks 3 & PHSOB 2

Presidents League                   –           Police 2

Second League                        –           CBCOB 3

Third League                           –           Assupol Tuks 7

Fourth League                         –           AC Old Boys 5

Fifth League                            –           Moot 3

Sixth League                            –           Shared : Pretoria 5 & AC Old Boys 7

Seventh League                       –           Pretoria 6

Women’s Premier                   –           Shared : Irene Villagers & Sinoville & Tuks

Women’s T20                          –           Assupol Tuks

Knock Out League                   –           Assupol Tuks 1

Club Twenty20 League           –           Shared : Assupol Tuks 1 & TUT 1

NCU Club of Excellence          –           Assupol Tuks

 

Individual Club Career Awards

 

53 Club Season Wickets                                  –           Ryan Houbert (CBCOB)

880 Club Season Runs                                     –           Henk Coetzee (CBCOB)

 

4393 Club Career Runs                                   –           Reinhardt Mostert (Villagers)

3441 Club Career Runs                                   –           Andre Malan (Villagers)

3253 Club Career Runs                                   –           Henk Coetzee (CBCOB)

304 Club Career Wickets                                –           Will Giessing (ACOB)

411 Club Career Wickets                                –           Piet Botha (ACOB)

166 Club Career Wickets                                –           Ricardo Moonsamy (Laudium)

 

Best Club Player of the Year                           –           Ryan Houbert

 

 

Differently Abled Awards

 

LSEN Player of the Year                                  –           Armand Coetzee

Intellectually Impaired Player of the Year     –           Kirby Legoabe

Deaf Player of the Year                                  –           Reinhardt Limbach

Blind Player of the Year                                  –           Marco van der Linde

Disabled Player of the Year                            –           Ruan van Aswegen

 

Scorer Awards

 

Titans Scorer of the Year                                –           Ashler Serwadi

Premier League Scorer of the Year                –           Kathy Kulper

Promotion League Scorer of the Year                        –           Armandt Oosthuizen

Best newcomer Scorer of the Year                –           Coert de Toit

Most dedicated Scorer of the Year                –           Eunice Mahlanyane

 

Umpire Awards

 

Best Junior Umpire in League                                    –           Katlego Molefsane

Most Promising Development Umpire           –           Lucky Motswege

Most Promising Senior Umpire                      –           Kevin Lawrence

NCUA’s Umpire of the Year                            –           Jurie Sadler

NCU’s Club Umpire of the Year                      –           Hassen Dawood

NCUA’s Club of the Year                                 –           Sinoville

NCUA’s Premier League Captain of the Year –          David Bunn

 

National Awards

 

SA Deaf                                   –           Gerard Kroese

SA Deaf                                   –           Reinhardt Limbach

SA Deaf                                   –           Prince Mashego

SA Deaf                                   –           Coenraad van den Berg

SA Deaf                                   –           Onalerona Seemise

 

SA Blind                                   –           Johan Schroeder

SA Blind                                   –           Vernon Barnard

SA Blind                                   –           Sedizani Netshikwele

SA Blind                                   –           Innocent Phiri

SA Blind                                   –           Marco van der Linde

SA Blind                                   –           Sean Schwan

SA Blind                                   –           Ephraim Mathapo

 

SA Intellectually Impaired      –           Kirby Legoabe

SA Intellectually Impaired      –           Karabo Matlakala

SA Intellectually Impaired      –           Brendan Engelbrecht

SA Intellectually Impaired      –           Sello Ndima

SA Intellectually Impaired      –           Puseletso Modimola

SA Intellectually Impaired      –           Mzwandile Mhlongo

 

 

SA Women                              –           Mignon du Preez

SA Women                              –           Marcia Letsoalo

SA Women                              –           Sunė Luus

SA Women                              –           Andrie Steyn

 

SA U17 Cubs Invitation            –           Jannaman Malan

SA U17 Cubs Invitation            –           Rivaldo Moonsamy

SA U17 Cubs Invitation            –           Stefan Klopper

 

SA Under 19 Girls                    –           Sunė Luus

SA Under 19 Girls                    –           Andrie Steyn

 

SA Under 19 Colts                   –           Dustin Melton

SA Under 19 Colts                   –           Rivaldo Moonsamy

SA Schools                               –           Driaan Bruwer

 

CSA Colts XI                             –           Tian Koekemoer

 

SA Under 19                            –           Driaan Bruwer

SA Under 19                            –           Aiden Markram

SA Under 19                            –           Corbyn Bosch

 

USSA Representation              –           Heinrich Klaasen

USSA Representation              –           Sean Nowak

USSA Representation              –           Douglas Hewitt

 

Women’s Cricket Awards

 

Best Bowler of the Year                                  –           Maggie Mphahlele

Best Batsman of the Year                               –           Mignon du Preez

Most Promising Player of the Year                –           Andrie Steyn

 

Best Senior Women’s Player of the Year       –           Maggie Mphahlele

 

Senior Provincial Awards

 

Best Senior Provincial Bowler of the Year     –           JP de Villiers

Best Senior Provincial Batsman of the Year   –           Shared :

Shershan Naidoo &

Heinrich Klaasen

 

Senior Provincial Player of the Year               –           JP de Villiers

 

 

Chartered accountant and Northerns Cricket Union treasurer Aniel Soma has been the man to steer Titans cricket through the difficult months following the tragic passing of long-time CEO Elise Lombard in August.

Although the franchise was understandably grieving the loss of the much-loved and highly-respected Lombard, someone needed to take over the reins with a Champions League to host and the new season about to start, and Soma stepped in as the acting chief executive.

“We didn’t drop any catches, so to speak, and the ship is running fine, it’s all in order. It’s about cricket and finance and I had big shoes to fill. The biggest challenge was maintaining the relationships with all our partners, but that’s bedded down now,” Soma says.

The quiet and unassuming Soma is steeped in cricket, having started playing when he was 13 and still representing Laudium Foresters when he was 50, and he admits to a nagging feeling of regret that he did not play more when he was younger. He was heavily involved in the development of Laudium as a Premier League ground, which also hosted matches during the 2005 Women’s World Cup.

Having studied BCom and BAcc degrees at Wits University, Soma did his articles at KPMG and has been a financial director since 1986, and is in his second stint as NCU treasurer.

Hailing from the agricultural town of Wallmansthal north of Pretoria, Soma was schooled in Marabastad and is passionate about sport in general.

“I love golf, I just don’t play enough. I do a lot of gyming and cycling these days and I’ve ridden three 94.7s and two Argus’s. I love soccer, which I played too, and I also enjoy watching rugby. Travelling is also something I enjoy,” he says.

Another interest is food and Soma has been in the restaurant business as well, his wife Preeya being a caterer.

 

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The Titans are busy developing tomorrow’s fans today with the introduction of their junior fan club.

On match days, a members’ area will be reserved exclusively for Titans Junior Fans at SuperSport Park. In addition, the first 10 members to arrive on the day stand a chance to meet and interview some of the Nashua Titans players.  And, as a Titans Fan Club member, if you buy two tickets you will get two tickets free.

Titans Fan Club membership is available for all primary school scholars from Grade 0 to Grade 7.