Ken Borland

Our DP World Lions began their CSA T20 Challenge campaign with a painful defeat on their home turf against the Momentum Multiply Titans; but on Tuesday night they massaged that pain away with a comprehensive victory over their Gauteng neighbours, winning Qualifier 1 by seven wickets with four overs to spare to go directly into Sunday’s final.

It was an excellent all-round performance at the DP World Wanderers Stadium by #ThePrideOfJozi, with the bowlers doing a great job by bowling the Titans out for just 115, and then the batsmen, led by the ever-reliable Reeza Hendricks, cruised to 116 for three after 16 overs.

A good decision at the toss by skipper Bjorn Fortuin to bowl first because there was a bit of life in the pitch saw the DP World Lions take advantage as they reduced the Titans to 19 for three in the first four overs. Young Kwena Maphaka was once again superb as he took two of those three wickets, and then returned to claim a third in the penultimate over, finishing with figures of 4-1-11-3, the joint most economical in the competition this season.

Delano Potgieter was also excellent up front with one for 22 in his four overs, figures replicated by the other main all-rounder in the team, Evan Jones. Leg-spinner Nqaba Peter then wrapped up the innings with an outstanding return of 4-1-15-4, bamboozling and bowling both Donovan Ferreira and Dayyaan Galiem with his trademark sliders.

The loss of Zubayr Hamza (4) caught at cover in the third over, caused barely a pause for thought in the DP World Lions reply as Hendricks played a marvellous innings. The Proteas star looked comfortable on a pitch that always had something in it for the bowlers, stroking 61 off 43 balls, with seven fours and two sixes. Hendricks fell, trapped lbw by a Galiem off-cutter, just four runs short of becoming the highest ever run-scorer in the history of this competition: He moved to 3180 runs in 106 innings and Morne van Wyk’s record of 3183 runs in 113 innings will surely be surpassed in Sunday’s final.

The vastly experienced Rassie van der Dussen also played a fine innings as he stayed to the end, scoring 40 not out off 37 deliveries, with four fours. He added 92 off 69 balls for the second wicket with Hendricks.

Just as they did last season when they won the CSA T20 Challenge, our DP World Lions seem to saving their best cricket for the playoff rounds.

“We couldn’t really have asked for anything better tonight,” Hendricks said. “The bowlers set the tone, restricting the Titans to a good score for us, and then we were clinical with the bat to finish things off. So we are happy with the performance and hopefully we can repeat it on Sunday.

“It was a really good game by us after we had a bit of a stumble against Western Province last week, and hopefully we are peaking at the right time again. It gives us a great deal of confidence to beat this strong Titans outfit, but whoever we play on Sunday is going to come out firing against us,” Hendricks said.

Siya Kolisi said he can’t wait to tell his grandchildren that he played with Eben Etzebeth, while the giant lock himself said he would not have reached his landmark of becoming the most-capped Springbok rugby player ever if he had not been playing alongside his captain and other South African veterans who have won the last two World Cups.

Etzebeth won his 128^th Test cap on Saturday as the Springboks hammered Argentina 48-7 to claim the Rugby Championship title in Mbombela. He surpassed the previous record of 127 caps held by Victor Matfield, between 2001 and 2015.

“To Eben, you are an yster [iron man] and I’m so grateful to have been able to walk this journey with you and I’m so grateful for your support, from when Rassie first made me captain, you have had my back. He leads the team, he is so smart and I am so proud of you. I can’t wait to tell my grandkids that I played with Eben Ysterbeth. I love you, my brother,” Kolisi said in an emotional post-match interview on TV.

Etzebeth responded in the post-match press conference, saying: “Siya and I have come a long way and he spoke so nicely about me, he is an unbelievable person. As a small boy, you just want to play for the Springboks, and to now have the most caps feels unreal, it is unbelievable.

“To do it together with this team, we are best pals, makes it even more special. I could not have done it without the team, guys who I’ve been to three World Cups with. They’ve been with me from day one and I would not have reached this milestone if they weren’t there.

“It’s also not nice if you lose on a day like this. This was a final for us and the guys made it special for me. We will celebrate very nicely, you must win in this industry to be able to enjoy your beer,” Etzebeth said.

The 32-year-old Etzebeth will now have an eye on the all-time Test record of 171 caps set by fellow lock Alun-Wyn Jones of Wales and the British and Irish Lions.

“I’m staying put for now. I will push my body as far as it can go. The ultimate is playing rugby for this team, so I will keep on pushing, training hard and trying to perform for my club [the Sharks]. Hopefully the coaches will keep selecting me,” Etzebeth said.

Matfield praised Etzebeth for being an ambassador for South Africa as a whole.

“I was very fortunate to also become the most capped Springbok in Nelspruit, taking over from another legend in John Smit. And now another legend has overtaken me, I was there with him when he was 19 years old. What Eben does on the field is incredible, but he does even more off the field and is a great ambassador for South Africa,” Matfield said.

Jayden Schaper is fairskinned and baby-faced, but he came off the Blair Atholl course on Saturday looking well-bronzed after a sweltering third round of the South African Open. More importantly, he also headed for a cold shower with a marvellous 67 and a share of the lead.

The 22-year-old Schaper started the SA Open in solid fashion but under the radar as he posted back-to-back 70s to sit with the pack of 10 other golfers in 15^th place. But on Saturday when temperatures in the mid-30s and wicked pin-placements combined for the toughest round yet, he stood tall and emerged as the frontrunner, along with compatriot and buddy Ryan van Velzen, for the third oldest national title in golf.

And his third round did not even start auspiciously as he bogeyed the par-five first hole. But thereafter he was tremendously controlled as he collected consecutive birdies on the fourth and fifth holes and another at the par-four ninth to reach the turn on three-under.

He then birdied the three par-fives on the back nine – the 10^th, 13^th and 18^th holes – to finish on nine-under-par.

Van Velzen, seven months younger than Schaper and also hailing from the East Rand, followed up his stunning 65 in the second round with a solid 70 on Saturday. He made a blazing start with three birdies in four holes from the second, but a couple of bogeys followed, before his only other birdie of the third day, on the par-three 17^th.

South Africans could well dominate the podium after Sunday’s final round, with Louis de Jager (70) one behind on eight-under and Dean Burmester in a tie for fourth on seven-under after a terrific 65.

Whoever adapts best to what is expected to be another ferocious test at Blair Atholl on Sunday will take the spoils, and there is a dangerous overseas contingent, led by a resurgent Matteo Manassero (-7) also scrapping for the prestigious title.

“I have some good memories of this course and this event, but today it was a brute,” a sweating Schaper said shortly after his round. “It’s very long with massive greens and it was cooking today with a dry heat that fried the greens and made things even trickier.

“I would have taken a 67 with both hands at the start of the day. I just tried to keep focused, my hands dry and my body hydrated. It was never going to be too easy making birdies today. It’s a tough course and on moving day you expect some easy pin positions and the tee-boxes being moved forward so guys can make some birdies. But it was just the opposite today and it was brutal.

“I caught a few glimpses of the leaderboard and you just try to keep yourself in it. I’ve been in a lot of positions like this, you learn from them and now it feels pretty much normal. You always want to win your national open and this would be an awesome one to make my first pro win,” Schaper said.

The prevalent view of the leaders was that patience is going to be key on a testing final day.

“The biggest thing I’ve learnt in the last year is that golf is about patience,” Schaper, one of the rising stars of South African golf, said. “I’ve based my game on consistency and I’m more than happy to have top-10s every week.

“Because of my strong junior and amateur careers, I definitely know I can handle the pressure on Sunday. Golf is about constantly growing and developing and the more experience you get, the more comfortable you feel out there,” Schaper said.

“You have to play smart golf, stay very patient and be fine with making pars out there,” Van Velzen said. “Don’t go chasing birdies with those tough flags because that’s how bogeys are made.”

Anrich Nortje led a superb display with the ball by the Proteas, but South Africa’s top-order then folded again with the bat in a familiar story on the second day of the first Test against the West Indies at Centurion on Wednesday.

The Proteas reached stumps on a desperate 49 for four in their second innings, but with a first-innings lead of 130 their overall position is much more positive, with a lead of 179, six wickets in hand and a pitch that is starting to do the unexpected.

That sizeable first-innings lead was thanks to the excellent work of the bowlers, who dismissed the West Indies for 212, Nortje taking a wonderful five for 36 in 16 overs. Bowling with tremendous fire, but also ruthless control, Nortje spearheaded a dramatic collapse that saw the tourists, looking solid on 169 for three, lost their last seven wickets for 43 runs.

The hottest bowler in the country this season typically said he could not have done it without the help of his fellow bowlers and the support of some vociferous spectators.

“It was nice to have a bit of a crowd at my back, and most of the time something was happening with the ball, with the wind blowing across the right-handers also helping,” Nortje said.

“KG [Rabada] also bowled really well before me and I just tried to capitalise on that and take the momentum further. There was movement and that breeze, and that played into our favour.

“I think the attack did a pretty good job. We just tried to control the run-rate and still try to be attacking. It was nice to see Gerald Coetzee come in too and do his thing. I was very happy for him, he’s bowled lots of overs domestically at high pace and was with us in England and Australia. Charl Langeveldt [bowling coach] helped him a bit with some small tweaks.

“We could all see how happy he was to get his first Test wicket and I’m sure he will have a long career going forward,” Nortje said.

With the West Indies coming in to bat half-an-hour into the morning session, it was Rabada who provided the early pressure. He produced a peach of a delivery, pitching middle-and-off and hitting the top of off-stump to bowl Kraigg Brathwaite for 11. The captain might have saved himself with a better stride with the front foot.

But the West Indies, much like the Proteas on the first day, batted solidly up front. Tagenarine Chanderpaul (22), Raymon Reifer (62) and Jermaine Blackwood (37) saw them to 136 for three at tea.

With much caution against the probing attack on a helpful pitch, the West Indies top-order strung together partnerships of 22, 36, 64 and 47.

But from 3.36pm, when Marco Jansen, who did not seem to have his best rhythm, had Reifer caught behind with his best ball of the day, angling in and then just nipping away from the left-hander; until 4.06pm, when Alzarri Joseph (4) became Nortje’s fourth victim, the Proteas enjoyed a great half-hour. They took five wickets for 21 runs in the space of 28 deliveries.

The next ball after Reifer’s dismissal saw Rabada have Roston Chase (22) caught at first slip and Nortje then removed Josh da Silva (4) and Jason Holder (0) in the same over. The 29-year-old completed his fourth five-wicket haul in 19 Tests when he had Kyle Mayers caught at fine leg, top-edging a hook, for 18.

“Things can happen quickly here,” Nortje said, “you just have to try and do the basics for as long as possible.”

First-innings centurion Aiden Markram made a flying start to the South African second innings, racing to 35 not out off just 33 balls with six fours, but West Indies made inroads at the other end.

Dean Elgar (1) will be furious with himself for once again being caught at third man trying to ramp Joseph, totally unnecessarily, while Tony de Zorzi fell first ball to Kemar Roach and Temba Bavuma also suffered a golden duck, making him just the fourth player to make a pair in his first Test as captain, also being caught behind, off Joseph, who was probably still celebrating his career-best five for 81 in the first innings. The only consolation for De Zorzi and Bavuma was that they were both excellent deliveries, tough to get first up.

A busy day’s cricket – the Proteas had started Wednesday by taking their first innings from 314 for eight to 342 all out – ended with Holder trapping Keegan Petersen lbw for seven with a bit of a grubber that jagged back into the batsman.