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Wednesday, November 29, 2023
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26 May 2023
Luton Town and Coventry City are just one game away from completing miracle promotion campaigns from the Championship to the riches of the English Premier League.

Luton Town and Coventry City are just one game away from completing miracle promotion campaigns from the Championship to the riches of the English Premier League.

On Saturday the two clubs will meet at Wembley in the so-called richest game in football, the Championship Play-Off Final, aiming to join Burnley and Sheffield United at the top of the English footballing pyramid.

Coventry boss Mark Robins told reporters after his side's victory over Middlesbrough that this year's Play-off final was "one for the romantics" — and he has good reason.

Just five years ago Luton vs Coventry was a fixture you could find in England's fourth tier. Both clubs have overcome significant hurdles to get to this position, beating existence-threatening financial issues as well as more fancied — and far better backed — clubs to the play-off spots in one of the most competitive leagues in world football.

Winning the Play-offs could be worth as much as 135 million pounds over the next three seasons, according to analysis by Deloitte. If that club stays up the following year, the riches could blow out to as much as 265 million pounds over five years. hat is almost all down to TV broadcast money which goes up from around 8 million pounds per season to 100 million.

"It's wonderful for the town. If we can get promotion, we always know the town does better when the club does better, so fingers crossed," chairman David Wilkinson told the BBC. "The Premier League means everything. Financially it means we can move on quicker with all of our plans so it would be tremendous, but, [we're keeping our] feet on the ground." Luton boss Rob Edwards said it was "surreal" to be so close to the top flight. "We're one game away from the Premier League. It sounds special, it sounds surreal saying it," Edwards told the BBC after their 3-2 aggregate victory over Sunderland.
Those were sentiments echoed by Coventry boss Robins.

"We're playing Luton who have been through a fair amount themselves, but this is a special club with special fans and the fact they've got behind us so much is testament to everything we do," he told the BBC.

"The biggest achievement I think we've managed to do is reconnect with the fans — because there was a huge disconnect with the club. "They've come back together, and it's been phenomenal. It's changed beyond all recognition since I walked through the door in 2017 and hopefully, we can take the next step."

The action kicks off at 17:45 SA time and can be watched on DSTV.

MEDIA MANAGER
KEVIN RADEMEYER

[Submitted by Kevin Rademeyer]

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26 May 2023
The DHL Stormers will channel all their energy into Saturday’s Vodacom United Rugby Championship decider with the hope of winning back-to-back titles when they host Irish giants, Munster, in the Grand Final in Cape Town.

The DHL Stormers will channel all their energy into Saturday’s Vodacom United Rugby Championship decider with the hope of winning back-to-back titles when they host Irish giants, Munster, in the Grand Final in Cape Town.

The spectacle, which will be hosted at DHL Stadium for the second season in a row, will kick off at 18h30 and will be broadcast live on SuperSport.

The DHL Stormers will enter the match as favourites with home ground advantage and a fantastic home win record giving them a mental edge, but they will be mindful of the fact that Munster registered confidence-boosting away wins in the quarter-final and semi-final respectively – the latter being against tournament favourites Leinster in Dublin a fortnight ago – to earn their ticket to Cape Town for the Grand Final.

The DHL Stormers won 12 of their 18 pool matches, to Munster’s 10, and while they will look to build on their superior attacking display which has seen them score 607 points to the visitors’ 500 this season, it could prove to be an epic battle as the Irish team boast a better defensive record by 60 points and they won both encounters between the sides in the competition up to now.

Munster will also draw confidence from the fact that they were the only team to defeat the DHL Stormers at home in 11 outings this season, with the Irish side edging a tense match by 26-24 just over a month ago. That defeat was one of only two home losses for the Capetonians in the last two seasons.

Bolstering the visitors’ confidence, their victory against the DHL Stormers was followed up by a 22-22 draw against the Cell C Sharks in Durban in their final league match, which means they will enter the Grand final on a four-match unbeaten run.

Fueling their motivation, Munster have only won twice in seven appearances in the competition’s Grand Final – in 2003 and 2011 – a track record they will be desperate to change, especially after bouncing back from defeats in their opening four away games to remain unbeaten on the road since.

DHL Stormers head coach John Dobson has included Springbok forwards Marvin Orie (lock) and Deon Fourie (flanker) in his starting team after both missed out on the semi-final a fortnight ago.

The backline that started in the semi-final against Connacht is unchanged, with Clayton Blommetjies on the bench in place of the injured Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu.

Fourie and Orie’s return means that Joseph Dweba (hooker) and Ruben van Heerden (lock) are the only starting forwards that did not feature in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship Grand Final at DHL Stadium last season.

“Both Deon and Marvin have been outstanding for us this season and they will add a lot both in terms of their ability and leadership on Saturday,” said Dobson.

“We have a lot of respect for Munster, the truth is that we have never beaten them, so while we are thrilled to be playing at home we know it will be a big challenge against a good team.

"This will be the biggest crowd for any DHL Stormers match and it should be an amazing occasion for the team, our passionate supporters and the city of Cape Town. We are so grateful for the support that we enjoy and what this team means to so many people. We will do our best to soak up the atmosphere, enjoy every moment and play the kind of rugby that got us here.”

In the event of the scores being level after 80 minutes, extra-time consisting of two periods of 10 minutes each will be played, and if the scores are still tied after extra-time, the team that has scored the most tries in the match will be deemed the winner.

Should the teams still be tied on points and tries at the end of extra-time then the winner will be determined by a place-kick competition in which each team will nominate three goal kickers who will take six place kicks between them from different positions along the 22m and 10m lines.

The team with the most successful place-kicks will be the winner. If the teams are still tied at the end of their six kicks, then sudden death will apply.

Vodacom United Rugby Championship Grand Final Teams:

DHL Stormers: 15 Damian Willemse, 14 Angelo Davids, 13 Ruhan Nel, 12 Dan du Plessis, 11 Leolin Zas, 10 Manie Libbok, 9 Herschel Jantjies, 8 Evan Roos, 7 Hacjivah Dayimani, 6 Deon Fourie, 5 Marvin Orie, 4 Ruben van Heerden, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Joseph Dweba, 1 Steven Kitshoff (captain). Replacements: 16 JJ Kotze, 17 Ali Vermaak, 18 Neethling Fouche, 19 Ben-Jason Dixon, 20 Willie Engelbrecht, 21 Marcel Theunissen, 22 Paul de Wet, 23 Clayton Blommetjies.

Munster: 15 Mike Haley, 14 Calvin Nash, 13 Antoine Frisch, 12 Malakai Fekitoa, 11 Shane Daly, 10 Jack Crowley, 9 Conor Murray, 8 Gavin Coombes, 7 John Hodnett, 6 Peter O’Mahony (captain), 5 Tadhg Beirne, 4 Jean Kleyn, 3 Stephen Archer, 2 Diarmuid Barron, 1 Jeremy Loughman. Replacements: 16 Niall Scannell, 17 Josh Wycherley, 18 Roman Salanoa, 19 RG Snyman, 20 Alex Kendellen, 21 Craig Casey, 22 Ben Healy, 23 Keith Earls.

Match information: DHL Stormers v Munster
Date: Saturday, 27 May
Venue: DHL Stadium, Cape Town
SA Time: 18h30
Referee: Andrea Piardi
TV: SuperSport








[Submitted by Kevin Rademeyer]

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06 May 2023
SA Rugby and the Blue Bulls Company (BBCo.) have announced that the Springboks will enjoy a full house once again when they play at Loftus Versfeld.


SA Rugby and the Blue Bulls Company (BBCo.) have announced that the Springboks will enjoy a full house once again when they play at Loftus Versfeld. The three-time world champions will welcome Australia to Tshwane for the opening Test in the Castle Lager Rugby Championship on Saturday, 8 July.

Chief Executive Officer of SA Rugby, Rian Oberholzer said: “To see the ‘sold out’ signs go up two months before the Test, is very exciting for SA Rugby and the Springboks, and we are grateful to see the support for the team as we start our preparations for the Rugby World Cup in France later this year,”

“This shows there is excitement in the country and support for the Springboks ahead of the southern hemisphere showpiece and the Rugby World Cup, and we’d like to thank our faithful supporters for uniting behind the team,”

“Our slogan for the last few years has been #StrongerTogether, and this excitement ahead of the international season certainly sets the tone for the rest of the year.”

BBCo. Operations Manager, Hugo Kemp, commended rugby fans for buying their tickets early, cementing Loftus as the sporting destination for International rugby.

“It is a remarkable feat for us to be able to sell out a test match with two months to go before the actual event. Another stamp of approval for our venue as a preferred test match destination in South Africa,”

“It is also special for us as a sportainment venue to be able to sell out consecutive test matches and we are excited to be able to host the Springboks in our backyard again. Fans across Gauteng have voted by buying tickets to keep international rugby in our city and we know the national team will reward them with something special on the field,”

“All our attention now shifts towards ensuring that we create a memorable experience for all those who will be in the bowl, to reward them for being loyal supporters of our national team and for making Loftus their chosen destination to watch the Boks in a year where we are essentially sending them off to defend their crown.”

Fans are reminded that there are no third-party channels that are accredited to sell or resell tickets and those who do purchase from such channels, do so at the risk of not being able to gain entry into the venue.

“We only have one official ticketing agent and that is TicketPros, anyone else is falsely claiming to be accredited and the only way fans can safeguard their money is to avoid purchasing tickets through these channels otherwise we cannot help them on the day of the event when they do not have entry into the stadium and most importantly, we cannot mediate in the refund processes they would need to engage thereafter,”


IMAGE CREDITS: © Vodacom Bulls

[Submitted by Kevin Rademeyer]

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04 May 2023
After a successful 2022/2023 season, the Momentum Multiply Titans have finalised their squad for 2023/2024 and are looking ahead to another successful campaign.
After a successful 2022/2023 season, the Momentum Multiply Titans have finalised their squad for 2023/2024 and are looking ahead to another successful campaign.

The contracting period saw a number of player movements with some players saying their goodbyes while others join the Sky Blues.

The most notable additions to the Titans squad are Gerald Coetzee who joins from Itec Knights and Rivaldo Moonsamy, the wicket-keeper batter who re-joins from Northern Cape Heat.

Left-handed batter, Matthew Kleinveldt makes the trip to Centurion from Free State while Joshua van Heerden enrols from East London and Tladi Bokako takes a short journey across the Jukskei joining the Titans from the Lions.

The promise shown by young right-arm seamer, Matthew Boast, has earned him a rookie contract with the Titans.

Titans head coach Mandla Mashimbyi had this to say on the new acquisitions, “I’m very pleased with the guys we’ve brought in, they are highly skilled and have proven themselves and I have no doubts that they will add value to the squad.”

“It was important that the players joining us would slot into our plans for the coming season and add to what we’ve been working on here for the last couple of years.” Mashimbyi explained.

Comradery is always a key consideration when assembling a squad and Mashimbyi will be satisfied that the chemistry in the Titans changeroom will not be upset.

Just 3 players will be parting the company of the Sky Blues, the first being Okuhle Cele who is returning to play at Kingsmead in Durban and the second is Jiveshen Pillay who will ply his trade for the Warriors in Gqeberha. Smangaliso Nhlebela who was on a high-performance contract will be joining the Tuskers from KZN.

“I know how much of a stressful period this can be for Mandla and the players and I have to commend him for how well he handles it. The team has done some good work on the field and produced important results so it was important that the players coming in buy into the bigger picture that we have for the team.” Titans CEO Dr Jacques Faul.

Titans Cricket is happy to welcome our new recruits and wishes them all the best for the 2023/2024 season.

Titans contracted squad 2023/24 season: Sibonelo Makhanya, Dayyaan Galiem, Gerald Coetzee, Aaron Phangiso, Junior Dala, Neil Brand, Dewald Brevis, Matthew Kleinveldt, Musa Twala, Donovan Ferreira, Aya Gqamane, Corbin Bosch, Tladi Bokako, Lizaad Williams, Rivaldo Moonsamy, Joshua van Heerden.

Rookie Contract: Matthew Boast.

Nationally contracted players: Aiden Markram, Dean Elgar, Lungi Ngidi, Tabraiz Shamsi, Quinton De Kock, Heinrich Klaasen.

Support Staff: Mandla Mashimbyi (Head coach), Richard Das Neves (Assistant coach), Mojalefa Sebetlela (Physiotherapist), Keagan Moore (Team analyst), Laden Gamiet (Strength and conditioning coach), Karen Smithies (Team manager), Paseka Molebale (Logistics assistant).


[Submitted by Kevin Rademeyer]
 None

24 Apr 2023
The details for the quarter-finals of the Vodacom United Rugby Championship have been confirmed, featuring three teams from South Africa.

The details for the quarter-finals of the Vodacom United Rugby Championship have been confirmed, featuring three teams from South Africa. The matches will take place on Friday, May 5 and Saturday, May 6.

The playoffs will begin in Belfast with Ulster hosting an Irish derby against Connacht on May 5 at 20h35 (SA time). The following day, DHL Stormers will take on the Vodacom Bulls at DHL Stadium in Cape Town at 15h30. Leinster will host the Cell C Sharks at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin at 18h00 (SA time), and Glasgow Warriors will face Munster at Scotstoun Stadium in Glasgow at 20h35 (SA time).

The games will be broadcast live in various markets, and the semi-finals will take place on the weekend of May 12/13. The semi-final winners will meet on Saturday, May 27 at the venue of the highest-ranked team to have qualified for the Vodacom United Rugby Championship Grand Final.

Vodacom URC quarter-finals:

Friday 5 May:

Quarter-Final 2: Ulster (2) v Connacht (7)
Venue: Kingspan Stadium, Belfast
SA Time: 20h35

Saturday, 6 May:

Quarter-Final 3: DHL Stormers (3) v Vodacom Bulls (6)
Venue: DHL Stadium, Cape Town
SA Time: 15h30 SA

Quarter-Final 1: Leinster (1) v Cell C Sharks (8)
Venue: Aviva Stadium, Dublin
SA Ttime: 18h00

Quarter-Final 4: Glasgow Warriors (4) v Munster (5)
Venue: Scotstoun Stadium, Glasgow
SA Time: 20h35

Semi-Final path

In the semi-finals, to be played the weekend of May 12/13, the winner of QF1 will play the winner of QF4 and the winner of QF2 will play the winner of QF3.

In a change to last season’s rules, the teams with the highest seeding in each semi-final will have home venue rights. Previously, the winners of QF1 and QF2 were guaranteed home draws no matter their ranking.

SF1: Leinster (1) / Cell C Sharks (8) v Glasgow Warriors (4) / Munster (5)
SF2: Ulster (2) / Connacht (7) v DHL Stormers (3) / Vodacom Bulls (6)



[Submitted by Kevin Rademeyer]

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18 Apr 2023
POTCHEFSTROOM: The Cricket South Africa (CSA) T20 Women's National Championship concluded with Garden-Route based Union Stars claiming the inaugural title on Sunday.

POTCHEFSTROOM: The Cricket South Africa (CSA) T20 Women's National Championship concluded with Garden-Route based Union Stars claiming the inaugural title on Sunday.

Union Stars finished the tournament as the only undefeated side in all five of the matches, with runners-up, Lindelani Cricket Club losing only one match to the winners.

As a CSA Blue Flag Club, Union Stars doubled their prize money whilst Lions Cricket’s Bianca Booyjens and Alysia Rudolph from Easterns walked away with cricketing equipment as top performers in the competition.

Individual Winners:
o Batter of the Tournament: Bianca Booyjens (Wanderers Cricket Club, Lions Cricket)
o Bowler of the Tournament: Alysia Rudolph (Avion Cricket Club, Easterns)
o Player of the Tournament: Alysia Rudolph (Avion Cricket Club, Easterns)

Building on the legacy of the 2023 ICC Women’s T20 World Cups, Local Organising Committee Advisory Board (LOCAB) chairperson, Muditambi Ravele, commented at the conclusion of the inaugural event.

“After successfully hosting the two World Cups, it was of utmost importance that we create a lasting legacy for the women’s game in the country.

“To ensure a thriving pipeline that will support our national teams, CSA introduced two T20 competitions. The junior edition was held for the U19 sides after the conclusion of the U19 T20 World Cup in February this year.

“The two tournaments were also aimed at increasing our talent pool and participation in the women’s game, and to aid in the growth of women’s game,” said Ravele.

“Congratulations to Union Stars on their well-deserved victory, and our gratitude goes out to all participating teams that have been part of this tournament culminating at the championships,” Ravele concluded.

Media Manager
Kevin Rademeyer

[Submitted by Kevin Rademeyer]

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15 Apr 2023
Titans Cricket held its 2022/2023 annual awards on Friday evening at the Capital Menlyn Maine to celebrate top achievers from the season.

Titans Cricket held its 2022/2023 annual awards on Friday evening at the Capital Menlyn Maine to celebrate top achievers from the season.

The occasion saw players and coaching staff swap their playing kit for evening gowns and sharp suits in honour of the event.

The big winners on the night were Sune Luus and Donovan Ferreira who walked away with the Weber mens and womens Player of the Season after strong outings this season in Sky Blue.

Sune Luus who spends a significant amount of time with the Momentum Proteas made a welcome return to the Fidelity Titans for the CSA Womens Provincial One Day Cup. Luus was outstanding when called upon with bat or ball and made a great impact in the squad and the teams run in the competition.

The 2022/2023 campaign saw Donovan Ferreira exhibit his abilities across all formats and decisive knocks at crucial times saw him bag the big award for the Momentum Multiply Titans. While he’s always been known for his big hitting in T20s Ferreira proved a handy middle order batter in the CSA 4 Day Domestic Series this season.

As far as the future is concerned, we saw two young cricketers collect gongs at the awards night. Lesedi Madisha was crowned Womens Most Promising Player while Dewald Brevis was named Garmin Mens Newcomer of the Year.

“I enjoy these occasions because it provides us an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of one of our biggest stakeholders. It’s their night to enjoy themselves and a reward for the work they’ve put into the last season. Congratulations to all the winners and the nominees from the Fidelity and Momentum Multiply Titans on the successful season” Said Titans CEO Dr Jacques Faul.

The evening also provided one last opportunity for the Sky Blues to say goodbye to those closing the chapter on the game and moving on from Titans Cricket. Stalwarts Heino Kuhn and Farhaan Behardien were saluted after announcing their retirement from cricket while Mignon du Preez and Theunis de Bruyn were wished well after calling time on their international careers.

The Momentum Multiply Titans also said their goodbyes to Geoffrey Toyana (assistant coach) Sizwe Hadebe (Physiotherapist) and Matthew Reuben (Team Analyst) who are moving to Easterns and the Proteas, respectively.

“It’s always been important to us to recognise our legends and to give them the respect and treatment that’s due to them. They do a lot in making the Titans who we are so it’s only right that we give them the acknowledgement they deserve.” Faul said.

Full list of award winners:
• Garmin Men’s Newcomer of the Year: Dewald Brevis
• Women’s Most Promising Player of the Year: Lesedi Madisha
• Men’s T20 Player of the Year: Dayyaan Galiem
• Women’s T20 Player of the Year: Eliz-Mari Marx
• Weber Men’s First Class Player of The Year: Neil Brand
• Garmin Men’s Most Valuable Player of the Year Award: Junior Dala
• Weber Fans’ Player of the Year Award: Dewald Brevis
• Men’s One-Day Player of the Year: Aiden Markram
• Women’s 50 Over Player of the Year: Sune Luus
• Men’s Players’ Player of the Year: Junior Dala
• Women’s Players’ Player of the Year: Robyn Searle
• Weber Women’s Titans Player of the Year: Sune Luus
• Men’s Titans Player of The Year: Donovan Ferreira

[Submitted by Kevin Rademeyer]


31 Mar 2023
JOHANNESBURG: A career-best 83 off 44 balls by Reeza Hendricks was not enough as the Proteas fell to a seven-run defeat to West Indies in the decisive third KFC T20 International (T20I) at the DP World Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg on Tuesday.

JOHANNESBURG: A career-best 83 off 44 balls by Reeza Hendricks was not enough as the Proteas fell to a seven-run defeat to West Indies in the decisive third KFC T20 International (T20I) at the DP World Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg on Tuesday.

The right-hander thumped two sixes and 11 fours in his innings, before becoming one of Alzarri Joseph’s five victims when he fell in the penultimate over as the run-rate began to soar in South Africa’s pursuit of 221.

In the end they finished with 213 for six – short of what would have been another epic chase as they slipped to a 2-1 series defeat.

Just two days earlier, the hosts were involved in a world record chase when they hunted down 259 at Centurion. This time, though, it was not to be despite the heroics of Hendricks, who was aided for a large part of the chase by Rilee Rossouw (42 off 21 balls).

At the start, the Proteas tried to follow the trend of the series where the chasing side had won each of the previous two games, with captain Aiden Markram winning the toss and bowling in a match that saw Adrian Holdstock and Shaun George both make their 50th appearances as standing umpires.

Openers Kyle Mayers (17) and Brandon King (36) provided them with a strong start by putting on 39 in the first 3.2 overs, before Kagiso Rabada (2/50) cleaned up the former and Johnson Charles (0), centurion hero from SuperSport Park, in successive deliveries.

King then helped Nicholas Pooran (41 off 19 balls) add 55 for the next wicket to put West Indies in a strong position of 94 for two in the ninth over.

When Anrich Nortje (2/36) struck to remove King, the home side began to claw their way back as Lungi Ngidi (2/45) and Markram (1/21) took key wickets to leave the score on 161 for eight in the 16th over.
But then came trouble for the Proteas in the form of Romario Shepherd, who bludgeoned an unbeaten 44 off 22 balls, and together with Josephs (14*), put on an unbroken 61 for the ninth wicket to see their side to 220 for eight.

The chase began well for South Africa thanks to Hendricks and fellow opener Quinton de Kock (21). The pair put on 32 in just over four overs, before the latter held out to deep point off Josephs, the fast bowler bagging his first scalp on his way to figures of five for 40.

Next in was Rossouw, who combined for a match-high 80 alongside Hendricks for the second wicket to ensure the home side kept with the pace.

Even after Rossouw fell, the Proteas were in the mix as long as David Miller (11) was still in the middle. However, once he fell, the scoreboard pressure began to build and Hendricks was left with little choice but to throw his bat.

And he went for one shot too many at the start of the 19th over in which Player of the Match Josephs struck thrice to press home the West Indian advantage.

In the end, it was left to Markram to try and get the 26 needed from the final over – too tall an ask in the end leaving the series for West Indies to clinch.

Proteas T20I squad against West Indies
Aiden Markram (captain, Momentum Multiply Titans), Quinton de Kock (Momentum Multiply Titans), Bjorn Fortuin (DP World Lions), Reeza Hendricks (DP World Lions), Marco Jansen (Dafabet Warriors), Heinrich Klaasen (Momentum Multiply Titans), Sisanda Magala (DP World Lions), David Miller (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Lungi Ngidi (Momentum Multiply Titans), Anrich Nortje (Dafabet Warriors), Wayne Parnell (Six Gun Grill Western Province), Kagiso Rabada (DP World Lions), Rilee Rossouw (ITEC Knights), Tabraiz Shamsi (Momentum Multiply Titans), Tristan Stubbs (Dafabet Warriors).

South Africa KFC T20 International Series against West Indies

Saturday, 25 March
South Africa lost to West Indies by 3 wickets – SuperSport Park, Centurion

Sunday, 26 March
South Africa beat West Indies by 5 wickets – SuperSport Park, Centurion

Tuesday, 28 March
South Africa lost to West Indies by 7 runs – DP World Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg

[Submitted by Kevin Rademeyer]


28 Mar 2023
CENTURION: Sisanda Magala claimed a career-best three-for but it was not enough to prevent the Proteas from slipping to a narrow three-wicket defeat to West Indies in the opening KFC T20 International (T20I) at SuperSport Park in Centurion on Saturday.

CENTURION: Sisanda Magala claimed a career-best three-for but it was not enough to prevent the Proteas from slipping to a narrow three-wicket defeat to West Indies in the opening KFC T20 International (T20I) at SuperSport Park in Centurion on Saturday.

The match was a T11 rather than a regular T20 after time was lost at the start due to persistent rain on the Highveld, but once play did begin the hosts were edged out by their visitors, despite the heroics of right-arm seamer Magala.

The 32-year-old not only shone with the ball by claiming three for 21, he also bashed an unbeaten 18 off five balls helping South Africa posted 131 for eight, but his efforts were not enough after the away side scampered past that target with three balls to spare.

David Miller top-scored for the Proteas with a rollicking 48 off only 22 balls in a match that marked the permanent T20 captaincy debut of Aiden Markram, who lost his first toss and was asked to bat first following a lengthy delay due to the weather at the start.

But once play started at 16h00, two hours later than scheduled, the home team fell into early trouble by losing Quinton de Kock (0) and Rilee Rossouw (10) inside the first 10 deliveries. Batting at number three, Markram made 14 before becoming the third wicket to fall in the fourth over leaving his side on 40 for three.

Miller was in next and stopped the slide at one end, although wickets continued to tumble around him with Reeza Hendricks (21 off 12 balls) following and Heinrich Klaasen (1) and Wayne Parnell (4) not too far behind, South Africa reaching 79 for six in the ninth over.

That signalled the arrival of Magala, who carted two sixes and a four on his way to helping Miller put on 47 in just 13 balls. The latter was dismissed with two balls to go following an innings that saw him strike four fours and three sixes, which helped set the visitors 132.

The Proteas claimed four wickets during the first 5.4 overs, but West Indies scored at an alarming rate during this period. Kyle Mayers fell for six to the unusually expensive Bjorn Fortuin (1/42), but Brandon King (23 off 8 balls), Nicholas Pooran (16 off 7 balls) and Johnson Charles (28 off 14 balls) were flying in that period.

Once they fell, their side was on 76 for four. Rovman Powell then kept his cool with an unbeaten 43 off 18 balls, and despite a late double strike by Magala, the islanders kept their cool to complete the job and move 1-0 ahead in the three-match series.
Match two takes place at the same venue on Sunday.

Proteas T20I squad against West Indies
Aiden Markram (captain, Momentum Multiply Titans), Quinton de Kock (Momentum Multiply Titans), Bjorn Fortuin (DP World Lions), Reeza Hendricks (DP World Lions), Marco Jansen (Dafabet Warriors), Heinrich Klaasen (Momentum Multiply Titans), Sisanda Magala (DP World Lions), David Miller (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Lungi Ngidi (Momentum Multiply Titans), Anrich Nortje (Dafabet Warriors), Wayne Parnell (Six Gun Grill Western Province), Kagiso Rabada (DP World Lions), Rilee Rossouw (ITEC Knights), Tabraiz Shamsi (Momentum Multiply Titans), Tristan Stubbs (Dafabet Warriors).

South Africa KFC T20 International Series against West Indies

Saturday, 25 March
South Africa lost to West Indies by three wickets – SuperSport Park, Centurion

Sunday, 26 March
South Africa vs West Indies – SuperSport Park, Centurion

Tuesday, 28 March
South Africa vs West Indies – DP World Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg

[Submitted by Kevin Rademeyer]

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15 Mar 2023
JOHANNESBURG: Temba Bavuma produced his best century for the Proteas to ensure they went to stumps on day three of the second Betway Test against West Indies in the pound seat at the DP World Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg on Friday.

JOHANNESBURG: Temba Bavuma produced his best century for the Proteas to ensure they went to stumps on day three of the second Betway Test against West Indies in the pound seat at the DP World Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg on Friday.

Nearly six weeks after delivering his best One-Day International ton against England in a crucial series win, the South Africa captain scored an unbeaten career-best 171 off 275 balls (20 fours) to almost single-handed carry his side into a strong position.

They reached the close on the third day with a total of 287 for seven thanks in the main to Bavuma, whose magnificent performance took the hosts’ lead to 356 after they were in a precarious position early on. His main support came from Wiaan Mulder (42) and Simon Harmer (19) to some extent, but the rest of the batters struggled.

The South Africans had started the day on four for none and they fell into early trouble when Dean Elgar (5) and Tony de Zorzi (1) both fell inside the opening half-hour, Kyle Mayers (2/25) causing the early damage.

That brought Bavuma in with the score on eight for two and a massive rebuilding job awaited. Things got even worse as the morning progressed with batter of the series thus far, Aiden Markram, edging Kemar Roach (1/54) behind to Joshua da Silva for 18.

It was 32 for three at that stage and another wicket fell 37 runs later when Ryan Rickelton (10) edged Raymon Reifer (1/36) to the West Indian wicketkeeper as the Proteas battled to string together any meaningful partnerships.

Then when Alzarri Joseph (2/49) next removed Heinrich Klaasen (14), the home side were reeling on 103 for five.

Bavuma was a spectator at the other end for most of that time, but he finally find support through Mulder as the pair added 103 for the sixth wicket to double South Africa’s score.

During the partnership Bavuma went to only his second Test century in 192 balls and he then picked up the pace to reach his 150 in another 62 deliveries as he shared an important 71-run stand with Harmer.

The skipper lost his partner a few overs before stumps when he was trapped leg before wicket by Jason Holder (1/35), but he remained unbeaten to leave the home side in a strong position.

Proteas Test squad against West Indies
Temba Bavuma (captain, DP World Lions), Gerald Coetzee (ITEC Knights), Tony de Zorzi (Six Gun Grill Western Province), Dean Elgar (Momentum Multiply Titans), Simon Harmer (Momentum Multiply Titans), Marco Jansen (Dafabet Warriors), Heinrich Klaasen (Momentum Multiply Titans), Keshav Maharaj (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Aiden Markram (Momentum Multiply Titans), Wiaan Mulder (DP World Lions), Senuran Muthusamy (North West Dragons), Keegan Petersen (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Kagiso Rabada (DP World Lions), Ryan Rickelton (DP World Lions).

South Africa Betway Test Series against West Indies

28 February – 04 March at 10:00
South Africa beat West Indies by 87 runs - SuperSport Park, Centurion

08 – 12 March at 10:00
South Africa vs West Indies – DP World Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg

[Submitted by Kevin Rademeyer]

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