Breaking News
My colleague Bobby Londt, who went to the UK to play cricket for six months and returned eight years later, sent me some stats on a youngster that played cricket with him at Barnsley. His name is Gary Balance, and he is tipped as a possible contender for the English one-day side, while some of the stalwarts are given a break.
Gary is a born and bred Zimbabwean – his parents decided to send him to the UK where his uncle, David Houghton, a formal Zimbabwe test cricketer, played an instrumental role in starting off his career.
Balance is a very apt surname for a batsman, if you ask me.
Bok Squad to Australasia
Hopefully, the inclusion of Zane Kirchner and Chiliboy Ralepelle has nothing to do with the recently announced quota system. Both are incumbent Boks who missed out through injury, and Ralepelle still has to undergo a fitness test.
Kirchner’s return was no doubt influenced by Willie le Roux’s uncertainty under the high ball in the last test against Argentina, and it seems that the suggestion we made on Monday may materialise, with Le Roux moving to the wing in place of Bjorn Basson. This will also make sense in view of Heyneke Meyer’s policy in consistency in selection.
Chiliboy had an excellent season for the Bulls, and as third hooker in the squad, they can possibly afford to give him some more time to recover. His fitness test is tomorrow. Ek hoop hy maak dit – sê nou net hulle kies vir Tian Liebenberg as hy nie fiks is nie?
Nick Mallett contends that Juandré Kruger needs to do more than just perform in the line-outs. At this stage, it is unlikely that Flip van der Merwe will be elected ahead of him, but a player like Franco van der Merwe would possibly place more pressure on Kruger than anyone else currently in the squad.
The Springbok squad of 28 players will depart for Brisbane via Sydney on Saturday afternoon. They play Australia on 7 September and New Zealand in Auckland on 14 September.
Curriebeker Koors
Ek dink ons ouer manne is meer passievol as die jongeres oor hierdie plaaslike kompetisie. Ons was hieraan uitgelewer tydens die sportboikotte teen ons land destyds, en die ou voorkeure en voroordele lê maar nog vlak onder die vel.
Die Leeus het skielik ‘n groot bedreiging geword vir die ander 5 spanne, en na verlede naweek se weghol-sege op Loftus, verstaan almal nou dat hulle eerste twee naelskraapse nederlae inderdaad net beklemtoon dat dit dalk nie ‘n geval was van die ander spanne wat so swak was nie, as dat die Leeus inderdaad verdien om hier te wees. Hul interessante spankeuse, veral die skuif van Willie Britz na slot, mag dalk net die WP verras, en met die tuisskare beslis die sestiende speler op die veld, gaan die Kapenaars Vrydagaand knor om bo-aan die punteleer te bly.
Die Griekwas se uitstappie Bloemfontein toe kan die ware toets vir hul skrumwerk wees, nadat hulle die Haaie en die WP verniel het. Ondanks die Griekwas se baie fisieke verdediging lyk dit, op papier altans, of die Cheetahs net té veel skietgoed agterlangs het, en waarskynlik daar die knoop gaan deurhaak.
Ek weet nie of die Bulle bly, of spyt is, dat hulle Saterdag eerder in Durban as in Pretoria speel nie. Sou hulle die naweek goed doen in die haaitenk, sal die ontvangs volgende week op Loftus dalk meer gul wees, as sou hulle reeds hierdie naweek daar gespeel het. Kyk, ek ken Loftus – daai mense staan bankvas agter hulle span, maar moet hulle nie skaam maak nie. Jy kan hulle teleur stel, en hulle sal dit nog aanvaar, maar moenie boedel oorgee nie – dan gaan jy moeilikheid kry. Die groot nuus is natuurlik dat Handré Pollard (Foto) sy Curriebeker buiging maak. Ons hoop regtig hy doen goed, met die oog op die toekoms, maar of hulle die ervare Haaie sal kan troef, betwyfel ek sterk.
Nou ja, die Akker is oop, “and my work here is done.”
Sien julle Maandag.
