Ken Borland

Pool A of the Momentum One-Day Cup in Potchefstroom effectively ended after just two matches, the rest being washed out, and the Imperial Lions will know the importance of their opening two games on Friday and Sunday with the currently good weather in the North-West set to turn next week.

The Lions play the Cape Cobras on Friday and then the Warriors on Sunday, and will be looking to follow the same route through to the semi-finals as the Dolphins did. The KwaZulu-Natalians won their first two matches against the Titans and Knights in convincing fashion and then sat back knowing they were safe as the rest of the fixtures could not be played due to regular showers and the outfield not being fit for play.

“It was a bit disappointing not to see a lot of cricket being played because of the weather, and hopefully the good weather now will hold out. Every game is important, bad weather or not, but it’s very important we hit the ground, up-and-running, from the start, we need a good performance from Game 1. We were fortunate we could play a couple of warm-up games at the Wanderers and we’re happy with the prep and where we are,” Lions captain Aaron Phangiso said on Thursday.

Pedigree alone suggests the Lions should join the defending champion Dolphins and Knights in the semi-finals. Phangiso’s men beat the Dolphins in their last round-robin fixture of last season’s Momentum One-Day Cup to finish second on the log. But the Natalians were awarded the trophy when the knockout rounds were cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic, because they finished first in the standings, two points ahead of the Lions.

“We had a good season, we beat the Dolphins in our last match, but that is last season. But then again there has not been much cricket played lately, so we will take some confidence from that and our warm-up games. Potchefstroom is a second home for us, we know the conditions well, even though the pitch played completely different to what we are used to for Pool A.

“But we just have to adjust. The pitch is normally true and the ball comes through, but now the slower bowlers will definitely play a big role. We do have that in our attack with Bjorn Fortuin, myself and Malusi Siboto, we can all deliver in those conditions. Plus Sisanda Magala played for the Warriors before so he is used to those conditions and has given us one or two tips.

“Sisanda is going to be a big weapon for us in terms of tactics. The conditions would seem to favour the coastal teams because they play more often on slower pitches than us, but it’s just a matter of us adjusting and having better tactics. We have good enough players to deliver, and we have all played big cricket so we are experienced enough,” Phangiso said.

Lions squad: Reeza Hendricks, Dominic Hendricks, Ryan Rickelton, Kagiso Rapulana, Wesley Marshall, Delano Potgieter, Bjorn Fortuin, Sisanda Magala, Malusi Siboto, Eldred Hawken, Aaron Phangiso (cpt), Nicky van den Bergh, Johannes Diseko, Mitchell van Buuren, Tladi Bokako, Nono Pongolo.

Qaasim Adams freed his arms to record-breaking effect at the end of the Titans innings, but to no avail as their Momentum One-Day Cup match against the Highveld Lions in Centurion was washed out on Wednesday night.

Adams hammered 50 off just 21 balls – reaching his half-century off 20 deliveries, the fastest in the competition’s history – to boost the Titans to 240 for six in 35 overs, after rain had initially interrupted their innings on 118 for two in the 26^th over. Four big-hitters of note had previously notched a fifty off 21 balls – Justin Kemp, Adrian McLaren, Richard Levi and Dwaine Pretorius.

The Highveld Lions, set a revised target of 255 in 35 overs, then breezed to 74 for one in 10.1 overs with Rassie van der Dussen (33*) and Alviro Petersen (37*) in imperious form.

The Lions will now go on to the Momentum One-Day Cup playoff match against the Warriors in Johannesburg next Wednesday.

The Lions had won the toss and elected to bowl first and looked in serious trouble when Aiden Markram (37 off 25) was off to a flier at the top of the innings and left-arm opening bowler Carmi le Roux left the field in his third over with a leg injury. Having already lost spinner Eddie Leie to an injury in the warm-up, the Lions were forced to employ part-time bowlers Stephen Cook and Petersen, while coach Geoff Toyana came out to field until a young Tshwane University of Technology player, William Wentzel, could be found to fill in as 12^th man for the visitors.

Grant Mokoena (37) and Dean Elgar (38 off 32) were in the middle of their 71-run third-wicket stand when the first storm arrived and, when they were dismissed within three balls of each other, it was left to Adams, who launched five sixes, and Albie Morkel (21 off 9) to add the finishing touches to the innings.

Pumelela Matshikwe was the best of the Lions bowlers, with two for 44 in seven overs, although he bowled a horrible last over which included two wides, two no-balls and a six and a four by Adams when he went to his half-century.

South Africa were on track to defend their mediocre score when rain washed out the second T20 international against England at Old Trafford in Manchester on Monday.

 – http://www.supersport.com/cricket/sa-team/news/120910/Rain_ruins_SAs_victory_chances

South Africa had their banker, Hashim Amla, to thank as his 47 not out lifted them to 77 for five in their nine overs. England were in the fifth over of their chase, and were already two down with just 29 runs on the board, when the rain intensified to such an extent that the umpires had to abandon play.

The visitors were asked to bat first after losing the toss and Amla, opening the batting, adapted straight away to the shortest format of the game.

Rain as soon as the players were in place caused a two-and-a-half hour delay and reduced the match to nine overs a side, and there was some surprise that Amla still opened the batting. But thank goodness he did as there was a steady procession of batsmen coming in and going straight out at the other end.

Richard Levi (0), AB de Villiers (1) and Albie Morkel (3) all fell to limp attacking strokes as South Africa slipped to 37 for three in the fifth over.

Steven Finn began the rot with the first delivery, getting pace and bounce from a terrific pitch and just brushing Levi’s gloves on the way through to wicketkeeper Craig Kieswetter.

De Villiers then popped up an attempted pull off Finn in his next over, Jade Dernbach taking a juggling catch running back from deep mid-on.

Morkel fell to the medium-pace of Luke Wright, but Amla was a revelation, his incredible ability to plunder runs in any format being proven again as he hammered 47 not out off 30 balls, with seven fours.

England failed to police the area behind square on the off side well enough as Amla found the gaps there with precise placement, wonderful timing and occasionally brute force.

JP Duminy (5) and Justin Ontong (1) fell cheaply in the sixth and seventh overs, finally bringing Jacques Kallis to the crease. South Africa’s greatest batsman said what he needed to say about his demotion with the bat, scoring 13 not out off seven balls, with two fours.

Dernbach bowled two top-class overs at the death, taking one for 12, while off-spinner Graeme Swann was a handful with 1-11 in two overs. Wright bowled a valuable single over for four runs and the crucial wicket of Morkel, while Finn was a menace with the new ball, taking 2-17 in his pair of overs.

But Morne Morkel and Dale Steyn are the top new-ball pair in world cricket and they soon had England under pressure in their reply.

Morkel bowled two superb overs up front for just eight runs, while Steyn removed Kieswetter for one as the wicketkeeper/batsman tried a pull/drive on the up and could only send a catch steepling practically as high as the floodlights, Robin Peterson taking a truly fine catch, diving at the last instant, at deep mid-on.

Wright (14) top-edged a hook off Albie Morkel to his brother Morne, who took a good catch running around from fine leg, but that also proved to be the end of the match as the rain, which had been falling for the entire innings, intensified.

South Africa, more than a dozen runs ahead on Duckworth/Lewis at that stage, were just five balls away from a completed match and they deserve full marks for their outstanding bowling and fielding in slippery conditions with a sodden ball.

South Africa will go into the final T20 international of the series with a 1-0 lead after the second game against England was washed out at Old Trafford in Manchester on Monday.

5th over – WICKET – Albie Morkel strikes with his first ball, Luke Wright (14) top-edging a bouncer and Morne Morkel taking a good catch in the sodden conditions, running around from fine leg. But now the rain, which has been falling throughout the innings, is really coming down and the umpires take everyone off the field. The match is abandoned soon afterwards with No Result.

4th over – Wright comes down the wicket to off-spinner Johan Botha and is met by a high full toss, which he pulls away through square-leg for four.

2nd over – WICKET– What a catch to claim South Africa’s first wicket! Craig Kieswetter (1) is trying to pull/drive Dale Steyn on the up, but the ball goes straight up, miles in the air, sending a steepling catch to deep mid-on where Robin Peterson does brilliantly to get more or less under the ball and then dive to take the catch. Alex Hales ends the over with an extraordinary six that just shows the pace in the pitch … trying to hoick Steyn to leg, the ball flies off the outside edge and well over the third man boundary!

South Africa innings

Hashim Amla batted through the innings, launching South Africa to 77 for five in their nine overs in the second T20 international against England at Old Trafford in Manchester on Monday.

9th over – Jacques Kallis slams a full ball from Jade Dernbach through extra cover, with enough power to beat the fielder running around the boundary from long-off.

8th over – South Africa get three boundaries from the penultimate over bowled by England captain Stuart Broad. Amla gets the first two with beautifullly precise and wonderfully timed steers behind square on the off side. Kallis then top-edges a hook over where the slips would be for four and has another slice of fortune off the next delivery as a top-edge flies high to third man, but Dernbach can’t reach the catch, blocking the ball on the bounce.

7th over – WICKET – Justin Ontong (1) tries to scoop Dernbach, but it’s the bowler’s notorious back-of-the-hand slower ball, which grips and bounces, and the batsman gets the ball high on the bat, looping a catch towards short fine-leg, wicketkeeper Craig Kieswetter running across to claim it.

6th over – Amla, on 31, skips down the wicket to Graeme Swann but is not quite to the pitch and his slog-sweep goes high to wide mid-on where Eoin Morgan drops a sitter! WICKET – But the off-spinner gets his reward off the next delivery as JP Duminy (5) tries to hoist the ball down the ground, but can only sky it straight upwards. Swann runs backwards and takes a fine, one-handed tumbling catch behind his head.

5th over – WICKET – Luke Wright strikes with his second delivery as Albie Morkel (3) slices a big pull shot high to extra cover.

3rd over – WICKET – A controversial dismissal as Steven Finn has knocked over the bowler’s end stumps again but dead ball is not called. AB de Villiers (1) mistimes a pull shot to deep mid-on where Jade Dernbach is running backwards, juggles, but holds on to the catch. Amla drives up and over the covers off the next delivery and Jos Buttler is unable to prevent the boundary as he slips on the wet outfield. Two balls later, Amla steps across outside off stump and pull/flicks a short ball fine for four. Amla collects another boundary off the last ball of the powerplay as he slashes the fast bowler powerfully over backward point.

2nd over – Amla absolutely smashes Broad behind square on the off side for another ferocious boundary.

1st over – After a frustrating delay of two-and-a-quarter hours for rain, play eventually gets underway with a nine-overs-a-side-game. WICKET – And it’s an awful start for South Africa as Richard Levi is out first ball, gloving a short, lifting delivery down the leg side from Finn through to wicketkeeper Craig Kieswetter. There may be some surprise that Amla is still opening the batting, but he collects a boundary off his first ball as he clatters a cut through point.