Standard Bank Pro20 Blog

Fitting Climax to an amazing World Cup

Ant Sims — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 07:42:18 +0000

It was a fitting climax to what will go down as one of the most entertaining Cricket World Cups in history and there was no better place to watch it than in Mumbai itself.

You didn’t have to be at a stadium to find a vibe, you didn’t have to be an Indian supporter to know how much this meant to India and you certainly didn’t need any clichés talking about scripts and fairytale endings to dictate how Saturday was going to pan out.

Sri Lanka won the toss after the second time and chose to bat. Zaheer Khan got off to an excellent start and at one stage the pace ace’s figures read: 4-3-2-1, but Mahela Jayawardene consolidated for the visiting side with an unbeaten 103 off 88 as they set 274 in their allotted 50 overs.

When Virender Sehwag fell off the second ball of India’s innings and Sachin Tendulkar went out early, India held its collective breath. The streets of Mumbai and the stadium fell silent, but Guatam Gambhir was up for the challenge. Gambhir knuckled down and chipped away at the deficit, and was well supported by Virat Kolhi.

Kolhi was dismissed for 35 and that’s when MS Dhoni stepped in to play a captain’s knock. It was a tense chase with the runs required and balls left often being equal, but India held their nerve and won by four wickets to be crowned Cricket World Cup Champions.

When Dhoni hit a six to secure the winning runs, Mumbai – and the rest of India – erupted in an euphoric frenzy. People took the streets in cars, on bikes and by foot to wave their flags and celebrate the victory. Fireworks lit the sky like lightning and everyone was entranced by the victory.

India was more alive than usual and navigating through the streets by rickshaw was nearly impossible. People were dancing on top of cars waving their flags and randomly stopping cars to shake hands, hug, dance and share the joy that they all felt.

While the players may have scored the runs and taken the wickets to take them to the top of world cricket, Gary Kirsten’s role should not be underestimated. When he lifted the cup and hugged Tendulkar and the rest of the Indian team, you could see that this win meant as much to him as it does to the Indian team and the rest of the country.

At least one South African got to touch the world cup this year.

Not quite the greatest match ever, but definitely not just another game...

Nicole Sobotker — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 07:45:07 +0000

From the second India beat Australia in the second quarterfinal and ensured that they would face Pakistan in the semi-final at Mohali, the entire cricketing world was abuzz. Immediately the game gained a number of monikers – “the greatest match ever”, “the mother of all games”, “the final before the final”. There was intense discussion across social media as fans from both sides plotted on how to get tickets for the game and how to get to Mohali for the match. Face paint and body paint was prepared and war cries sounded out all over the internet. Opportunistic Indian media used the game as a platform to discuss the India-Pakistan political relationship and much was made of Pakistan Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani’s attendance at the match. Terms like “cricket diplomacy” flew around the news networks like a plague. Talks of Sachin’s possible 100th international century and an injured Shoaib Akhtar coming out to play were discussed at length.

But at 2:30 pm in Mohali today, all of that flew out the window. The anthems had been sung, hands had been shaken. Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar were out in the middle for India, ready to let cricket do the talking.

They got off to a flying start, Sehwag getting off the mark with a four for the sixth time in this World Cup and Sachin playing a slightly more sedate role, offering Sehwag the strike at will. It looked effortless as Sehwag hammered the ball, taking it in turns to hit the advertising boards at cover and midwicket. Gul, one of Pakistan’s top performers with the ball had a nightmare of a start as his second over conceded 21 runs, all with Sehwag on strike. But it was a brief blitz as he was out for 38 runs, off just 25 balls, in the sixth over, with the score already at 48-1.

Sehwag’s dismissal was a stutter, but a small one as Tendulkar began to take the lead, assisted ably by Gautam Gambhir, who hit two boundaries and ran hard between the wickets. He reached 27 off 32 balls before he was stumped as he danced down the track to Hafeez.

Virat Kohli came in to bat, but his recent form wasn’t reflected as he looked ill at ease out in the middle. His innings lasted just 21 balls before he hit a length ball straight to Umar Akmal at backward point off the bowling of Wahab Riaz. By this time, Sachin Tendulkar had scored 60 runs and had been dropped twice. The score was 141-3.

Yuvraj, India’s man of the tournament with bat and ball, came to the crease and was bowled by Riaz for a golden duck. Wahab, who had been looking threatening all day, was on a hat-trick and India had hit a roadblock. Dhoni allayed fears and looked to be aggressive as he got two slightly lucky fours behind the wicket. But the Pakistan spinners had done well at restricting the rate after the early blitz, and when Tendulkar finally fell on 85 in the 37th over, 15 runs short of his 100th international century, the rate was just pushing 5 runs per over. From there some attacking batting by Raina, helped by Dhoni and a late Harbhajan cameo took India to 260-9 in their 50 overs. Again, it was 30 runs short of where it looked to be headed after their flying start. Wahab Riaz had given a standout bowling performance with an amazing spell of 5-46. Pakistan had definitely given themselves a chance.

India had dropped Ravichandran Ashwin to play three seamers, expecting bounce from the Mohali wicket. But they were disappointed as the wicket proved to be relatively slow. India had had bowling concerns throughout the tournament, and with an inconsistent and impetuous but very aggressive Pakistan top four, they would have felt worried in the first few overs of Pakistan’s innings. Their chase started off confidently as Hafeez and Kamran Akmal hit boundary after boundary in the first few overs.

When Akmal fell to Zaheer’s slower ball in the 9th over, the Indian team looked delighted, and their delight was compounded when Hafeez was caught behind attempting a paddle sweep, with the score at 70-2.

The middle overs were a long struggle as the Pakistan middle order attempted to stay at the crease then saw the increase in required run rate and perished while trying to bring it down. Boundaries dried up completely, with Pakistan reaching just 104 at the halfway mark. Misbah ul Haq, in particular, struggled as he attempted to steady the chase but succeeded only in placing great pressure on his partners at the other end. Umar Akmal played a blazing quick innings of 29, with 2 sixes and 1 four, off just 24 balls. But when he was bowled by Harbhajan, with 119 runs still to get off 103 balls, Pakistan looked to be out of batsmen and hope. Even more so when power hitter Abdul Razzaq was dismissed for just 3. Afridi came to the crease and tried to be the aggressor while Misbah remained steady at one end. He scored 19 off 17 balls before he was caught off a Harbhajan full toss. The game looked to be India’s to lose. And so it was, although some sloppy bowling and a last minute blitz from Misbah sent flutters of concern rippling through the capacity crowd at the PCA Stadium in Mohali. In the end, a lack of aggression and some smart bowling by India’s seamers and Harbhajan Singh sealed a 29 run victory to put India through to the World Cup final against Sri Lanka on Saturday in Mumbai.

The game was by no means a master class in cricket – even with his 86, Sachin looked patchy and unsteady at the crease. Pakistan had dropped him four times, and a few other catches besides. India’s fielding was hardly at their best today. There were some questionable referrals on both sides today and it seemed that neither team had gotten the UDRS memo: don’t question Simon Taufel’s decisions. Ever. He proved to be accurate as ever today, getting every LBW shout correct and demonstrating why he is so highly regarded as the best umpire in the world. In the end, it was all about the result of this marquee match, the biggest game of the tournament, and India kept their unbeaten record against Pakistan in five World Cup encounters. Importantly, the spirit of the game was clean, and after its intense media build up, the on field conduct from both sides was superb.

Afridi was gracious at the post match presentation, full of praise for his bowlers and acceptance that the batting had failed them again. He thanked the crowd and bowed out of the tournament with grace and class. Dhoni admitted that the team had read the pitch entirely wrong and that the win was something of a relief.

Despite this match’s label as the real final, no trophy was handed out today and Dhoni and Kirsten’s Indian team will now travel to Mumbai to face Sri Lanka in the first ever all Asian World Cup final. The match has already been spoken about in terms of “scripts” – Sachin on 99 hundreds, Muralidaran bowing out of the ODI arena, both in their last World Cup match. One game left and the world champion will be decided. India or Sri Lanka. Sachin or Murali. But for today, the party in India continues as though they’ve won after a victory over their local rivals. Not the greatest game ever, but definitely not just another game of cricket.

Last Party at the Premadasa

Nicole Sobotker — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 08:05:55 +0000

Sri Lanka (220-5, Dilshan 73, Southee 3-57) beat New Zealand (217, Styris 57, Mendis 3-35) by 5 wickets, with 13 balls to spare.

The first semi final’s most remarkable feature was its designation as Muttiah Muralidaran’s (Murali’s) last ODI in Sri Lanka. The match itself inspired some uneasiness – most were doubtful that New Zealand could repeat the performance against South Africa that saw them reach the semi final but weary of a semi-final upset against Sri Lanka, in Sri Lanka. The match started out an even contest when Vettori won the toss and elected to bat on what was touted to be the slowest and lowest pitch in this World Cup. It was clear that a small total would be defendable on this ground, and the BlackCaps would have been hopeful as they stepped out to bat.

They got off to a decent start, despite the early loss of Brendon McCullum, who failed to impress in this World Cup. Guptill and Ryder had a good start at building a partnership before Guptill was bowled by a Malinga Yorker and soon afterwards Ryder fell to Murali, leaving the score at 84-3. Thereafter an engaging partnership between Ross Taylor and Scott Styris played out, with Styris scoring a measured and smart fifty while Taylor played the supporting role. When Taylor fell after their 77 run stand, Williamson went after the bowling and scored a quickfire 22. It looked as though New Zealand were in for a big score. Then Williamson fell LBW to Malinga, an LBW that Hawkeye showed would’ve hit the very middle of middle stump. Seven balls and one six later, Nathan McCullum fell for 9 to Malinga’s slower ball, which just found the edge of his bat. Soon thereafter Styris was out LBW to Murali, who had been getting remarkable turn off the pitch. That was Murali’s last ever ball in an ODI in Sri Lanka, and it got him a wicket. It was poetic and fitting for one of the game’s all time greats, a talisman player whose sportsmanship, intensity and broad smile could fire up the dullest of games. Four balls thereafter, Jacob Oram picked out Jayawardena at the long on fence, trying to smash Dilshan for six. Tim Southee and Andy McKay completed the collapse of 6-25 when they fell to Mendis in the space of three balls. What looked like 250 after 40 overs because 217 all out with 7 balls to spare and New Zealand were on the back foot. To win, they would have to top their performance against the Proteas in the quarterfinal.

Tillekeratne Dilshan and Upul Tharanga, the opening pair who demolished England in their quarterfinal with a record breaking partnership and 10 wicket win, looked solid as they put on 40 runs in 7 overs. Two balls later Tharanga lashed at a wide-ish ball from Tim Southee and Jesse Ryder took an astounding catch at point. After that, New Zealand had relatively little to cheer about for a long time as Dilshan and captain Kumar Sangakkara put on 140 in 152 balls. The game looked out of New Zealand’s grasp. But when Dilshan was caught by Ryder (off the bowling of Southee, again) for a steady 73 off 93 balls, and Jayawardena fell soon after for 1, Sri Lanka’s brittle and untested middle order was exposed. The game looked even more precarious as Sangakkara fell soon after Jayawardena and Chamara Silva lost his wicket cheaply when he chopped a delivery from Southee onto his stumps. At that point, chasing 218, Sri Lanka were 185-5, with 33 runs still to get and the possibility of being bowled out. An injured Angelo Mathews came out to bat with Jayawardena as his runner. But the excited crowd of the Premadasa would have little more to fear as Mathews played attacking cricket, scoring 14 off just 18 balls. Mathews and Samaraweera were helped by some poor bowling and sloppy fielding at the death from the Kiwis, but in the end the win was convincing and the score chased down with five wickets in hand and 2.1 overs to spare.

Vettori was pragmatic about the loss, especially in light of New Zealand never being considered as contenders for the title, and the Black Caps will undoubtedly go home a proud team with their first World Cup knockout win under their belts.

It was hardly a semi final for the ages, but it sets up the final perfectly – an all-Asian final featuring the old guard of Sangakkara, Jayawardena and Muralidaran against either Pakistan or India, something which will be decided in what is already being called “the mother of all games” and “the greatest match ever”. For Sri Lanka it will be their second consecutive World Cup final appearance and they will give themselves a great chance to reclaim the trophy they won in the subcontinent in 1996. The question that remains is who they will face, and against which backdrop, something we’ll know 24 hours from now when the glory and hype of the Mohali semi final has played itself out.

A Nation’s Heartbreak

Nicole Sobotker — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 07:32:52 +0000

New Zealand 221-8 (Ryder 83, Morkel 3-46) beat South Africa 172 (Kallis 45, Oram 4-39) by 49 runs.

On paper it looked to be the most mismatched of all four quarter finals. The best balanced side in the tournament, with what was unmistakeably the best bowling line up, against a team who had confident wins against Pakistan and Zimbabwe but failed against Sri Lanka and Australia. Ross Taylor’s blazing century against Pakistan aside, there was little to suggest that this Black Caps side was poised to set the tournament alight.

And then there were the Proteas. Robin Peterson, dismissed by many as an “also ran”, who quickly gained the respect of fans and opposition with his match winning innings against India and game changing performances with the ball. Imran Tahir, who changed the face of the South African side with his beguiling and masterful leg spin. Dale Steyn, whose bowling performances at the death had already struck fear into the hearts of the Indian, West Indian and English middle order. At the top of the order, there was little to cheer about, but with so much talent, it seemed inevitable that the batsmen would come through, eventually. Graeme Smith, once ranked #1 in the ICC ODI rankings. Hashim Amla, the current #1 ODI batsman. AB de Villiers, ranked #2. Jacques Kallis, the best all rounder of the modern game. With these four at the top, the Proteas must have felt that any total was theirs to set or chase.

It began at the toss, when Vettori won and put the Proteas into bat. Smith’s disappointment was palpable as he once again mentioned the importance of runs on the board in a knockout game, but the troops rallied and were ready to take the field. And take the field they did, with Peterson striking in the third over to remove Brendon McCullum with a stunning catch off his own bowling, and Steyn removing Guptill in the 6th, reducing New Zealand to 16-2. The Proteas didn’t know it then, but the turning point of the match was about to come to pass. With the early stutter behind them, Jesse Ryder and Ross Taylor started sedately, knocking singles around and scoring at just over 3 an over to see off the mandatory powerplay and then the bowling powerplay. Their 50 partnership came off 71 balls, but what was important was that they were riskless, picking up runs where they could and the odd boundary where it was available. South Africa were good in the field, restricting runs in the infield and stopping balls in the outfield, but Taylor and Ryder soldiered on, putting on 114 in 162 balls before Taylor was dismissed, with a great catch by Kallis off Tahir’s bowling. Their partnership was monumental in giving New Zealand a defendable total and it allowed Styris to come in and play a handy cameo innings of 16 off 17 balls before he was dismissed. When Ryder fell to Tahir for 83 off 119 balls, a few overs later, with the score at 156-5, the Proteas looked re-energised and ready to go in for the kill, but some gritty batting by the young Kane Williamson and small additions by the lower order helped New Zealand to 221-8 in their 50 overs. With the platform provided by Taylor and Ryder, South Africa at one stage may have been looking at a chase of 250 or even 270, but relatively good bowling and an all round competent fielding performance looked to have put them in prime position to win the game. Tahir’s two wickets had proven vital as he removed Taylor and Ryder, and Morkel created a middle order collapse with his piercing line and length, with Steyn getting a wicket at the end to complement the wicket he took at the start of the innings.

The South African chase started poorly when Amla got an inside edge which bounced off McCullum’s boot and was caught at slip on the final ball of the first over. A freak wicket, and an unfortunate end for Amla, who had been South Africa’s go-to batsman under pressure. Kallis and Smith looked to steady the ship, keeping up with the rate as they put on 61 runs before an expansive shot by Smith saw him caught at cover, with the score at 69-2. That was Jacob Oram’s first wicket, and it was to be the beginning of one of his career best displays in the field. AB de Villiers and Jacques Kallis looked set to cut the chase down considerably before Kallis smashed a ball to the deep midwicket boundary which looked to be six until Oram ran around to take the catch of the game, and create the turning point for the match. It was 108-3, but from there, the nerves looked ever-present in the Proteas camp. At 121-4, Duminy was bowled by McCullum for three, and a few balls later Faf du Plessis took off on a suicidal run that ended AB de Villiers’ innings of 35 off 40 balls. A mid-pitch altercation between the Black Caps’ 12th Man, Kyle Mills, and du Plessis demonstrated just how high tensions were out in the middle and they increased tenfold when Johan Botha was bowled (by Jacob Oram) for 2, with the score at 128-6. A few overs earlier, the Proteas had looked to be cruising, but with Peterson and du Plessis out in the middle, it was crunch time and the responsibility all seemed to fall on this partnership. It was not to be, and Robin Peterson, SA’s saviour against India, fell for a duck (to Jacob Oram) with the score at 132-7, and 90 runs needed for victory off just 94 balls. Dale Steyn came out and tried to make a go of it, hitting a confident four before being caught (by Jacob Oram) off the bowling of Nathan McCullum for 8. 146-8 it was then, and Morkel and du Plessis tried their damndest to set up a partnership, Morkel trying to hold up one end while du Plessis attempted to farm the strike. They gave Proteas fans the world over a smidgen of hope as they added 26 runs at a decent rate, but when du Plessis was caught by Southee off the bowling of – who else – Jacob Oram, with the score on 172-9, it was all but over and the resistance of the numbers 10 and 11 didn’t last long as Morkel fell without adding anything more. 172 all out and New Zealand had sealed a stunning victory, their fourth over South Africa in a World Cup and their first World Cup knockout win. They now face a semi final against the winner of tomorrow’s quarter final between Sri Lanka and England, and will feel proud of having progressed, having not been given much chance by experts or a majority of cricket fans.

For the Proteas, having dominated the Group stages, it was a bittersweet day – one where the bowlers could hold their heads high, having performed admirably, but where another disappointing chase under pressure meant another World Cup knockout exit and the giant monkey still firmly implanted on their back. With fans and opponents readying their barrage of c-word comments, the sense of schadenfreude of watching the Proteas see another World Cup trophy slip through their grasp will be strong in many parts of the world tonight.

For many, this will be a sad exit – Jacques Kallis, playing in his last World Cup, with only his 69 against India to hold onto as a memorable performance. Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel, who have laboured tirelessly and consistently with the ball to restrict teams and bowl them out. The spin attack of Tahir, Peterson and Botha, whose hold over the middle periods was something to behold for fans tired of watching run fest after subcontinental run fest. AB de Villiers who has been unlucky more than once in this World Cup and has looked in terrific touch throughout, injury and all.

In a tournament of surprises, this will certainly number among the biggest upsets, and Proteas fans who had dreams of seeing the green and gold in Mumbai on April 2nd will sleep disappointed tonight. Another early World Cup exit, and a myriad of questions for Graeme Smith and the rest of the team to mull over on the long flight home.

Clinical Proteas

Ant Sims — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 07:47:21 +0000

The Proteas treated their supporters to yet another clinical performance as they crushed Bangladesh by 206 runs to send the co-hosts crashing out of the World Cup while South Africa rocketed to the top of Group B.

South Africa decided to rest Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel and AB de Villiers, which might have given Bangladesh some hope.

However, Hashim Amla (51), Graeme Smith (45), Jacques Kallis (69) and Faf du Plessis (52) all contributed handy runs to help guide South Africa to 284 for eight while Robin Peterson continued his tremendous form with a quick fire cameo of 22 off nine down the order.

Lonwabo Tsotsobe made his time out in the middle count as he rattled the Bangladesh top order by dismissing both openers for under 10 as the hosts slumped to 21 for four. Trouble kept on coming for Bangladesh as both Peterson and Botha chipped in with a couple of wickets.

The home-side managed to crawl past 58 much to the delight of the supporters who stuck around, but the Proteas were clinical and Bangladesh were soon all out for 78.

Peterson picked up four for 12 while Tsotsobe finished on three for 14 and bagged the man of the match award.

South Africa will face New Zealand in the quarters and will have to guard against over confidence while the selectors face the tough task of who to play against the Black Caps.

Those who have taken a look at how the quarterfinals are set out know that there is a potential semi-final against Australia looming. If you weren’t nervous during the group stages, you might be soon, but as he clichéd saying goes: “let’s do it one game at a time”.

Forever Proteas.

Cobras build fortress at home, and bring back the crown...

Nicole Sobotker — Sat, 19 Mar 2011 08:44:48 +0000

The setting could not have been more suitable. A domestic final at Newlands, on a crisp Cape Town day, with no chance of weather interrupting play. A Friday before a public holiday to get the South African public in the mood. Interest in cricket high, thanks to the Cricket World Cup in the subcontinent. And for once, the Standard Bank Pro20 final looked to be contested by two teams who were genuinely the best overall performers in the tournament.

The Cobras came into the final with two heartening semi-final wins under their belt – one where they thrashed the Titans at Newlands by chasing down their modest score in under 15 overs, and another at Centurion where they stayed calm under pressure to chase down a massive 221 to secure their place in the final. The sterling batting performances of Richard Levi, Herschelle Gibbs and overseas player Owais Shah provided some relief for their erratic bowling line up, in which no bowler has performed consistently. Under Captain Justin Kemp, the Cobras were undefeated at home in this Pro20 season, and with a home final, looked to be favourites.

The Warriors had two closely contested semi finals, one at home at which came down to a last over chase and another which came down to the last ball against the dangerous but inconsistent Dolphins at Kingsmead. The Warriors have been a consistent side with a strong line up, boasting the pinpoint accuracy of death bowler Rusty Theron and the powerful and mature batting of Davy Jacobs and Mark Boucher, who had performed fantastically as a finisher for the Warriors throughout the season. With their first team line up hugely depleted due to national duty (including all rounder Jacques Kallis and their two opening bowlers, Wayne Parnell and Lonwabo Tsotsobe) the Warriors mostly produced true team performances this season, with every player chipping in. Coming off the 2010 season where they won both the 40-over domestic competition and the Standard Bank Pro20 and reached the final of the lucrative Champions League, they would have been confident that their players had the talent and temperament to take on the Cobras at their home fortress and win.

In some ways, it was a revenge game, the Warriors having knocked the Cobras out of the Pro20 competition last year, mostly thanks to the death bowling heroics of Rusty Theron. The loss denied the Cobras the chance to play in the second edition of the Champions League, where they had been semi-finalists in 2009. For a side which had grown accustomed to being there come final day, it was certainly a shock.

With a capacity Newlands crowd which appeared to consist almost solely of Cobras supporters, the match had a carnival atmosphere before it had even begun. The Newlands pitch appeared to be firm and relatively flat, albeit a little slow, and both captains agreed that they would choose to bowl first, given the option. Jacobs won the toss and thus put the Cobras into bat, stating that he hoped to restrict them to 140 or below.

It soon became clear that both captains had misread the conditions. Within a few overs, the pitch displayed variable bounce, with a few balls staying low while others displayed considerable bounce. This was masked slightly by the assault of the Cobras openers, Levi and Gibbs, both of whom seemed to take the oft-used commentary cliché “dealing in boundaries” to heart. But when they were dismissed in consecutive balls (Gibbs in the final ball of the ninth, Levi in the first ball of the tenth) after a quick 88 run partnership, the Cobras’ speedy start began to look shaky. In came Owais Shah, who had guided the Cobras home on several occasions in the past season. His not out innings of 39 was invaluable and understated, even though it came at a strike rate of 150. The Warriors slow bowlers had tied the Cobras batsmen down in the middle overs by picking up wickets consistently. Strangely, the Warriors, usually a strong fielding unit, looked unreliable in the field, and Mark Boucher had an abysmal day behind the stumps, missing a regulation catch off the edge of Gibbs’ bat and a simple stumping. Ontong, Vilas and Kemp were all dismissed cheaply by the Warriors’ slower bowlers, who proved far more effective than the seamers (although it should be mentioned that Theron played with a slight injury to his hand and operated off a shortened run up). Philander played a useful run-a-ball cameo at the end in his partnership with Shah to carry the Cobras to a respectable 165, a score which looked low given the start they had gotten off to.

At the beginning of the chase, with the required run rate set at 8.4, the game might have looked even. But an economical first over by Langeveldt set the tone for the chase and the Warriors openers found themselves struggling to score boundaries at the start. Prince scored 21 off 13 before losing his wicket to a suicidal second run while Davy Jacobs laboured for 13 off 24 balls before he was given out LBW to Vernon Philander. Even some sloppy fielding on the boundary by Levi didn’t seem to matter as the Cobras scalped Prince, Jacobs and Boucher cheaply, leaving the Warriors reeling at 59/3 in the 11th over, with the required run rate up to 12.

Enter Jon Jon Smuts, who was the first Warriors batsman to look confident against the Cobras’ bowling attack. When his brother, debutant Kelly Smuts, came to join him at the crease, no one could have predicted what happened next. The Smuts brothers did in the middle of the innings what Levi and Gibbs had done in their start – looking to clear the infield and pick gaps, especially off balls pitched short. JJ scored 25 off just 23 balls, but it is his brother, Kelly, who truly warranted the fireworks on display at Newlands as he hammered the Cobras bowlers, who looked to be meandering towards a regulation win. Claude Henderson’s four over spell, in which he picked up a wicket and conceded only 14 runs, looked to be the nail in the coffin for the Warriors chase. But after JJ’s dismissal, and the subsequent dismissal of Thyssen off the next ball, Kelly and Justin Kreusch put together what could have been a match changing 82 run partnership off just 38 balls. Smuts, who was the top scorer in the game with 56 off just 32 balls, hit the ball cleanly, favouring the straight drive and lofted shots in the midwicket area. Kreusch dispensed with his usual sedate style and hit a destructive 29 off 15 balls. At one stage it looked as though the two were poised to steal a win from right under the Cobras’ nose. But some clever bowling changes from Kemp and the sheer pressure of runs proved to be too much, with the Cobras having 25 runs to defend in the final over. When Kreusch was bowled off the penultimate ball of the innings, it was already too late and the Cobras had sealed victory.

There was a resounding cheer from the packed Newlands stadium which had known mostly disappointment from the Cobras in the 2010 season, and it is fair to say that they earned their championship outright. Kemp credited the management staff for the Cobras polished performance, and Jacobs professed his pride at the Warriors performance in the tournament, overall. Both teams now look forward to the latter part of the year, which will bring with it the Champions League, a lucrative tournament which offers their players the opportunity to strut their stuff against domestic sides from other countries and possibly make a case for an IPL contract.

In the end, aside from a few dull overs, it was an engaging final, with two top sides battling it out to the death. The Cobras win was deserved, and it was certainly appreciated by the Newlands faithful. And with this the last Pro20 tournament to be sponsored by Standard Bank, it was a fitting end to a high scoring, tumultuous season.

Choke on that

Ant Sims — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 09:07:11 +0000

Saturday 12 March was exactly five years to the day since South Africa completed that run chase against Australia. The ghost of 438-9 past came to visit the India and Proteas clash in Nagpur as the World Cup continued to entertain while supporters continued to age about 10 year. Omens all-round.

India won the toss and chose to bat. No surprises, really. And, as expected, it was the Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar show as the two combined for a first-wicket partnership of 142. Tendulkar notched up his 99th international hundred (that’s in both Tests and ODIs).

Those in the know whispered that India have never won a World Cup match against a Test playing nation in which SRT scored a ton, but India were going along smoothly.

Super Sehwag added 73 and Guatam Gambhir 69 and it took until the 40th over for the gremlins to come out. Dale Steyn took five wickets and Robin Peterson chipped I n with two to dismantle the Indian batting attack.

Steyn finished with figures of five for 50 and India were all out for 296 in 48.4 overs.

Graeme Smith and Hashim Amla got off to a slow start, scoring just 41 runs in 8.3 overs. Smith was sent packing for 16 and Amla and Jacques Kallis lumbered on for a 86-run partnership. Kallis added 69 and AB de Villiers chipped in with 52, but it was only towards the end when things got a bit nervy and supporters were getting tense.

The Proteas needed 31 off the last three overs with four wickets in hand and Johan Botha hammered four and then six to help reduce the deficit. He was out straight after, though, and South African fans were back to biting whatever nails they had left.

The boys in green and gold needed 17 off 12 and it was up to Peterson and Faf du Plessis to do it. They managed just four off the 49th over, meaning 13 was required off six balls to win it. MS Dhoni opted to go with Ashish Nehra to bowl the final over.

Peterson seemed determined to redeem himself and back up his bowling as he started off the over with a four and followed it up with a massive six into cow corner. He dug out a yorker to take a couple and tie the match.

Robbie P sent South Africa into rapture as he slapped four through the covers and the ghost of 438-9 lived on.

Choke on that.

Record breaking run chase sees Cobras into the final

Shaun Custers — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 17:29:01 +0000

The Titans returned to their home ground seeking a victory in the second Standard Bank Pro20 semi-final against the Cobras, after losing the away leg in Cape Town.

The Titans could not have gotten off to a worse start as they lost Davids off the first ball of the innings, soon van der Merwe was sent packing with the score on 9 for 2.

Behardien joined Jacques Rudolph at the wicket and they very quickly built a partnership. Rudolph anchored the partnership while Behardien pushed on, going to his half-century off just 22 balls. Behardien eventually fell for 69 off 42 balls.

Albie Morkel picked up where Behardien left off, smashing the Cobra’s bowlers all over SuperSport Park… Then the lights went out. A power failure halted the Titans innings for thirty minutes but as soon as the lights came back on so the Titans batsmen pressed on.

Morkel smashed 71* from just 38 balls, his half-century coming off 19 balls… the score eventually settling on a massive 222. The second highest total in domestic Pro20.

Needing 223 for victory seemed an unlikely task…. The Cobra’s batsmen had other idea’s. Herschelle Gibbs fell early giving the Titans fans hope but Levi, Vilas and Shah all powered past their half-centuries.

The Cobras never fell behind the run rate as they went about chasing down the highest run chase in Pro20 history. The Titian’s bowlers had no clue on the evening.

The victory secures a home final for the Cobras against the Warriors.

Mixed bag of emotions

Ant Sims — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 07:34:34 +0000

South African fans across the country experienced a mixed bag of emotions as the Proteas lost for the first time in their World Cup campaign as England clinched a six wicket victory.

Those who got up to catch the start of the action at 6am were treated to a superb spell of bowling by Robin Peterson as Andrew Struass, Kevin Pietersen and Ian bell all fell cheaply and England were in a spot of bother at 15 for three.

Jonathan Trott and Ravi Bopara, however, steadied the ship and it wasn’t until a solid partnership that Trott was sent packing for 52 (off 123 balls). Bopara added 60 (off 149 balls), but the rest of the England batting line up were pale in comparison. Imran Tahir bagged four scalps and the Proteas skittled out their opposition for just 171.

Hashim Amla and Graeme Smith got off to a pretty slow start and it wasn't long before Graeme Swann sent the South African skipper back to the changeroom. Still, at 63 for one, South African fans all over thought they were still dead set for a victory but when Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers, Faf du Plessies ad JP Duminy were dismissed rather easily, some South African supporters’ pulses started to race.

At 124 for six it still seemed like an easy task, but the wickets kept on falling and pretty soon it looked like the tail would need to do the job. At one stage, South Africa needed 13 off 24, but Morne van Wyk lost his wicket and hearts across South Africa sunk.

With eight needed off 18 balls and two wickets in hand, some fans believed that it was still possible. Stuart Broad, however, had other plans and he wrapped the tail to help guide England to victory.

The reactions from fans were mixed, some were quick to pull out the chokers tag while others said that it was simply a collapse and evidence of the brittle middle order. Others were happy for South Africa to get their ‘choke’ out now and other simply credited England’s bowling.

Whatever you think of the game, it definitely raised the blood pressure a bit and proved that this World Cup is a competitive one with absolutely no place for complacency.

Last-ball Thriller: Dolphins v Warriors

Ant Sims — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 07:05:39 +0000

The Chevrolet Warriors booked their place in the Standard Bank Pr20 semi-finals after beating the Nashua Dolphins by four wickets in another last-ball thriller.

The Dolphins won the toss and chose to bat first at Kingsmead in Durban and Makhaya Ntini struck early to remove opener Cameron Delport for five. Some silly running saw Dolphin’s skipper depart just before the end of the fourth over and the home side looked shaky at 18-2.

The run rate ticket over slowly and the home side managed just 124 in their 20 overs thanks to some fine bowling by Ntini and Rusty Theron.

It should have been an easy chase, but when the Warriors lost two wickets in just two overs, the Dolphins got a sense of belief.
Ashwell Prince contributed 21, but it wasn’t until Mark Boucher came to the crease that sparks started to fly. The run rate started do climb for the Warriors as the Dolphins bowlers kept things fairly tight.

JJ Smuts played a nifty cameo and contributed a nifty 14 of 15 while Craig Thyssen played a blitzkrieg innings off 22 off just 13 to help the game go into the last over with the Warriors needing 10 off the last over.

The 6000-odd crowd were treated to yet another thrilling finish as the game went down to the last ball and it was Boucher who sealed the deal with a four.

Warriors book their spot in the Champions League as well as the Standard Bank Pr20 final against either the Cobras or the Titans.