Ken Borland

Possible relegation from SuperRugby next year will be the strongest driving force for South Africa’s five franchises in 2012, with the Lions and Cheetahs most in danger of extinction.

While the Stormers, Bulls and Sharks all have enough pedigree to make winning the tournament their priority, for the Lions and Cheetahs, who have just seven top-10 finishes between them in the 16 years of the Sanzar competition, it will be a desperate battle for survival.

The Eastern Cape-based Southern Kings have won promotion into SuperRugby next year in the South African Rugby Union (Saru) boardroom, meaning one of the current five franchises will have to make way for them.

The “big five” have called on Saru to prevent any of them being dropped by convincing Sanzar to make it a 16-team competition, but they are unlikely to win that battle with contracts signed with broadcasters and franchises through to the end of 2015.

The Johannesburg-based Lions managed a fairytale Currie Cup triumph last year, but are currently in the midst of a financial crisis and a lack of top-class players could count against them in the more competitive and demanding southern hemisphere tournament.

The 21-year-old Elton Jantjies emerged as a slick flyhalf who served a fluent backline well in last year’s Currie Cup, but he and veterans Butch James (flyhalf) and CJ van der Linde (prop) are the only current Springboks in the Lions squad.

Lions coach John Mitchell is in a typically defiant mood, however.

“Our only concern is ourselves and our environment, not what other people are saying. We’re just interested in our goals as a team, we’re familiar with each other and that’s something I believe we can bank on,” the former All Blacks coach said on Wednesday.

The central Cheetahs franchise have a few more Springboks in their ranks, but will go into the competition without the inspirational leadership of flank Juan Smith, who is still battling an achilles injury that also kept him out of last year’s World Cup.

But in Heinrich Brussow, the Cheetahs have one of the most effective fetchers in world rugby, and coach Naka Drotske said the flank would be his team’s new inspiration.

“Heinrich [Brüssow] does make a huge difference to our team and I am really looking forward to seeing him in action on the field. With his style of play, he encourages the other players to be aggressive and he will make a difference to any team,” Drotske said.

The Cheetahs play the Lions in Johannesburg on Saturday and, having lost their first four matches last year, Drotske said it was imperative they started well in 2012.

“In the past that was a major drawback for us. We lose a few games early in the season, which we should win, and last year there were several defeats. There is no doubt we want to get off to a better start.”

The Western Cape-based Stormers, winners of the South African Conference last year before being knocked out by the Crusaders in the semi-finals, will have to make do without the brilliance of Jaque Fourie at outside centre and the backroom input of former director of rugby Rassie Erasmus, but the backline is still potent. But it was the defence – the best in the competition last year – that was the Stormers’ greatest strength last year, while the lack of grunt in the tight five was the biggest weakness.

The Bulls, champions in 2007, 2009 and 2010, have undergone a changing of the guard with stars such as Fourie du Preez, Victor Matfield, Bakkies Botha and Danie Rossouw no longer involved. But that has created room for potential futures heroes such as Francois Hougaard, Juandre Kruger, Flip van der Merwe and Dewald Potgieter to take centre stage. The presence of two young centres in former Stormer Johann Sadie and former SA U20 star Francois Venter suggests they may play with more daring this year.

But the Bulls also know how to play winning rugby and they have more than half-a-dozen members of their title-winning sides back this year, including flyhalf Morne Steyn and eighthman and new captain Pierre Spies.

“It’s a credit to our succession planning that we’re not starting all over,” coach Frans Ludeke said. “We have people to step into the vital spots and I’m confident the players will step up, they know it’s their time.”

Commentators are also favouring the Sharks to make an impact, with inconsistency, especially at home, to blame for their failure to make the semi-finals since 2008. The presence of 16 Springboks in their squad suggests they have flattered to deceive, but the hunger to succeed in the likes of hooker Bismarck du Plessis, finally playing out of the shadow of John Smit, outside back JP Pietersen, loose forward Willem Alberts and the young utility back Pat Lambie suggests they will be a force this year.

The Sharks also have the services of the experienced exiled French halfback Freddie Michalak, but the front row has been weakened due to the absence of Tendai “Beast” Mtawarira with a broken leg.

Richard Levi hit the ball far and wide as his world record century raced South Africa to victory by eight wickets with four overs to spare in the second T20 international against New Zealand on Sunday.

Levi’s unbelievable 117 not out saw South Africa cruise to their target of 174 in 16 overs as the muscular Capetonian’s journey to international fame took him just 51 balls and included five fours and 13 sixes.

It was not only the first century for South Africa in T20 internationals, but the quickest century in this format of the game and the most sixes in an innings. Levi reached his hundred off just 45 balls, shattering the record of 50 balls set previously by Chris Gayle and Brendon McCullum, and he stole another record from the legendary West Indian with his 13 sixes bettering the left-hander’s previous mark of 10.

Levi’s sheer strength and ability to hit the ball back over long-on was an absolute nightmare for the Kiwis and he would have given some Major League baseballers a run for their money with his amazing flat-bat bashes down the ground.

The short but stocky Levi ensured all the attention was on him, brushing aside the early loss of Hashim Amla for two and Wayne Parnell (mysteriously sent up the order) for four.

Amla is under pressure to be in the team for the World T20 later this year and he tried to drive his third ball over the top of the infield. But Nathan McCullum is a skilful off-spinner and he had held the delivery back, Amla going too early on the shot and skewing the ball high to a back-pedalling James Franklin at mid-off.

Parnell is a strange choice of pinch-hitter when someone like Albie Morkel is in the team and the experiment was over after just six balls as he lost his balance trying to swipe part-time spinner Rob Nicol over the leg-side and was neatly stumped by Brendon McCullum.

But South Africa were already 41 for two in the fifth over, with Levi on 29, and the Wynberg Boys High product then simply overwhelmed the New Zealand attack.

It would be diplomatic to say Levi favours the leg-side, but it was the sensible option on Sunday as Seddon Park is a small ground and the bowlers rather stupidly either bowled short or length to him.

AB de Villiers operated as the junior partner as he cruised to 39 not out off 36 balls in an unbroken South African record third-wicket stand of 133. The captain looked in good touch as he collected four fours.

Spinners Nathan McCullum (2-0-18-1) and Roneel Hira (4-0-34-0) were the only New Zealand bowlers who could consider themselves relatively unscathed, but Kiwi supporters will be wondering why James Franklin only bowled a single over that cost seven runs. The left-armer, bowling over the wicket and angling the ball away from Levi, was the only bowler who kept him quiet.

Pace bowlers Doug Bracewell (2-0-37-0), Kyle Mills (2-0-26-0) and Tim Southee (4-0-40-0) will be less chirpy than they were in the first T20 international after being bludgeoned all over Seddon Park on Sunday.

SOLID, BUT UNSPECTACULAR

New Zealand had batted solidly but unspectacularly as they amassed a so-so 173 for four in their 20 overs.

England’s Women scored 166 for seven on the same ground just a few hours earlier and the small boundaries and quick outfield at the rural ground gave South Africa’s batsmen plenty of hope.

South Africa’s attack was fiery but lacked a bit of accuracy in terms of line, too many balls sliding down the leg side.

Martin Guptill once again raced New Zealand, who had been sent in to bat, to a good start, scoring 47 off just 35 balls before trying to duck and hook at the same time and top-edging fast bowler Marchant de Lange to fine leg.

De Lange’s extra pace had earlier helped dismiss fellow opener Rob Nicol for 23, but it was the brilliant work of AB de Villiers that drew the most applause, after the South African captain had gathered the ball from an attempted pull shot that came off the body and threw down the stumps at the bowler’s end.

The New Zealand captain, Brendon McCullum, dominated the third quarter of the innings with his 35 off 31 balls, before the wiles of the off-spinner Johan Botha, the best of the South African bowlers with 1-22 in four overs, dismissed him, Justin Ontong taking a good catch running in from the cow-corner boundary.

James Franklin is one of those guys South African cricket fans don’t rate highly enough, but the left-hander showed his ability on Sunday as he ignited the final quarter of the innings with four sixes off five balls. Marchant de Lange and JP Duminy were the bowlers to suffer as Franklin lashed 28 off 10 balls.

But Morne Morkel then had Franklin caught behind with a hard-to-hit blockhole ball in the 18th over and New Zealand will be disappointed they could score just 12 runs off the last two overs.

Wayne Parnell and De Lange showed that they are certainly fighters as they put tough times earlier in the innings behind them to bowl excellent closing overs.

Kane Williamson finished with 28 not out off 20 balls and South Africa’s top-order needed to bat well.

Levi instead batted brilliantly to make it a no-contest.

Richard Levi smashed the most sixes and the quickest century ever as he raced South Africa to victory by eight wickets to level the series in the second T20 international against New Zealand at Seddon Park in Hamilton on Sunday.

16th over – AB de Villiers seals the victory as he clears the front leg and launches Tim Southee for a one-bounce four over mid-on.

15th over – Levi goes down on one knee and smears Roneel Hira through midwicket for four, before ending the over by coming down the pitch and stroking the left-arm spinner over long-on and out the ground for his 13th six!

14th over – Levi breaks the world record for the fastest T20 century by steering his 45th delivery backward of point for a single off his wannabe nemesis Southee. The 24-year-old Cobras batsman has shattered the previous world record of 50 balls held by Chris Gayle and Brendon McCullum. It is also South Africa’s first T20 international century! De Villiers clips a full ball on his pads backward of square where Doug Bracewell, having made a great diving save off the previous ball, can’t stop the boundary.

12th over – Levi breaks the world record for sixes in a T20 innings with three in the unfortunate Doug Bracewell’s over. Levi equals Chris Gayle’s record of 10 by bashing the ball straight down the ground into the sightscreen. The next ball is short and pulled over square-leg for a record-breaking 11th six and Levi ends the over with his 12th maximum, hammering a full ball outside off stump over wide long-off.

11th over – Levi equals Loots Bosman’s South African record of nine sixes in a T20 innings as he drives Hira just over a leaping James Franklin at long-off. Franklin perhaps should have been bowling the over as his left-arm seam from around the wicket and across Levi conceded just seven runs in the ninth over!

10th over – Too wide from Kyle Mills and De Villiers slashes the ball over point for four, bringing up the fifty partnership off just 29 balls. The first ball of the over to Levi brings another amazing six, flat-batted from outside off stump, straight over the bowler’s head! The next ball is full outside off and Levi lashes it through the covers for four.

8th over – Too short from Mills and Levi heaves it off the bottom of the bat, but over midwicket for six more!

7th over – Left-arm spinner Hira’s first ball is over-pitched and Levi drives it back over the bowler’s head and over the New Zealand team dugout for another six.

6th over – Take that Southee! The lippy fast bowler tries to bounce Levi, but he pulls powerfully, flat and magnificently for a six well in front of square!

5th over – WICKET – Part-time spinner Rob Nicol comes on and removes Wayne Parnell for four with his second ball. Parnell stepped out of his crease to swipe at a shortish delivery, is off-balance, misses and is stumped after sharp work by Brendon McCullum. Levi ends the over by launching a drive beautifully straight back over the bowler’s head for six.

4th over – Southee comes on and Levi bashes his first ball through mid-on for four.

3rd over – WICKET – Hashim Amla is out for two as he tries to drive Nathan McCullum over the top, but he’s too early on the shot and he skews the ball high to a back-pedalling James Franklin at mid-off. Wayne Parnell ends the over by driving the off-spinner sweetly, inside-out, over extra cover for four.

2nd over – Pace from the other end via Bracewell but he bowls three balls down leg – the first is flicked nonchalantly for six by Levi, who then pulls and flicks to fine leg as well for two fours.

1st over – Off-spinner Nathan McCullum again opens the bowling for New Zealand and Levi top-edges a sweep over fine leg for six.