Ken Borland

In a very important development for South African hockey, the FIH Women’s Junior World Cup will be hosted by the North-West University in Potchefstroom from December 5-16.

But this is not just an historic landmark for South Africa but Africa as a whole, because it is the first hockey world cup at any level to played on the continent.

As hosts, South Africa’s U21 team gets to play in the tournament, joining 15 other countries in the biennial event that brings together sides from every continent.

Sheldon Rostron, the former head coach of the South African senior women’s side, is the chairman of the local organising committee in his capacity as the director of sport at North-West University.

“This is a very important honour for South African hockey,” Rostron said. “It will have several spinoffs like establishing that we can host more events like this in South Africa.

“We can build a foundation of trust with the FIH and hopefully they will see us as a prime destination for future events. The country is hungry for hockey and hopefully corporates will see this global event, identify it as being exciting and invest more in hockey.

“It also gives our South African hockey players more international exposure, which is always great, and because we are in as hosts, it means Zimbabwe will be a second African team in the competition, which is also a first,” Rostron said.

North-West University is known for its world-class sporting facilities and leading teams and athletes from all over the world have held camps in Potchefstroom. Rostron said they are well-equipped to host such an important event.

“The good thing about Potchefstroom for sportspeople is that you are in close proximity to all the resources you need. It has always been the focus of the university to assist athletes and federations, and they come from across the world to come train here.

“With our high-performance institute and local businesses all being accustomed to events like this, it’s really easy to host tournaments in Potchefstroom,” Rostron said.

It is going to be tough though for the South African team to make it through to the quarterfinals from their pool: Germany, Spain and the United States are their opponents and all of them are women’s hockey powerhouses.

Australia and New Zealand were not able to play due to Covid travel restrictions in their countries.

Pools

Pool A – Ireland, Korea, Netherlands, Zimbabwe.

Pool B – Belgium, Canada, England, Uruguay.

Pool C – Argentina, India, Japan, Russia.

Pool D – Germany, South Africa, Spain, United States.

The size of their target may have been a meagre 197, but the Dolphins needed a tremendously determined partnership between all-rounders Senuran Muthusamy and Robbie Frylinck to get them home by three wickets in their exciting Momentum One-Day Cup semi-final against the Cape Cobras in Potchefstroom on Monday.

The Dolphins had crashed to 58 for five when the pair came together, but they negotiated a big-turning pitch with aplomb, adding 112 off 132 balls to all but seal victory.

The burly Frylinck was the more imposing of the two as he hammered 62 off 60 balls, while Muthusamy played the ideal support role with his 57 off 82 deliveries.

They were dismissed in successive overs but by then the Dolphins only needed 17 more runs, which captain Prenelan Subrayen and Eathan Bosch sorted out with a trio of boundaries.

Eathan’s brother Corbin had struck two big blows up front, swinging the ball late to remove Mangaliso Mosehle and Marques Ackerman for ducks in the first over.

Off-spinner Imraan Manack, opening the bowling with Bosch, then left the Dolphins with a daunting task as he bowled both Grant Roelofsen (34) and Ruan de Swardt (5) with deliveries that turned a mile.

But the size of the fight, as well as their skill and composure, was too great in Muthusamy and Frylinck and the Dolphins will now meet the winners of Tuesday’s semifinal between the Imperial Lions and the Knights in Thursday’s final.

Opening bowler Frylinck (9.2-0-25-2) and left-arm spinner Muthusamy (9-0-34-2) had also played starring roles in the Dolphins attack as the Cobras, who were sent in to bat, were bowled out for just 196 in the 47^th over.

The Cobras were well-placed at one stage as Tony de Zorzi, who showed great composure in battling through a tough time up front and making 61 off 71 balls, and Jason Smith (37) took them to 83 for one in the 19^th over.

But paceman Ottneil Baartman produced an inspired spell as he took three for 15 in five overs, and the rest of the Dolphins attack just continued to squeeze pressure on the Cobras batsmen.

Pakistan-bound Janneman Malan and Nandre Burger showed important signs of hot form as they led the Cape Cobras to a vital 76-run win over the Imperial Lions in their Momentum One-Day Cup match in Potchefstroom on Friday.

The victory keeps the Cape Cobras alive in the competition and their match against the Warriors on Saturday will decide who goes through to the semi-finals with the Lions, who were already guaranteed first place on the log and rested some key players.

Malan and debutant Burger have both been included in the Proteas squad for the T20 series in Pakistan that starts on February 11.

Opening batsman Malan blazed 95 off 97 balls to lead the Cobras to a formidable 284 for five, with brother Pieter scoring 53 in a first-wicket stand of 131 with the Protea. A run-a-ball 40 from captain Zubayr Hamza and the talented Jonathan Bird’s 50 not out off 47 balls added the finishing touches to the innings.

Left-arm spinner Bjorn Fortuin, who is also heading for Pakistan, continued his fine tournament as he was the pick of the Lions bowlers with two for 42 in nine overs.

Left-arm quick Burger then had the Lions under pressure from the outset with a feisty new-ball burst in which he also swung the ball, bowling Reeza Hendricks (another T20 squad member but sadly out of form) for just 6 with a beauty.

Burger deserved much better than his final figures of two for 51 in nine overs, and seamer Onke Nyaku then built on the pressure created with some outstanding bowling of his own to take four for 29 in 10 overs as the Lions were bowled out for 208, giving the Cobras a bonus point which puts them level-pegging with the Warriors on the log.

Fortuin lashed 39 off 29 balls and Eldred Hawken scored a run-a-ball 37, but they were ancillary efforts as by then the required run-rate was almost 10 runs-per-over and the Lions were seven down. Nicky van den Bergh was the only other batsman to threaten the Cobras as he scored 35.

Lanky off-spinner Imraan Manack played a good supporting tole to the Cobras seamers as he took two for 31 in 7.4 overs.

The Imperial Lions sealed first place in Pool B of the Momentum One-Day Cup with their six-wicket win over the Warriors in Potchefstroom on Thursday, with Dominic Hendricks (91*) and Delano Potgieter (96*) taking them to victory with 20 balls to spare with an unbeaten stand of 156 for the fifth wicket.

Hendricks’ 91 not out came off 109 deliveries and was a beautifully controlled innings as the in-form left-hander stroked eight fours and anchored the Lions’ chase as they went for their target of 248. Potgieter, a powerful left-hander who likes to give the ball a good whack, batted with impressive composure as his 96 not out came off 105 deliveries and eventually included four sixes.

With a mixture of probing spin bowling and seam, the Warriors had reduced the Lions to 97 for four in the 18^th over, and with Potgieter being the last of the specialist batsman, the batting side was certainly under pressure. But the pair showed good judgement to get through the tricky period and ultimately romp to victory.

The Lions made a tight start in the field after losing the toss, through spinner Bjorn Fortuin opening the bowling with seamer Eldred Hawken, who dismissed Matthew Breetzke early on for 5. But Jon-Jon Smuts and Wihan Lubbe managed to escape the ever-tightening noose and added 134 for the second wicket in 29 overs.

Canny left-arm spinner Aaron Phangiso removed both, trapping Lubbe lbw for 60, but he could only dismiss Smuts after the Protea had reached a commanding century. Smuts was out for 102 off 119 balls in the 41^st over, with the Warriors well set on 183 for three.

But the Lions bowlers landed all the blows from then on, claiming the last six wickets for just 64 runs as the Warriors closed on 247 for nine.

Left-arm spinners Fortuin, with three for 52, and Phangiso, with two for 37, led the Lions attack.

The Lions, with their game-plans in good nick, now take on the Cape Cobras in their last game on Friday.