Ken Borland

Coming into the new year, the Cape Cobras were so far above them on the Four-Day Domestic Series log that the Highveld Lions players almost had to rick their necks to see them. That was after the Lions had made such a train wreck of their first game back after the Mzansi Super League triumph that they had been thrashed by 279 runs by the Dolphins at the Wanderers.

But they managed to chase down the high-flying Cobras and then showed the same never-say-die spirit to seal the deal and claim the four-day title in the most dramatic fashion in the penultimate over of their final game, in Potchefstroom this week.

So how exactly did they pull off one of the most remarkable comebacks in South African first-class history?

“It was a great, spirited effort and we toiled hard, plus it is never easy to get a result in Potchefstroom. It took a massive effort because things have not been all rosy here for the last couple of years but the new management and leadership has restored confidence. It was important that we all just stayed with each other.

“We kept our energy and focus and we had to keep believing we still had a chance. You’ve just got to keep in the game, even though I saw some heads drop when the rain came in Potchefstroom. We’ve tried to be a lot more positive this season, to always try and take the game forward. It’s mostly the same personnel, so it’s just been the approach and the language we use that has made the difference,” captain Temba Bavuma said as the Lions celebrated their success at the Wanderers on Friday.

Head coach Enoch Nkwe has now robed himself in two major trophies since taking over at the Wanderers, but on Friday had flown to the Netherlands to be with his family. Assistant coach Wandile Gwavu spoke in his place about how trusting the 21 players they used in the four-day competition had been a key ingredient in their success.

“Enoch’s most important word was ‘trust’ and he must take a lot of credit. When new players came in and performed so well it was because they knew they were trusted and what was expected of them. We believed from the start of the year that we could still win. The Cobras are a very inexperienced unit in four-day cricket and we thought they might have a blip.

“So we just wanted to make sure we were right behind them, we just wanted to stay as close as possible to them. But you still have to give them and Ashwell Prince a lot of credit because they led the competition for 39 out of 40 days, so we have a lot of respect for them still. Having our experienced players like Temba, Stephen Cook and Malusi Siboto went a long way for us,” Gwavu said.

New players who have announced themselves in this campaign have been batsmen Kagiso Rapulana (average 84.40) and Wihan Lubbe (two centuries), left-arm quick Nandre Burger (18 wickets at 22.38) and all-rounder Delano Potgieter, with his remarkable century and four wickets on debut in the final game.

Having stuck to their task with great resilience, the Lions are now enjoying the sweet smell of success.

–

Given the financial crisis at Auckland Park, it is easy to attack the SABC for their coverage of cricket, but an incident during the third Test between the Proteas and Pakistan at the Wanderers got me thinking about the influence of SuperSport in South African cricket.

I have an early disclaimer to make – I used to work, on contract, at the broadcaster and I do believe South African sport would be much worse off were it not for the millions of rands SuperSport pumps into the various codes through broadcast rights.

But there is also an unseemly, monopolistic and dictatorial element to this relationship.

I experienced it first-hand when I happened to call Tony Greig a “loudmouth commentator” in an opinion piece I wrote for their website. The instruction came from on high from Imtiaz Patel, now the executive chairman of MultiChoice and apparently still ruling with an iron fist from Dubai, and I was told in no uncertain terms that I had to withdraw the article and send Greig a written apology.

I was tempted to use the famous apology former English fast bowler Andy Caddick once received from a West Indian journalist, who described him in his report as being “the big-eared Caddick”. The cricketer stormed into the media centre, found the journalist and demanded that an apology be printed in the next edition.

The apology was indeed there – “I am sorry that Andy Caddick has big ears”.

Last week’s incident also involved a commentator, but one that generally chooses his words with a lot more purpose than Greig did – Mark Nicholas.

The Englishman said on air on the first day that their lunchtime chat, which is sadly not easily accessed by those at the ground, on the second day would be with three South African legends of the past – Graeme Pollock, Barry Richards and Mike Procter.

Many viewers waited with huge anticipation for the interview – and we must remember that there is massive overseas interest in those three greats – but then there was nothing. The whole idea was quietly canned and never happened. SuperSport should have at least informed the public as to why what appeared to be a major snub had happened. Even Pollock, Richards and Procter were left in the dark.

Apparently, the interview was pulled due to one of those instructions from on high, seemingly because Cricket South Africa’s response to anything Richards has to say these days is akin to that of my wife when she discovers a Parktown Prawn in the house.

So instead of serving their viewers, and allowing cricket fans to enjoy a good chat with three of the greatest players ever, SuperSport preferred to score some cheap political points.

SuperSport have a terrible attitude when it comes to their responsibility as the most powerful media house in the country. They will avoid even the slightest hint of criticism aimed at the sports bodies that give them the broadcast rights, bending over backwards to fulfil every little wish of the administrators. Many of whom should be subjected to the harshest media scrutiny of all.

Cricket South Africa, who were captured themselves by the Guptas, have SuperSport captured although it is a more mutually beneficial relationship. But does it benefit the sport in the long term?

SuperSport have some very good broadcasters and journalists and they should be allowed more freedom to do their jobs. Certainly someone as experienced and sharp as Nicholas was highly unlikely to allow anything embarrassing to be said.

Instead, the embarrassment is all SuperSport’s now with their absurd banning of three absolute cricket greats, admired the world over.

https://www.pressreader.com/south-africa/the-citizen-gauteng/20190119/282656098637360

The Highveld Lions bowling attack produced their most complete performance of the competition so far, but Proteas batsmen Rassie van der Dussen and Reeza Hendricks stole the show as their record-breaking partnership set up the 19-run win over the Titans in their CSA T20 Challenge derby at the Wanderers on Thursday night.

Hendricks, desperately unlucky to have been left out of the Proteas squad for the World Cup that was announced hours earlier, and Van der Dussen, whose fairytale ascent into international prominence will continue at that showpiece tournament, brought vastly different moods to the contest.

But they dovetailed superbly, adding 151 off just 94 balls, a record for the second wicket in the domestic franchise T20 competition, improving on the previous mark of 145 set by Hashim Amla and Stiaan van Zyl for the Cobras against the Lions in Paarl in 2013/14 and equalled by Morne van Wyk and Kevin Pietersen, playing for the Dolphins against the Warriors in East London, three seasons later.

It is a delicious irony that Hendricks beat an Amla record, seeing as though it was the out-of-form veteran who pipped him for a World Cup spot. While Amla’s class is irrefutable, Hendricks showed he has plenty of the same talents in his marvellous innings of 77 off just 61 balls, full of sparkling drives and a spectacular cut for six over the covers off fast bowler Junior Dala.

Van der Dussen was magnificent in blasting 85 off just 47 balls, with six fours and three sixes spread all round the Wanderers. He never seemed rushed and celebrated his World Cup inclusion in fine style, leading the Lions to a sizeable total of 181 for four after they had been sent in to bat.

T20 cricket in April is never going to attract beer-drinking masses but rather a few coffee-sipping die-hards, plus the autumn pitches are understandably slow, and Titans spinner Gregory Mahlokoana, whose figures of 4-0-22-1 were an excellent effort, was the only bowler to shine for the visitors, until the last over of the innings.

Dala (4-0-33-3) had looked in decent rhythm but he exploded in the 20th over, conceding just six runs and taking three wickets to give the Titans some cheer before their chase.

The early warning signs that the Lions bowlers were up for the contest were there as former Titans player Migael Pretorius, in his first franchise T20 game, smashed into the top of Tony de Zorzi’s off stump at the end of the second over.

Henry Davids (18) looked dangerous and hit three fours, before Dwaine Pretorius dismissed him with his second delivery, but then there were signs that the Titans’ two most in-form batsmen, Theunis de Bruyn and Diego Rosier, were seizing control as they added 56 in five overs.

Rosier (23 off 15) fell in freakish fashion, trying to sweep left-arm spinner Aaron Phangiso but getting a bottom edge on to the flap of his back pad, which was flat on the ground. From there the ball bounced up and rebounded off his body to wicketkeeper Ryan Rickelton, the dismissal being confirmed by the TV umpire.

That it was not going to be the Titans’ night became clearer two overs later when De Bruyn (42 off 28) tried to just punch Nono Pongolo down to long-off but the bowler snaffled a wonderful reflex return catch.

The Titans did not seem ready for the introduction of Pongolo, the sixth bowler used, as he picked up three for 29 in his four destructive overs, and spinners Fortuin and Phangiso also returned to each take a wicket.

Once Farhaan Behardien was dismissed for just 8 as Fortuin pulled off an excellent piece of fielding on the cow-corner boundary, with 12th man Wihan Lubbe playing the supporting role to complete the catch, the Lions were ready to celebrate with the Titans seven down and needing 55 runs off 23 balls to win.

The Titans eventually staggered to 162 for nine in their 20 overs, with Fortuin once again setting the tone by taking one for 26 in his four overs. Pongolo was excellent too and paceman Pretorius made an encouraging T20 debut with two for 32 in four overs.

The Lions did not even need to bowl Proteas all-rounder Wiaan Mulder, which shows just how much in control they were.

South Africa’s second innings is still under construction, but even with half their wickets gone and only 135 runs on the board, they are still in a commanding position after the second day of the third Test against Pakistan at the Wanderers.

That was chiefly thanks to another demolition job by Duanne Olivier, their wrecker-in-chief in this series win, the 26-year-old Central Knights fast bowler taking five for 51 as Pakistan were bowled out for just 185, a first-innings deficit of 77.

Olivier has now taken 21 wickets in the three Tests, at the ridiculous average of just 13.28. He has broken Dale Steyn’s record for the most wickets for South Africa in a series against Pakistan – 20 in 2012/13, which included 11 for 60 in the corresponding Johannesburg Test.

South Africa’s batsmen did not fare much better in their second innings, but there is plenty of movement, both in the air and off the pitch, on offer at the Wanderers, and with a lead of 212 already in the bag, a couple of lower-order partnerships should take the target beyond Pakistan’s reach.

Despite their dominant position, the second day was far from the usual standards set by the Proteas. The first hour of play, after Pakistan had resumed on 17 for two, was particularly scrappy as South Africa dropped four catches, missed a couple of run outs and wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock, who dropped two of them, also missed a stumping, albeit an extremely tough one down the leg-side standing up to Vernon Philander.

Just to add to the sense of calamity, there were 8 runs gifted through overthrows, captain Dean Elgar dropped another catch soon after the lunch break and Dale Steyn left the field rubbing the shoulder that started all his injury problems.

Opener Imam-ul-Haq and Mohammad Abbas took Pakistan to 53 for two at the first drinks break and the Proteas’ huddle was an intense one.

The change in fortunes was spearheaded by Olivier, who took two wickets in four balls in the first over after the break. Abbas, who had done the staunchest of jobs with 11 runs in 88 minutes, was taken in the slips by Theunis de Bruyn as he drove listlessly and then Asad Shafiq (0) showed terrible technique against the short delivery, just ducking without any idea where the ball was, and gloving a looping catch to the wicketkeeper.

Pakistan were back in trouble on 53 for four and when Elgar snapped up a sharp catch behind the wicket to dismiss Imam for a two-and-a-half hour 43, they were teetering on 91 for five.

But Babar Azam (49) and captain Sarfraz Ahmed (50) decided to react with a courageous counter-attack, bashing 75 runs in the next 10 overs. For them, there was no debate over whether to play or leave deliveries outside off stump, they went for them all.

Being so aggressive against such a high-quality attack is unlikely to succeed in the long-term, and Sarfraz fell two balls after reaching his second successive half-century, wafting outside off stump and edging Kagiso Rabada into the slips.

With Azam being dismissed in the next over, caught at fine leg hooking Olivier, Pakistan’s resistance was over as the last five wickets fell for just 16 runs.

Olivier was well-supported by Philander, who took three for 43 in 13 overs, while Rabada weighed in with two for 41.

Elgar was again caught behind by wicketkeeper Sarfraz (on his way to a Pakistan-record eight dismissals in the match against South Africa) for five, this time off Mohammad Amir, but the Proteas had reached 25 for one by tea, stretching their lead to 102.

But Markram was sent packing by Abbas in the first over after the break, also caught behind by Sarfraz as he was undone by his strength – his driving ability – on 21.

South Africa were then rocked by a double-strike by Faheem Ashraf in his first over.

Theunis de Bruyn (7) disappointed by trying to drive a delivery that was not full enough and edging to slip, while Zubayr Hamza fell lbw for a duck second ball as Faheem hit a crack and the ball barely rose shin-high. Such deliveries are almost impossible to play, but it also showed the magnitude of the task Pakistan are facing batting last.

Tough runs are Temba Bavuma’s speciality and he scored 23 in adding 48 for the fifth wicket with Hashim Amla, before leg-spinner Shadab Khan spun a delivery sharply across him and had him caught behind.

South Africa were 93 for five, but Quinton de Kock was as fluent as ever as he stroked a run-a-ball 34 not out to provide a quick boost to the lead late in the day.

The home side are also fortunate to still have Amla at the crease, holding the innings together with 42 not out. The veteran batsman has already been at the crease for 164 minutes and was close to his imperturbable best.

Against a South African attack that has been completely dominant all series, if the lead grows to more than 300, the chances of a 3-0 series whitewash for the Proteas are highly probable.

Even scoring at an unlikely five runs an over, that would mean batting for at least 60 overs, something Pakistan have only managed once in five innings in the series.