Ken Borland

The DP World Lions scored the least number of runs in the powerplay out of all the teams in the CSA T20 Challenge, and yet they went on to top the log and win the competition in convincing fashion, which points to how smart their cricket was, and in the last two weeks it had a lot to do with the riches of experience brought to the number three position by Rassie van der Dussen.

The final at the DP World Wanderers Stadium last weekend was a case in point. The Momentum Multiply Titans went hard in the powerplay and consequently made a poor start on a tricky pitch, crashing to 34 for three in the first six overs. That became 54 for six in the ninth over and our DP World Lions were in a powerful position early in the game.

“Aiming for around 40 in the powerplay has served us well,” head coach Russell Domingo said after claiming the title with a clinical eight-wicket win with 29 balls to spare. “I’m a bit old-fashioned in that I like to have wickets in hand, be more circumspect up front, especially at the DP World Wanderers where the ball does a bit. A lot of people think the first six overs are the most important, but I think the last six are.”

Van der Dussen has epitomised that smart cricket since he returned to the team from duty overseas for the last two round-robin matches and then the playoffs – notching scores of 43 (off 33 balls), 59 (38), 40* (37) and 44 not out in the final off just 31 deliveries. That saw him to the top of the final batting averages with 186 runs at an average of 93 and a healthy strike-rate of 133.81.

“We know how to play at the DP World Wanderers and it’s not as if the pitch gets better in the second innings. So in the first 10 overs we’ve been happy to be around run-a-ball as long as we’re not too many wickets down, because from 60 for six there is no coming back, like we saw in the final,” Van der Dussen said.

“So we’re happy if we’re 60 for two or three at halfway because then we are set up to get 160/170. We’re really trying to guard our wickets. At a place like SuperSport Park, where it’s really flat and the ball flies, you can take on the powerplay and you can be 70 after six overs. But we use our home advantage.

“I’m happy playing a certain way and I do have a few years of experience. My stats get nit-picked and it’s been said that I don’t score enough runs in my first few balls. So I’ve had to find the balance between righting those stats and the fact that I really want to win. I will do whatever is needed to win, whatever it takes to get to the playoffs. People use stats in whatever way suits them, but there’s only one thing that’s always at the forefront of my mind and that’s what’s needed to win in the current situation. I love playing for the Lions and I just want them to win,” Van der Dussen said.

The other obvious feature of our DP World Lions’ triumph was how the absence of Proteas stars like Temba Bavuma, Ryan Rickelton, Wiaan Mulder and Kagiso Rabada did not stop the charge of #ThePrideOfJozi to the title.

“It’s been great to see that despite having lost Ryan, Temba, KG and Wiaan to the Proteas, and myself, Reeza Hendricks, Nqaba Peter and Bjorn Fortuin at the start, we were still able to defend our title,” Van der Dussen said. “To see others coming in has been fantastic, like Junaid Dawood, who still finished as the leading wicket-taker in the competition, with Kwena Mapahaka, even though he didn’t play the last few games.

“That’s always our challenge at the DP World Lions, to rectify the loss of our Proteas, to fill the gaps. Russell communicated with us at the start of the season that it was not a long tournament, so he also had to balance giving guys playing opportunity. The back-up guys also need to get game-time, you need to give them responsibility so we can see what we’ve got after the internationals.

“They have filtered in really well and it’s been a totally different team to win the competition this season. And it’s been great to see the same principles that we aspired to last season – things like work ethic, not getting ahead of ourselves and there being no egos, speaking the same language – have been there again.

“But when you have leaders like Jono Leaf-Wright and Russell Domingo, then they keep you so grounded. Jono is just the best human being and Russell is always really direct and honest with us,” the veteran stalwart of #ThePrideOfJozi said.

South Africa are bringing in Ryan Rickelton for the injured Rassie van der Dussen for the third and decisive Test against England at The Oval from Thursday, but they are considering other changes as well as captain Dean Elgar continued to express his disappointment with the batting.

The 26-year-old Rickelton will win his third Test cap after scoring 114 runs in two Tests against Bangladesh at the end of last summer. He played four first-class matches for Northamptonshire in June/July and collected two centuries and four fifties.

The other changes the Proteas are expected to think long and hard about are whether to continue playing a second frontline spinner in Simon Harmer or recall Marco Jansen, and whether to make a second change to the batting line-up by leaving out the struggling Aiden Markram and bringing in Khaya Zondo or all-rounder Wiaan Mulder.

“Ryan is in and we’re pretty confident about him after he had a decent stint in the UK playing county cricket, it’s his chance to hopefully shine,” Elgar said on Wednesday.

“But we’ve done a lot of thinking and spoken about tough decisions, and I’m sure there might be one or two extra changes. I know how much top-order runs mean to set up victory for a team.

“We’ve spoken at length about that and now it’s time to walk the talk. Our batting at Old Trafford was not our proudest moment, but you’ve got to go through the grief and then crack on and focus on what’s next.

“We’ve had a few rough matches in the past and at the end of the day we have come out okay. I like to think that past experience will play a part and we can stand up and bring our best game,” Elgar said.

Test aficionados will be delighted that the series is coming down to a decider in the last match and Elgar said the third Test would be his biggest game since taking over the captaincy.

“This is the biggest Test so far in my captaincy period, it’s like a World Cup final for us, that’s the way I view it, and the players know and sense that. It’s one of those Tests you play as if it is your last.

“We need to empty the tank and leave everything on the field. It’s going to be huge, it’s a massive game for us. I’ve never experienced a series win against England, so that’s in 10 years.

“So it would be massive for me if we win, but also for the youngsters in the team. We are going in with real confidence. We may be in the World Test Championship final later because we are in a really good spot – if we manage to win this Test then we’ll be back at number one,” Elgar said.

The unavailability of Rassie van der Dussen due to injury made the selectors’ job an easy one when it came to choosing South Africa’s squad for the T20 World Cup, but the obvious headache of how to fit in both the captain, Temba Bavuma, and Reeza Hendricks, the player of the series against both England and Ireland, is now to the fore.

Van der Dussen broke his finger in the second Test against England and his absence has allowed Bavuma to return from the torn elbow ligament that kept him out of the entire UK tour, while powerhouse batsmen Rilee Rossouw and Tristan Stubbs keep their places.

Hendricks has been in the type of form that makes him all but undroppable, with four half-centuries and a 42 in his last five innings for the Proteas, and he has continued that red-hot form with 257 runs at an average of 85.66 and a strike-rate of 154.81 for the Central Gauteng Lions in the Namibia Global T20 they won on Monday.

But convenor of selectors Victor Mpitsang said on Tuesday that he could not envisage a situation where the Proteas would leave out their captain at the World Cup.

“Rassie broke his finger in the last Test and needs surgery, which will leave him with up to six weeks of recovery. The timings are just not right, which is why he was excluded,” Mpitsang said at the squad announcement at Cricket South Africa’s offices on Tuesday.

“Temba has been playing in Namibia over the last week, he is well-recovered, and good to go. I think he will open the batting, that’s been his role for the last year or two.

“Previously, Reeza opened in India and Temba was at three, but Rilee has now done a great job at three against England. We will have to see how we balance the top-order, to get the best out of them.

“It would be a tough decision to leave out your captain, I can’t see that happening. But nothing has been decided yet and it’s so difficult to make calls now,” Mpitsang said.

The 15-man World Cup squad and the three travelling reserves – Andile Phehlukwayo, Marco Jansen and Bjorn Fortuin – will play a three-match series in India that ends on October 4.

Three ODIs will then be played over the next week, for which Janneman Malan and Phehlukwayo come in for Stubbs and Rossouw, before the Proteas leave for Australia and their opening World Cup match against a qualifier in Hobart on October 24.

Mpitsang believes the Proteas have an attack to adapt to whatever conditions confront them.

“There are good headaches to have because it means we have a lot of bases covered. We have definitely selected with consideration for the pitches and we feel the 15 will cover conditions well.

“We will make adjustments when we get there. We can make the right calls for the conditions we face, we have got the right options.

“We have two spinners and Aiden Markram, a left-armer in Wayne Parnell if we need that. The crucial thing is we’ve got bowlers who can take wickets, because that’s the only way to restrict teams in T20.

“We are more than capable of putting other teams under pressure and I’m excited by the brand of cricket we’ve played for the last few months,” Mpitsang said.

Squad: Quinton de Kock, Temba Bavuma, Reeza Hendricks, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj, Tabraiz Shamsi, Lungi Ngidi, Heinrich Klaasen, Anrich Nortje, Wayne Parnell, Rilee Rossouw.

Proteas fans, your 2021/22 Men’s Player of the Year will be one of five cricketers – Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj, Temba Bavuma, Rassie van der Dussen or Quinton de Kock.

Cricket South Africa on Tuesday named the nominees for the CSA Awards, which will be a virtual ceremony taking place on August 14.

Performances from May 2021 to April 2022 were taken into account, which is from the tour of the West Indies to the end of the Test series against Bangladesh in April.

Who will be the favourite to claim the overall title will depend on your favourite format.

Rabada, Maharaj and Bavuma were outstanding in Tests, while Van der Dussen and De Kock shone in the white-ball formats.

Rabada took 30 wickets at an average of just 20 in the five Tests he played, while spinner Maharaj also took 30 wickets in the judging period, from eight Tests art an average of only 18.20. He also starred in ODIs with 18 wickets in 14 matches at an economy rate of just 4.61.

Bavuma scored 515 runs in seven Tests at an average of 46.81, while also averaging 38.70 in his 13 ODIs.

An extraordinary average of 73.11 in 14 ODIs for Van der Dussen saw him nominated, his 658 runs being scored at a strike-rate of 97, while he also averaged 39.10 at a strike-rate of 123 in T20s.

De Kock averaged 73 in the three Tests he played before his retirement from the longest format, and his chief successes came in ODIs – 523 runs in eight games at an average of 65.37 and a strike-rate of 108 – and T20s (524 runs in 14 innings at 43.66, SR 131).

Kyle Verreynne, Marco Jansen, Keegan Petersen and Sarel Erwee are the new talents competing for the Proteas Newcomer of the Year award.

The Women’s Proteas team devoted themselves mostly to 50-over cricket last season due to the ODI World Cup, in which they reached the semi-finals.

Prolific run-scorer Laura Wolvaardt and star all-rounder Marizanne Kapp are probably the favourites for the overall SA Women’s Player of the Year award, with bowlers Shabnim Ismail and Ayabonga Khaka and all-rounder Sune Luus also nominated.

2021/22 CSA AWARDS NOMINEES

PROFESSIONAL AWARDS – DOMESTIC

CSA UMPIRES’ UMPIRE OF THE YEAR

Lubabalo Gcuma

Allahudien Paleker

Stephen Harris

CSA UMPIRE OF THE YEAR

Allahudien Paleker

Lubabalo Gcuma

Stephen Harris 

Arno Jacobs

DOMESTIC NEWCOMER OF THE SEASON

Kyle Simmonds (WP)

Tristan Stubbs (EP Warriors)

Mitchell van Buuren (CGL)

Daniel Smith (WP)

DIVISION 1 COACH OF THE SEASON

Wandile Gwavu (CGL)

Mandla Mashimbyi (Titans)

Salieg Nackerdien (WP)

DIVISION 2 COACH OF THE SEASON

Mark Charlton (Northern Cape)

Garry Hampson (SWD)

Michael Smith (KZN Inland)

T20 KNOCK OUT COMPETITION PLAYER OF THE TOURNAMENT

Migael Pretorius (FS Knights)

Ottneil Baartman (KZN Dolphins)

Herschell America (SWD)

Rilee Rossouw (FS Knights)

Daryn Dupavillon (KZN Dolphins))

DIVISION 1 T20 CHALLENGE PLAYER OF THE SEASON

Pieter Malan (Boland Rocks)

Tabraiz Shamsi (Titans)

Tristan Stubbs (EP Warriors)

Ziyaad Abrahams (Boland Rocks)

Shaun von Berg (Boland Rocks)

DIVISION 1 4-DAY DOMESTIC SERIES PLAYER OF THE SEASON

Pieter Malan (Boland Rocks)

Ryan Rickelton (CGL)

Simon Harmer (Titans)

David Bedingham (WP)

Kyle Simmonds (WP)

DIVISION 2 4-DAY DOMESTIC SERIES PLAYER OF THE SEASON

Thomas Kaber (Border)

Michael Erlank (KZN Inland)

Tshepang Dithole (KZN Inland)

Evan Jones (Northern Cape)

Sean Whitehead (SWD)

DIVISION 1 ONE-DAY CUP PLAYER OF THE SEASON

Heinrich Klaasen (Titans)

Sisanda Magala (CGL)

Wihaan Lubbe (EP Warriors)

Sibonelo Makhanya (Titans)

Stiaan van Zyl (Boland Rocks)

DIVISION 2 ONE-DAY CUP PLAYER OF THE SEASON

Benjamin van Niekerk (Mpumalanga)

Keith Dudgeon (KZN Inland)

Michael Erlank (KZN Inland)

Ludwig Kaestner (Limpopo)

Beyers Swanepoel (Northern Cape)

PROFESSIONAL AWARDS – INTERNATIONAL

MOMENTUM WOMEN’S T20 INTERNATIONAL PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Laura Wolvaardt

Lizelle Lee

Ayabonga Khaka

Marizanne Kapp

MOMENTUM WOMEN’S ONE-DAY INTERNATIONAL PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Laura Wolvaardt

Shabnim Ismail

Ayabonga Khaka

Marizanne Kapp

Sune Luus

SA WOMEN’S PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Laura Wolvaardt

Shabnim Ismail

Ayabonga Khaka

Marizanne Kapp

Sune Luus

THE BEST DELIVERY FUELLED BY KFC

Ismail to Matthews

Klaas to Beamount

Ismail to Martin

Klaas to Brunt

Harmer to Shanto

Olivier to Latham

Rabada to Blundell

Maharaj to Mitchell

INTERNATIONAL MEN’S NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR

Kyle Verreynne

Marco Jansen

Keegan Petersen

Sarel Erwee

T20 INTERNATIONAL PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Quinton de Kock

Aiden Markram

Tabraiz Shamsi

Anrich Nortje

Kagiso Rabada

ONE-DAY INTERNATIONAL PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Janneman Malan

Rassie van der Dussen

Quinton de Kock

Tabraiz Shamsi

Keshav Maharaj

TEST PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Dean Elgar

Temba Bavuma

Keshav Maharaj

Kagiso Rabada

Marco Jansen

Keegan Petersen

SA MEN’S PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Kagiso Rabada

Keshav Maharaj

Temba Bavuma

Rassie van der Dussen

Quinton de Kock