Dolphins Captain Khaya Zondo was over the moon after an emphatic and clinical Momentum One-Day Cup semi-final display the Durbanites showed off against the Warriors Kingsmead last night. The men from KwaZulu-Natal crushed their opponents from the Eastern Cape by seven wickets and with more than 30 overs to spare to book a meeting against the formidable Titans in Sunday’s final. Zondo was thrilled by the way they performed, calling it a dream display by the joint defending champions.

Recalled batsman Aiden Markram admits that he was deservedly dropped from the Proteas squad a few weeks ago, but now hopes to make the most of his second chance when South Africa face Sri Lanka in their fourth one-day international in Port Elizabeth today. The 24-year-old lost his play in the ODI squad after a slow start to his career, which has seen him average a below-par 25.43 in 16 matches. It was a poor return for a player who averages well over 40 at domestic level and Markram says he was not hoping to make the most of his opportunity. Meanwhile, it has been confirmed that Markram’s fellow batsman Hashim Amla will miss the remaining matches of the series after being granted compassionate leave due to a family commitment. Reeza Hendricks has been recalled, and will join up with the squad ahead as his replacement. Proteas team manager Dr Mohammed Moosajee shed light on the situation.

Proteas captain Faf du Plessis hailed what he called a proper batting performance from his side after it helped set up a commanding series-clinching victory over Sri Lanka in Durban over the weekend. South Africa won by 71 runs on the DLS method at Kingsmead to take an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match sequence, with their latest win set up by Quinton de Kock’s 14th ODI century. It helped the hosts ram up a massive 331 for five, before restricting the tourists to 121 for five chasing a revised 193 in 24 overs. Du Plessis was satisfied with the Proteas’ showing.

Proteas fast bowler Lungi Ngidi says it is great to be back playing again, especially in the colours of his country, after spending more than three-and-a-half months on the sidelines due to a knee injury. The 22-year-old made a successful return to the South Africa XI as they thumped Sri Lanka by eight wickets in the opening one-day-international of five in Johannesburg on Sunday. Match two of the series is at Centurion today (Wednesday, 06 March 2019) and Ngidi says he is excited to be back just months before the World Cup.

Proteas spin bowler Imran Tahir says announcing his retirement from limited overs cricket after the Cricket World Cup has been the biggest decision of his life. Tahir says it is important for him to make way for other spinners in the country to stake their claim in the national team. Tahir revealed that his retirement was by mutual agreement with Cricket South Africa and that his goal is to make the Proteas squad for the upcoming World Cup. The 39-year-old Tahir will however still be available to play T20 cricket for the Proteas. Tahir feels that he is still strong enough to continue playing T20 cricket and will not just do it for South Africa but will also play in leagues around the world.

South Africa made a strong start to their one-day international series against Sri Lanka yesterday (Sunday, 03 March 2019) with a thumping eight-wicket win in Johannesburg. An 11th career century by Faf du Plessis led the way with the bat as the Proteas comfortably chased down 232 with more than 11 overs to spare. With the ball it was Imran Tahir and Lungi Ngidi who starred with three wickets apiece. It meant the hosts made solid start to the five-match sequence as they seek some redemption after a stunning Test series loss to the island nation. Captain Du Plessis was satisfied with their display at the Wanderers.

South Africa wicket-keeper Quinton de Kock conceded they were caught off guard after Sri Lanka enjoyed the better of the opening day of their two-match Test series in Durban yesterday yesterday. The Proteas were reduced to 17 for three early on, before recovering to post 235 at Kingsmead. The tourists then replied by reaching stumps on 49 for one and in the pound seat. De Kock was the saviour of the home side after he smashed 80 off 94 balls, but he conceded afterwards that it was not an ideal start to the game.

Sri Lanka captain Dimuth Karunaratne concedes that preparations for their Test series against South Africa have not been ideal due to off-field politics with their national board. He was speaking in Durban ahead of the first of two meetings with the Proteas. Things have been going from bad to worse in Sri Lankan cricket over the last few months, with the selectors sacked, the regular skipper Dinesh Chandimal dropped and plenty of other in-house wrangling taking place. Karunaratne says it has been tough to block out what has been happening.

Proteas Women’s captain Dane van Niekerk conceded that their seven run win against Sri Lanka in their One Day International playeds at Senwes Park in Potchefstroom didn’t come easy and gave credit to her death bowlers for winning the game for them. The Proteas had lost the toss and were made to bat posting 225 for 7 and they were able to restrict the visitors to 218 for 9. Van Niekerk says the win is important for her team as they take a one nil lead in the three match series. Van Niekerk believes that they have taken their winning form from a series whitewash in the T20 into the ODI’s and has urged her batters to put up their hands by posting high scores. Van Niekerk scored her maiden century as she struck 102 runs from 117 balls which included 5 fours and a six. The Proteas skipper says all she wants to do is contribute and do well for the team.

The Proteas began preparations for their two-Test series against Sri Lanka in Durban Saturday with rookie batsman Zubayr Hamza hopeful of getting another chance for his country against the tourists. The 23-year-old made his debut against Pakistan last month when he made scores of 41 and nought in the final Test in Johannesburg. Hamza is by no means guaranteed to play when the series against the island nations starts on Wednesday, but says he has been doing all he could in domestic cricket to try and force the selectors to look his way.

Proteas Women’s captain Dane van Niekerk believes the change in culture within the team and building for the future helped them tremendously in their three-nil T20 series whitewash against Sri Lanka. The South Africans secured their third victory of the series with a comfortable 39 run win at SuperSport Park in Centurion yesterday after wins in Cape Town and Johannesburg, respectively. Van Niekerk reveals they did some soul searching after their disappointing ICC World T20 Championship at the end of last year. Van Niekerk believes that exposure to the international stage for some of their players has helped instil confidence and belief in the team. Van Niekerk along with five of her teammates are playing in Australia’s Big Bash T20 competition and the Proteas skipper says is good exposure to international cricket and she is hopeful that more South Africans will join the competition in years to come.

Highveld Lions coach Enoch Nkwe is proud by the fact that he has managed to win two out of two titles in his maiden season at franchise level. But he says that restoring the pride of the Johannesburg-based team was far more important than personal glory. The 35-year-old led his team to the 4-Day Domestic Series title in dramatic fashion last Thursday. It was another gratifying moment for Nkwe so early in his career and followed hot on the heels of guiding his Jozi Stars to the Mzansi Super League title in December. But he remained modest about his achievements.

Stand-in captain David Miller was the star of the show as the hosts wrapped up the 2nd T20 International series with a seven-run win at The BidVest Wanderers stadium yesterday. In a rain-affected match, the Proteas finished their 20 overs having totalled 188 runs for the loss of just three wickets. Miller was top of the score board with an unbeaten 65 off 29 deliveries at the backend of the innings. The Proteas won by seven runs to clinch the three-match series 2-0 with the final game to be played at SuperSport Park on Wednesday. Here is Miller with his thoughts of the game.

Pakistan stand-in captain Shoaib Malik says he was told moments before the fourth ODI at Bidvest Wanderers that he would be leading the side after the four match ban handed to Captain Ahmed Sarfraz for racially abusing Proteas all-rounder Andile Phehlukwayo. Malik says losing the last two games to the Proteas was irritating for the team and that the bowlers set the tone for their eight wicket victory against the South Africans.

Proteas captain Faf du Plessis says the racial slur saga involving Pakistan captain Ahmed Sarfraz during the second ODI in Durban on Tuesday is a matter that the International Cricket Council must handle. Du Plessis, though, says that players should be wary of the things they say especially matters of a racial nature in South Africa. The ICC is investigating the matter and Sarfraz seems set to continue playing and is likely to lead the team in today’s ODI at SuperSport Park in Centurion. Du Plessis also confirmed that the Proteas have forgiven Sarfraz for his comments even though they did not hear comments including allrounder Andile Phehlukwayo who the slur was supposedly directed at. Du Plessis stated that such comments are not to be taken lightly and should not be brushed under the carpet.

The Pakistan cricket team has closed ranks and refused to make comments about the racial slur saga that has engulfed their captain Ahmed Sarfraz. The 18-year-old fast bowler Shaheen Afridi was left to face the media at SuperSport Park in Centurion today, the day before the third ODI but Afridi refused to answer questions on whether Sarfraz would be available for tomorrow’s match. A member of the Pakistan management present at the press conference tried to stop journalists from asking questions about the Sarfraz incident and said they “don’t know what is going on". Afridi says the team is not disappointed at losing the second ODI against the Proteas in Durban on Tuesday and that they are prepared for the third match in Centurion today.

Andile Phehlukwayo described his performance as the best in a Proteas jersey after starring with bat and ball as South Africa levelled their five-match one-day international series against Pakistan with a five-wicket win in Durban last night. The young all-rounder first claimed four for 22 with the ball as the tourists were shot out for 203. He then hit an unbeaten 69 off 80 balls and shared in an unbroken 127-run partnership with Rassie van der Dussen, who made 80, as the hosts won with 48 balls to spare. Phehlukwayo was over the moon afterwards.

Proteas opener Reeza Hendricks has defended their batting in the opening one-day international against Pakistan over the weekend, saying everyone is ready to bounce back and level the five-match series when the second game takes place in Durban today (Tuesday, 22 January 2019). South Africa lost the first game by five wickets in Port Elizabeth, a performance which drew criticism for their batting on a slow St George’s Park pitch. They only managed a score of 266 for two and were blasted for not showing more intent. But Hendricks defended the way they played.

Proteas fast bowler Duanne Olivier feels like he has cemented his place in the team after his series conquering 24 wickets against Pakistan in the recently concluded three match series. Olivier had come into the Proteas set-up after an injury to Vernon Philander prior to the opening Test of the series and the Knights bowler has not looked back since. Olivier came within one wicket of equalling Charlie Llewelyn 116 year old record of taking 25 wickets in a three Test match series. But the Knights bowler says he wasn’t focused on the record but rather on doing the basics right.

Proteas stand-in captain Dean Elgar says his side achieved their goals with a 3 nil series whitewash of Pakistan after winning the third and final Test by 107 runs at the Bidvest Wanderers Stadium today. Elgar says that while they had always anticipated that Pakistan would be a stubborn opposition, they had always backed themselves to do well in the series. The Proteas have now jumped up to second place on the ICC Test rankings, six points adrift of first placed India and two points ahead of England who are in third place.Elgar believes the Proteas have shown improvements since their last series at home against Australia last year and cited their ability to adapt to conditions particularly in having a bowling attack with four seamers and without a spinner. At the same time Elgar says there is still room for improvement especially for their batsmen who need to start scoring centuries.

Dolphins coach Grant Morgan says that blooding young players for next season is his main priority over the next three games of their 4-Day Domestic Series after their chances of winning the title ended earlier last week. The Durban side lost to the Lions on Monday, 07 January 2019, to stay rooted to the bottom of the table. It has been a forgettable campaign on the whole and Morgan says the luck they had in the last game summed up their competition thus far.

Cape Cobras batsman Zubayr Hamza is relishing the opportunity of making his Test debut for the Proteas in the third Test against Pakistan at the Bidvest Wanderers Stadium on Friday. The 23-year-old Hamza could come in for suspended captain Faf du Plessis and while not getting ahead of himself, Hamza admits that he is excited at the prospect of being named in the team.

Ahead of the third and final test against Pakistan, starting on Friday (11 January 2019) at the Wanderers in Johannesburg, the Proteas’ coach Ottis Gibson says that if South Africa want to be the number one test nation in the world, they must make their home a fortress. South Africa beat Pakistan by 9 wickets in the second test at Newlands on Sunday (06 January 2019) to go 2-0 up in the three match series, their seventh consecutive home series win. Gibson says they are proud of their home record, and he would like to see them continue the trend in the final test, and in the series against Sri Lanka that follows.

The cricket services manager at Cricket South Africa (CSA), Edward Khoza has insisted that his organisation will continue to support the annual Ngumbela Cricket Tournament. The event is organised by Eastern Cape businessman Mthetheleli Ngumbela and is played at Ngumbela Park in Healdtown from mid-December until the first week of January. Khoza was speaking after Saturday’s (05 January 2019) final where Township United Brothers from Ntselamanzi in Alice beat Fear Not from Healdtown by three wickets. Ngumbela said he was both pleased and happy with the success of the tournament and the way it was supported, people came from as far as Port Elizabeth and East London. The former CSA chief executive officer Gerald Majola, Boxing South Africa (BSA) manager in Port Elizabeth Mthunzi Mapitiza and former Premier Soccer League (PSL) general manager Ace Ncobo were among the spectators.

South Africa’s inaugural Mzansi Super League season concluded this past weekend and the competition has been hailed as a huge hit by some of the biggest names that participated. The Twenty20 competition, introduced as the country’s version of the Indian Premier League and Big Bash League in Australia, has been described as a gold mine by England batsman Dawid Malan, who captained runners-up the Cape Town Blitz during the early part of the campaign. The opener was one of six marquee international names that participated alongside the likes of Chris Gayle, and says the tournament has immense potential.

Yesterday saw the first inaugural Mzansi Super League T20 series come to an end when the Jozi Stars won the final at Newlands. Having only been announced by Cricket South Africa just over two months ago, the MSL started on the 16th of November at the very same Newlands, and yesterday’s final was the 32nd match played in the competition. Cricket South Africa CEO Thabang Moroe says he is a happy. Around 11 000 fans were in attendance at yesterday’s final, and Moroe says it has been wonderful to see the growth of the tournament throughout the competition. Moroe says that if he had to rate their running of this first tournament, he would give themselves a six out of ten, and says that while there were problems, they managed to overcome most of them. He says the biggest obstacle they had was time, so he is hopeful that next year’s edition will be even better. While there is currently six teams in the MSL, Moroe says that they would like to expand the league by two more teams.

The Cape Town Blitz are working hard at their preparation for Sunday’s Mzansi Super League final at Newlands. The Blitz qualified for the final by finishing at the top of the MSL league and will meet the winner between Jozi Stars and Paarl Rocks, who will play in the semi-final at the Wanderers tomorrow. Blitz coach Ashwell Prince says he is satisfied with how things are going and says they are pleased to have qualified for the final of this inaugural T20 competition. Prince says he does not feel playing the final at home adds any extra pressure, and hopes that the experience in the squad will be handy.

Khaya Zondo says there is still fire in the belly of his Durban Heat team as they prepare for one final Mzansi Super League showdown against the Tshwane Spartans tomorrow (Wednesday). The KwaZulu-Natal side are the only team with nothing but pride to play for after a woeful inaugural season of the competition. They were virtually knocked out by round seven, even though they boasted the best squad in the competition, on paper anyway. But since their exit one match was washed out, another they lost in the last over and a third saw them stun table-toppers the Cape Town Blitz. Zondo says they can draw plenty of confidence from that weekend result.

West Indies superstar Chris Gayle will play no further part in Jozi Stars' Mzansi Super League (MSL) campaign as he is leaving South Africa to attend his mother's funeral later this week. He will miss their final round robin game against Tshwane Spartans in Johannesburg today. Gayle is disappointed he will be leaving. Gayle played in Stars' opening match of the MSL before departing for a stint with Kerala Knights in the T10 League in Sharjah, India. He subsequently returned to South Africa and played three more innings for Stars, making just 20 runs in three games. He believes that MSL will grow from strength to strength

Tshwane Spartans fast bowler Lutho Sipamla says he is learning a lot from participating in the Mzansi Super League and is picking up valuable experience from playing with some of the more established players in world cricket. The 20-year-old Sipamla has been amongst the revelations of the tournament and has starred for the Spartans in their games in the absence of star Proteas bowler Lungi Ngidi. Sipamla, who plays his domestic cricket for the Warriors, has set his goals on playing for the Proteas in the not-too-distant future and is hopeful that his dream will come to reality but is not placing pressure on himself to do it in a specific time. Born and bred in Port Elizabeth and a former pupil at the famous Grey High School, Sipamla counts Proteas greats Makhaya Ntini, Mfuneko Ngam and Dale Steyn along with West Indian great Michael Holding and former Australian fast bowler Brett Lee as some of his role models. Sipamla says his love for the game started from an early age and he has always wanted to be a fast bowler.

Young Zimbabwe leg-spinner Brandon Mavuta has hailed the opportunity the Mzansi Super League has provided him, saying he is enjoying every moment of the experience thus far. The 21-year-old was one of the surprise names thrown up at the Player Draft back in October after being bought by the Durban Heat. He was one of three top-quality international spinners on their books, alongside Proteas ace Keshav Maharaj and global sensation Rashid Khan of Afghanistan. Mavuta says he is learning all the time from the duo. Grant Morgan, the coach of the Heat, was one of those that the youngster impressed.

England ODI and T20 captain Eoin Morgan is relishing the opportunity of playing for the Tshwane Spartans in their remaining do-or-die Mzansi Super League matches. Morgan arrived in the country yesterday and had his first training session with the Spartans today ahead of their encounter against the Paarl Rocks today at Centurion. Morgan accepts the weight of expectation on his shoulders coming in as an overseas player and is looking forward to helping his team get to the play-offs. The 32-year-old, who also played for his native country Ireland before switching to play for England in 2009, is looking forward to playing alongside former Proteas captain and Spartans captain AB de Villiers. Morgan has described De Villiers as one of the standout players of the current generation. Morgan believes the arrival of overseas players like himself later in the tournament provides exposure for many unknown young players within South Africa to make a name for themselves. Morgan cited the benefits the IPL has had for Indian cricket in unearthing new talent and believes it will be the same for South Africa in years to come.

Durban Heat assistant coach Imraan Khan says the mood in the camp of the Mzansi Super League strugglers remains high despite a woeful season thus far. The KwaZulu-Natal franchise face a do-or-die clash against the Nelson Mandela Bay Giants at Kingsmead today knowing that defeat will end their interest in this inaugural campaign of the Twenty20 competition. It will also represent a big disappointment considering that four games still remain in the round-robin stage. Their batting has been the big disappointment, but Khan has backed their players to turn things around. Khan is one of the most sought after players in world T20 leagues and has already played for the likes of Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL and the Adelaide Strikers in the BBL, both global competitions. Khan believes his x-factor will be a massive plus for the Heat heading into the game.

Former SA Under-19 World Cup winning and Tshwane Spartans fast bowler Corbin Bosch believes his career is back on track after being on the sidelines for eight months because of a foot injury. Bosch has been one of the standout bowlers for the Spartans in the Mzansi Super League since coming in through the back door after the tournament ending injury to Proteas seamer Lungi Ngidi. In the three matches played so far Bosch has picked up four wickets from 12 overs and conceded 91 runs. Bosch, who is the son of the late former Proteas player Tertius, says he has placed a lot of emphasis on his conditioning in trying to build up pace and wants be like Proteas fast bowler Dale Steyn and amongst the best in the world in the not-too-distant future.

Southern Kings coach Deon Davids says that they let themselves down during their 22-19 loss to Italian side Benetton Treviso in a PRO14 match played at the Madibaz Stadium in Port Elizabeth last night. This was the Kings’ ninth loss in 10 matches this season. Despite the loss Davids has said that he’s happy with how his players acquitted themselves in scrums, especially after Benetton had led 17-7 at half time

Tshwane Spartans captain AB de Villiers is expecting his team to continue on the winning trajectory when they face the top of the log Cape Town Blitz in their Mzansi Super League encounter in Centurion tomorrow. Fresh off a win against the Jozi Stars on Wednesday De Villiers says it is important for them to come out of their losing slump. De Villiers says they have made plans for both their bowling and batting departments that they will try to impose on the opposition and that it is important for them to peak at the right time in the competition. Losing fast bowler Anrich Nortje is a big blow for the Blitz says De Villiers but also believes they still have plenty of firepower in their bowling department with Proteas veteran Dale Steyn in their side.

Jozi Stars Pite van Biljon says there is no need to panic for the Johannesburg outfit even though they have only managed to win one game out of four in the Mzansi Super League. Van Biljon believes there is still sufficient time for the team to recover after they suffered a four wicket defeat at the hands of the Tshwane Spartans in Centurion on Wednesday (28 November 2018). Van Biljon also praised Spartans batsman Dean Elgar for his 79 runs off 52 balls innings saying that the Proteas batsman is one of the most consistent batsman in the country in all formats of the game.

Tshwane Spartans batsman Theunis de Bruyn says the team needs to gel if they are to remain relevant in the Mzansi Super League. The Spartans are currently lying at the bottom of the log with only one win from four matches. However De Bruyn says there is a good feeling within the team and the players are still enthusiastic about playing. The Spartans host the Jozi Stars in a Gauteng derby at SuperSport Park in Centurion this afternoon. De Bruyn, though, acknowledges that the team needs to perform as a collective and that will be fueled by individuals also coming to the party with good performances. De Bruyn admits that losing Proteas fast bowler Lungi Ngidi to injury at the beginning of the tournament has been a big blow and that he would have formed a formidable bowling combination with the likes of young seamers Lutho Sipamla and Corbin Bosch.

Cape Town Blitz captain Farhaan Behardien showed praise on batsmen Quinton de Kock and Janneman Malan for their match-winning 99 run partnership that saw the Cape side record a convincing 62 run bonus point win over the Jozi Stars in the Mzansi Super League at the Wanderers last night. The Blitz stopped just two runs shy of the 200 run mark and Behardien believes that is what laid the foundation for his team’s victory. The Blitz have now gone four matches unbeaten but Behardien says his side will not be getting complacent and still need to get over some major hurdles in order to feel that they are a strong unit.

Nelson Mandela Bay Giants captain Jon-Jon Smuts says it was a pity the rain and lightning interfered in their Mzansi Super League seven run win through Duckworth Lewis Method against the Tshwane Spartans in Centurion on Sunday. The Giants were restricted to 143 for 9 but duly hit back with ball in hand to pick up three crucial wickets and leave the Spartans stranded with only 35 runs on the scoreboard when lightning struck. Smuts says his side will need to capitalize on home ground advantage in their next three matches this week against the Cape Town Blitz on Tuesday, Paarl Rocks on Friday before facing the Jozi Stars on Sunday in Port Elizabeth.

Durban Heat captain Albie Morkel is hoping to build on their first win of the Mzansi Super League season when they travel to Port Elizabeth to face the Nelson Mandela Bay Giants tomorrow (Friday). The KwaZulu-Natal side overcame the Tshwane Spartans by 10 runs on the Duckworth/Lewis Method at Kingsmead last night (Wednesday) and will not be looking to pick up some momentum in what is their first away game of the exciting new Twenty20 competition. Morkel says most of the teams are still trying to find their range in these early games and he expects the clash with the Giants to be no different.

Proteas fast bowler Dale Steyn says the Mzansi Super League has got the national team players excited about playing domestic cricket again. Steyn, who is part of the Cape Town Blitz set-up, says that because of the heavy international schedule, the international players do not get a lot of opportunities to play domestically, and the MSL offers the Proteas player a chance to play with a little less pressure than they are used to at national level.

Cape Town Blitz will be looking for their third successive win in the Mzansi Super League tonight when they host the Nelson Mandela Bay Giants at Newlands. Ashwell Prince, the coach of the Blitz, says they are delighted to have got off to the start they did, especially considering they were far from full-strength when the competition started. Prince says the young players really stepped up in their opening win against the Tshwane Titans, while having Dale Steyn and Asif Ali in the team that beat the Durban Heat made them even stronger.

The Tshwane Spartans bounced back after losing their opening Mzansi Super League game, when they beat the Paarl Rocks team by one run in a high-scoring T20 game at Boland Park on Sunday evening. Batting first the Spartans set a big target, scoring 203 for the loss of 5 wickets. Opening batsman Gihahn Cloete top scored with 80, his opening partner Theunis De Bruyn hit 66, while AB De Villiers got 32. The Paarl Rocks took the chase right down to the last ball, but in the end fell one run short. Cameron Delport top scored for the Rocks team with 73. Man of the match De Bruyn says it was close call but a good win. On his of 66 off just 38 balls, De Bruyn says credit should to the groundsman for the great pitch. De Bruyn says there was a time mid the Paarl Rocks innings when Cameron Delport was firing, that he thought the game was getting away from them, but Delport’s wicket swung the momentum back. De Bruyn who arrived too late in Cape Town to play the opening game on Friday, says he has been really impressed with the vibe at the games so far, and thinks the Mzansi Super League is great for the country.

Captain Dawid Malan was delighted with the performance of the Cape Town Blitz after a sensational innings by Asif Ali guided them to a three-wicket win against the Durban Heat in their Mzansi Super League clash at Kingsmead Stadium. The Pakistan batsman destroyed the hopes of the hosts by blasting 80 off 33 balls to help his side reach a 158-run victory target with five balls to spare. It was a superb effort from Ali and ensured the Cape side ended the opening weekend of action with twin wins to move top of the table. Malan was predictably pleased afterwards. Apart from Asif Ali, the only other batsman to make a meaningful contribution was opener Janneman Malan with 31. Their star man with the ball was Anrich Nortje after he grabbed four for 32, his wickets coming within the space of seven balls. Two wins from the first two games in a new competition will certainly give the Blitz an advantage considering all the other sides are still searching for balance and combinations. And Englishman Malan hopes this will give them the edge as the competition progresses.

Proteas Women’s captain Dane van Niekerk conceded that soft dismissals and their inability to rebuild their innings cost them the game in their 31 run defeat at the hands of defending champions and hosts the West Indies in St Lucia. Chasing a modest 108 runs to win, the South Africans dramatically collapsed and lost nine wickets for 28 runs to suffer their first defeat of the ICC Women’s World T20 tournament. Van Niekerk says they panicked instead of keeping cool heads and rotating the strike when it was their time to bat and it is a problem that is self-inflicted. The Proteas had looked certain to reach the target when they were 48 for 2 after 11 overs but they collapsed to 78 all out in the 19th over. Van Niekerk knows that his side will now have to win their remaining pool matches against England and Bangladesh if they are to stand a chance of progressing to the semi-finals.

As the start of the Mzansi Super League T20 series draws nearer, Paarl Rocks fast bowler Dane Paterson says the team is excited to get going. While the tournament will kick off on Friday, Paarl Rocks will begin their campaign under Sunday when they host the Tshwane Spartans at Boland Park. Paterson says the team has been hard at work getting ready for the tournament. Paterson has been in great wicket-taking form this season for the Cape Cobras and he says he is happy with the patch he is going through.

Proteas Women’s fast bowler Shabnim Ismail believes that the team were always going to come out firing after a poor showing in their warm-up matches ahead of their ICC Women’s World T20 tournament opener against Sri Lanka in St Lucia. The Proteas showed none of the bad form they had coming into the tournament and showed great resolve to emerge with a seven wicket win over Sri Lanka to get their campaign off to the best possible start. Ismail performed exceptionally with ball in hand and finished with figures of 3 wickets for 10 runs in her four over spell. Ismail praised Marizanne Kapp and Dane van Niekerk for their match winning fourth wicket 67 run partnerships and said it showed the character of the team and gave them enough for the win.

Proteas Women’s captain Dane van Niekerk says they are only focused on their own road and what it is they want to achieve at the ICC Women’s World T20 tournament currently underway in the Caribbean. The Proteas won their first match of the tournament against Sri Lanka in the early hours of this morning (2am SA time). Van Niekerk says the winning is important in all their games and they feel upbeat after the England Sri Lanka game was called off due to rain on Saturday leaving both teams to share the points.

Proteas Women’s team allrounder Sune Luus believes that they can win the ICC Women’s World T20 tournament which begins on Friday in the West Indies. Luus says they have the full package to be title contenders but it will be important that they take the tournament game by game. The Proteas play their first game against Sri Lanka on Monday. Luus says it will be important for the Proteas to bounce back after losing their third consecutive warm-up match to Australia by 46 runs in Guyana yesterday. The Australians set a target off 131 but the Proteas were left on 84 or 9 after their allotted overs. Luus lamented their poor batting as the reason for their defeat.

Former Proteas fast bowler Kyle Abbott says he has no regrets over quitting international cricket in favour of a domestic career in England. It has been nearly two years since the 31-year-old opted to go the Kolpak route, which saw him swap South Africa for Hampshire. He has become an integral part of the English county team and was one of their star bowlers over the past two seasons. Abbott, who is back in the country to participate in the Mzansi Super League, reflected on his decision to leave, saying it was the right move.

Cricket South Africa appeared before the Portfolio Committee for Sports and Recreation yesterday, briefing the committee members on their annual report, financial statements, governance and the upcoming Mzansi Super League competition. President Chris Nenzani, Chief Executive Thabang Moroe, Director Beresford Williams and Acting COO Naasei Appiah were all part of the contingent who came to Parliament for the meeting. Moroe says he feels that the briefing went well. One of the big discussions points was the CSA’s projected loss of R654 million but Moroe says that this forecast is not taking the Mzansi Super League into account. With CSA’s main income being from international Future Tours programmes, Moroe says they are building stronger relationships with their international partners.

Proteas Women’s coach Hilton Moreeng says his team will need to keep on working hard ahead of the ICC Women’s World T20 tournament after watching them sink to a 17 run defeat against England in a warm-up match at Liberta Sports Club in Antigua. England made 139 for 8 in their allotted overs and they managed to keep the Proteas at bay after another poor batting performance from the South Africans. Moreeng says that batting remains his team’s biggest challenge and they will need to get some consistency particularly the middle order. Moreeng believes that his batters have the potential to set match winning targets and chase down any score set for them by the opposition. The Proteas will play their second warm-up match against India on Thursday and Moreeng says playing different opposition will beneficial for their preparation ahead of the global showpiece starting next week. Moreeng further added that a good start to the tournament will be crucial for his side and that they will need to use their warm-up matches as a build-up to peak at the right time.

Proteas all-rounder Chris Morris is looking forward to returning to the national fold after his latest injury lay-off that had kept him out for a large part of 2018. The 31-year-old injured his back during the Indian Premier League and, since then, has missed South Africa's tour to Sri Lanka and the recent home series against Zimbabwe. He is a key figure in South Africa’s 2019 World Cup plans and the selectors will be hoping he can make a significant impact upon his return. Morris is looking forward to it, admitting that it was also hard to ignore the global spectacle next year. Despite his immense ability and seemingly being around forever, Morris has only played 34 one-day internationals for the Proteas. His pace has produced 35 wickets in those games, while he also has nearly 400 runs. Injuries have played a big role in his limited role for his country and he admits that playing for South Africa remains the ultimate ambition for every cricketer.

Proteas fast bowler Lungi Ngidi has described his team’s relationship with that of the Australians as a competitive but civil one on the field. Tempers boiled over in the Australians last visit to South Africa earlier this year with a changeroom altercation in Durban before the ball tampering scandal in Cape Town. Speaking from Perth, Ngidi says being competitive while maintaining calm will be a big challenge on the tour. Ngidi is also relishing playing on the fast wickets in Australia but says he is wary of pre-empting the conditions before playing on them.

The new Mzansi Super League took off in Durban yesterday, (Friday, 26 October 2018) with the official launch of the Durban Heat cricket franchise on the Indian Ocean coastline. The blockbuster Twenty20 competition, which will be held from November 16 to December 16 and broadcast on SABC, is a South Africa’s version of the Big Bash League in Australia and the Indian Premier League. It has been a long time coming and Grant Morgan, who will head the KwaZulu-Natal team, cannot wait for the action to begin. CEO of the Durban Heat, Heinrich Strydom, was delighted with the overwhelming support for the team and the MSL T20 in general.

Former Proteas captain AB de Villiers says he has no plans of coming out of international retirement ahead of next year’s ICC Cricket World Cup. De Villiers made it clear that his focus is on playing good cricket for the Tshwane Spartans in the Mzansi Super League. De Villiers, who will captain the Spartans, was speaking at the team’s launch at SuperSport Park. De Villiers believes that the MSL has the potential to be a huge T20 tournament in the same way the Indian Premier League has been able to be a success. However, De Villiers says there needs to be a long term plan and there will probably be some teething problems in the inaugural tournament next month. De Villiers believes that the Spartans have assembled a tournament winning squad but says they will need to find the spark from within to live up to their potential. And even though De Villiers has retired from most forms of cricket besides playing T20 competitions around the world, the former Proteas super star admits that there will be pressure for him to perform and he is relishing the opportunity of entertaining the crowds and playing good cricket.

Proteas captain Faf du Plessis says they are expecting a hostile reception on arrival in Australia ahead of their three ODI and two T20 internationals series. Du Plessis has no doubt that the Australians will do their best to unsettle the Proteas but he says it is part of touring Down Under. Du Plessis says playing against the Australians gets the best out of his players with all the things that happen on and off the field. He acknowledges that there will be things thrown their way to distract them from cricket but the Proteas skipper says they will remain focused on playing a good and winning brand of cricket.

Proteas Women’s team captain Dane van Niekerk says her side can beat any team in world cricket but they have often been let down by their lack of consistency. Van Niekerk, speaking at the team’s departure press conference at OR Tambo International Airport yesterday, is hopeful that her team will click at the tournament and play an attacking brand of cricket. Van Niekerk alluded that the best bowling side will win the World Cup and has urged her batters to come to the party and compliment their bowling attack.

After a demoralizing tour of South Africa, Zimbabwe are now fully focused on their latest assignment against Bangladesh. Bangladesh are hosting Zimbabwe for a three-match one-day international (ODI) series followed by two Tests. The first ODI was played at Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium over the weekend, where the visitors lost by 28 runs. They will follow up with the second ODI which takes place in Zohur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chittagong on Wednesday. Zimbabwe’s former batsman, Edward Rainsford is in Bangladesh with the team and says ‘The Chevrons’ will have a totally different ball game going to the South Eastern coast. Rainsford also took time to applaud the recently launched Mzansi Super League which has seen some three Zimbabwean players, Sean Williams, Brandon Mavuta and Sikandar Raza earning contracts in the League. Rainsford says the league is the best thing to happen for cricket in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and Africa.

Proteas captain Faf Du Plessis, who will be leading the new Paarl Rocks franchise, is hoping for a successful inaugural Mzansi Super League. Speaking at the launch of the team, Du Plessis says it is important to have a good foundation this first year. He says while the tournament, which starts next month, has been hastily set up, he is hoping they can grow from strength-to-strength each year. Du Plessis is happy with the balance of the Paarl Rocks squad, and says if there are any areas they need to strengthen, they will do so when they replace players like Cameron Delport, who have become unavailable. Du Plessis is delighted to have the exciting West Indian Dwayne Bravo as their marquee player, someone he knows well from their time together at the Chennai Super Kings. He is also pleased to have Aiden Markram on board, and says having good openers like Markram and local-boy Henry Davids, who have already played together at the Titans, will be key to their success. Du Plessis says he is looking forward to playing at Boland Park, and says he hopes the fans from Paarl and Stellenbosch come out in their numbers to support the team.

Jozi stars coach Enoch Nkwe says the absence of Proteas and T20 superstar Chris Gayle for the first few games of the Mzansi Super League would not hamper the team much and is hopeful that they will be able to make a good start to the tournament. Nkwe believes that the cricket loving public, younger players and management of the Jozi Stars will gain immeasurably from the presence of Gayle in their team.

Former Proteas coach and NMB Giants coach Eric Simmons says they have all of the bases covered in terms of the different skills that players bring and the only department where they are found wanting will be their lack of an off spinner. Simmons says the reason why most of his squad is made up of local players is because of the time foreign players will spend not playing especially in the first few games of the tournament.

Proteas coach Ottis Gibson has confirmed that veteran batsman Hashim Amla will not be available to tour with the side to Australia next month. Amla is still recovering from a hand injury and Gibson says they will give him as much time to get himself ready for the upcoming series against Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Gibson says the recently concluded ODI and T20 series against Zimbabwe provided him with a lot of answers and given a lot of players an opportunity to impress on the international stage. The third and final T20 match against Zimbabwe was abandoned due to rain on Sunday at Willowmoore Park with the Proteas winning the series 2-0.

Proteas leg-spinner Imran Tahir has described winning the man-of-the-award after last night’s 34-run win over Zimbabwe at Buffalo Park in East London as a special feeling. Tahir took five wickets and conceded 23 runs in his allotted four overs in the first of the three T20 International matches against Zimbabwe. The 39-year-old says the five-wicket haul is a result of hard work he put at training practicing leg spin bowling and he adds that he is keen to learn more about the game.

Proteas spin bowler Imran Tahir says today’s Momentum One Day International (ODI) against Zimbabwe will give them clear indication if their match last week against the visitors taught them a new trick or two. Proteas’ host Zimbabwe at the Mangaung Oval in Bloemfontein. Last Sunday, South Africa stumbled to a five-wicket win in the first ODI against their neighbours at the Diamond Oval in Kimberley. Tahir had an impressive game this past Sunday after the Pakistan-born bowler, bowled out two wickets. Tahir says he and spinners have been working hard during preparations and sharing knowledge along the way ahead of tomorrow’s ODI. In June 2016, Tahir became the first South African bowler to take seven wickets in an ODI, and also the fastest South African to reach 100 ODI wickets in 58 matches. Tahir agrees that the spacious Mangaung Oval field will help the spinner’s game. The 39 years-old is happy to be back in the Proteas setup after spending time playing in England.

The VKB Knights announced their 12 month long partnership with cellular giants Cell C yesterday. Events and Marketing manager for Free State Cricket and the Knights Marina van der Walt shares that the cellular company has come on board as a marketing and kit sponsor for the Free State Union. Still a young side the Knights were founded in 2003, and Van der Walt says the extra support from the sponsor will help to move and grow the Knights brand further. The side competes in the Sunfoil Series, the Momentum 1 Day Cup, and the Ram Slam T20 Challenge. Their most recent biggest honor was winning the 2016-2017 Sunfoil four-day series.

Proteas Women’s team captain Dane van Niekerk has called on his team to be more consistent in being able to amass big scores and in chasing them down if they are to be a force in world cricket. Van Niekerk acknowledges that consistency will come from good preparation and mental toughness. The Proteas leave for their 3 match ODI and 5 match T20 tour of the West Indies tonight and it will serve as a dress rehearsal for the Women’s World T20 Championship in November which will also be played in the Caribbean. Veteran Protea Trisha Chetty and Shabnim Ismail will no longer be touring with the side after Chetty suffered a lower back injury and Ismail pulled out due to family responsibility. The Proteas though, will spot new faces in Chetty’s replacement in 19-year-old Faye Tunnicliffe and National Academy Graduates Tumi Sekhukhune, Robyn Searle and Saarah Smith. Van Niekerk believes the debutants will thrive on the international stage and will also create healthy competition within the team.

CSA also announced that the beleaguered Global T20 League has been given the green light with a unanimous vote by the Members Council and will run from 9 November until 16 December this year. Nenzani says it was better to lose R184 million last year with the postponement of the league than to lose R320 million every year for nine years had they gone ahead with the competition then.

Cricket South Africa President Chris Nenzani says that his organisation is in a healthy financial state after they posted a profit of R350 million. The approved financial statements which were tabled at CSA Annual General Meeting today reflected revenue of R1.5 billion and a profit of R406 million for the four year cycle recently concluded. CSA has a cash balance of R627 million and Nenzani re-iterated that there was no crisis financially in the organisation

In an unprecedented move by Cricket South Africa, the much liked Boxing Day Test will be played on the Highveld for the first time when the Proteas play against Pakistan at SuperSport Park in Centurion. CSA head of marketing Clive Eksteen says they are nervous but excited by the prospect and are hopeful that they will be able to garner plenty of supporters to fill the ground. The announcement was made at CSA’s launch of the cricket season ahead in Centurion. Eksteen also admitted that they are in the dark on whether moving the Boxing Day Test from Port Elizabeth to Pretoria will be a success or not and that the decision to do so is not an indictment on Port Elizabeth and Durban who have previously played host to the Test match. Eksteen, though, is very upbeat at how the Boxing Day Test will pan out next year with England touring South Africa.

Proteas stand-in captain, Quinton de Kock, says he is happy with the way his team left behind the Test humiliation, to bounce back and clinch victory in the five-match ODI series that concluded at the R Premadasa Stadium with a disappointing 178-run losssunday. After losing the two-Test series 2-0, the Proteas won the first three ODIs to seal the victory but finished by losing the remaining two matches. De Kock, who stood in following a shoulder injury to Faf du Plessis, says the ability to put the Test series loss aside to win the ODI series 3-2 speaks volumes about the squad’s character.

The inclusion of Nigeria, Ghana, Limpopo and Mpumalanga to the Africa T20 Cup has been done to offer more opportunities to senior teams within South Africa and the African continent according to Cricket South Africa’s General Manager for Cricket Corrie Van Zyl. The four new sides will join the 12 CSA Affiliates, three Associate Members and five guest African countries. The tournament will take place over two weekends on 14-16 and 23-24 of next month (September 2018).

Dolphins CEO Heinrich Strydom believes the KwaZulu-Natal franchise has reached a level where they need to challenge for silverware on all three fronts next season. The Durban side shared the Momentum One-Day Cup title with the Warriors in 2017/18 to claim their first-ever 50 over title in the current system of domestic cricket. It was also their first piece of silverware for four years and Strydom is hopeful it will be the start of big things. The Dolphins CEO, who is the youngest amongst the six franchise teams, wants to capitalise on the current wave at the union.

Proteas fast bowler Kagiso Rabada made history yet again when he won six awards including being crowned SA Cricketer of the Year for the second time at the Cricket South Africa Awards held in Sandton on Saturday night. Radaba became the first player to scoop more than five awards with him named Test Player of the Year, ODI Player of the Year, SA Players’ Player of the Year, SA Fans Player of the Year and the Delivery of the Year for dismissing David Warner in the third Test against Australia at Newlands two months ago. Rabada is currently the number one Test bowler in the world and is the leading wicket taker this year with a 38 wickets. Rabada says he is honoured to have received the awards but is already looking ahead and says he can’t bask too much in the glory of his achievements. Rabada is confident that he will be fit and ready to be part of the Proteas squad to tour Sri Lanka next month after suffering a back injury that prevented him from playing in the IPL.

Former Titans and New Zealand wicketkeeper Kruger van Wyk says even though Proteas batsman AB de Villiers retirement from international cricket is a big loss for the country, it is also an opportunity to be thankful that there was such a player within South African cricket. Van Wyk, who attended the same school as De Villiers at Afrikaanse Hoer Seunskool (Affies) in Pretoria and played with him at the Titans and against him in international cricket when Van Wyk was playing for the Black Caps, praised De Villiers personality saying that his humility outweighs the brilliant cricketer he is. He described De Villiers as a cricketer who comes once in a generation and said that his belief and positive attitude always rubbed off on his teammates.

Former International Cricket Council (ICC) and Cricket South Africa (CSA) president Ray Mali believes that South African cricket is heading towards the right direction and doing better than it was when he was in charge. But Mali insists, though, that the powers-that-be in South African cricket still have to do more in ensuring that our country’s demographics are reflected in the national cricket team. Mali added that young players must be given enough chance and Proteas’ selectors should be patient with them even if they struggle in their first few matches in the national team. Mali, who is from Fort Beaufort in the Eastern Cape, made an example with former Proteas player Jacques Kallis, who struggled when he first played for the Proteas before going on to become one of the world’s best batsmen.

Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland arrived in South Africa on Sunday straight into a board meeting where further changes were finalized for the Australian team ahead of the fourth and final Sunfoil Test match against the Proteas starting on Friday. Following charges for former captain Steven Smith, former vice David Warner and Cameron Bancroft, Sutherland went on to announce lengthy bans for the trio. Since the press conference that took place last night at 7pm at the Holiday Inn Hotel in Sandton, Warner and Smith have already left the country with a year ban for both and a nine month ban for Bancroft. Sutherland had this to say to the media.

Apart from the outstanding results (leading 2-1) in the Sunfoil Test Series against Australia, Proteas coach Ottis Gibson is also extremely pleased with the fact that his side is firmly focused on the upcoming fourth and final Test at the Bidvest Wanderers. The archrivals renew their rivalry from March 30 – April 3 with Australia reeling from being rocked by ball tampering charges and an enormous alleged cheating backlash. Gibson shares his sympathies with Cricket Australia, the fans and great former Australian players watching on. Cricket Australia has already moved swiftly, replacing Steven Smith, who will miss the final Test at Wanderers due to his one-match ban, by re-calling 21-year-old Matt Renshaw. The British born left hander was dropped for Cameron Bancroft at the start of the summer and after steering Queensland to their eighth Sheffield Shield title he gets another opportunity. Gibson says they are expecting Australia to bounce back.

Proteas team doctor and manager Dr Mohamed Moosajee yesterday afternoon (20 March 2018) reaffirmed that fast Bowler Rabada’s two-match ban has been successfully overturned by the International Cricket Council(ICC). Rabada had been banned for two Tests following his ICC Code of Conduct level 2 charge during the second Test in Port Elizabeth and has been cleared to play in third Test at the PPC Newlands starting tomorrow (22 March 2018). Speaking on behalf of the Proteas team, Moosajee said they are satisfied with the ruling and thanked South Africa cricket fans for all their support. Proteas coach Ottis Gibson said the team is very excited for his return and hopes that he will continue to bowl the way he has been bowling in the series thus far.

Former Proteas pair Mark Boucher and Ashwell Prince have hit out at Australia for their behaviour in the on-going Test series against South Africa. The four-match contest has been overshadowed by constant sledging by both sides and an off-the-field incident involving David Warner and Quinton de Kock in Durban which saw the former take offence to alleged comments by the latter about his wife. Both players were charged by the ICC for the incident. But Boucher, who is coach of the Titans, cannot understand what the fuss is all about. Rabada was fined for rubbing shoulders with Australia captain Steve Smith whilst celebrating his dismissal in the second Test in Port Elizabeth, which South Africa won day before yesterday. The six-wicket victory helped the Proteas level the series. Geoffrey Toyana is the franchise coach of Rabada at the Highveld Lions and has worked with him for a number of years now. He hopes that the ban, which is the second for the young paceman within the space of months after he was suspended for one Test against England last year, does not affect the aggression of the player. He also criticised Australia for provoking Rabada and believes they were not innocent in the whole debacle.

Proteas captain Faf du Plessis commended fast bowler Kagiso Rabada who picked up his fourth career 10-for, for South Africa to equal Makhaya Ntini’s record propelling the Proteas to a six wicket win against Australia in the second Test in Port Elizabeth. Rabada finished with unbelievable figures of 11 wickets for 150 runs in his 43 Overs in the Test match but was later suspended for two-Tests by the ICC after being found guilty for breaching the ICC Code of Conduct. Du Plessiss says he believes that Rabada is still going to grow as a cricketer and a fast bowler. Smith says he believes the game will not be the same without Rabada in the next two Tests because he relishes testing themselves against the best sides. Smith says he is glad he had to make the decision.

Proteas middle order batsman Temba Bavuma has been ruled out of the Proteas opening Sunfoil Test match against Australia starting tomorrow morning at Kingsmead Cricket Ground in Durban. Bavuma, who is currently training with the Proteas Test squad, hasn’t fully recovered from his broken hand and that should open up an opportunity for VKB Knights runs scoring machine Theunis De Bruyn. However, Proteas captain Faf du Plessis, who was also recovering from a finger injury, confirmed that he will be available for the opening Test.

Bizhub Highveld Lions top-order batsman Rassie van der Dussen believes that 20-year-old all-rounder Wiaan Mulder has a bright future ahead of him in international cricket following his Proteas Test call-up. Van der Dussen, who is one of the senior players that welcomed Mulder into the Lions side as a schoolboy, says the youngster’s ability to read the game and execute well under pressure with both bat and ball will be huge advantage for him at the highest level of the game.

Proteas fast bowler Junior Dala suggested that the Proteas bowling attack needs to be more proactive with their game plan in order to turn things around in the second KFC T20 International against India at Supersport Park in Centurion this afternoon. The Proteas lost by five wickets to India in the opening T20 International last weekend and subsequently endured a lot of criticism for their short-pitched bowling game plan that backfired upfront. Dala believes that they need to assess the conditions and make decisive decisions about the game plan as quick as possible.

Australian captain Steven Smith has called on his charges to adapt to the South African wickets and the conditions as soon possible in order to be in contention to win the upcoming four-Test match series against the Proteas starting in March. Australia arrived in the country last Wednesday and has already got their preparations for their warm up clash against the Cricket South Africa Invitational XI underway. Smith says they are well aware of the highly publicized ‘dangerous pitch’ saga at the Bidvest Wanderers and they are ready for a good contest.

Springbok hooker Malcolm Marx emerged the big winner of the SA Rugby Awards with three awards as Player of the Year, Young Player of the Year and Vodacom Super Rugby Player of the Year. Marx dedicated his awards to his teammates and coaching staff at both the Springboks and Lions when handed his awards at Emirates Airline Park today (Friday). These awards come on the back of Marx also being awarded the Lions Player of the Year last weekend.

The Lions are raring to make amends for the poor showing in this year’s Ram Slam T20 Challenge and Momentum One Day Cup tournament as the second half of the Sunfoil Series returns this Thursday. The Lions finished fifth in both domestic limited overs competitions this season, narrowly missing out on qualifying for the play-offs to the Warriors in both competitions. The Lions travel to East London to take on the Warriors in round six of the Four-Day Challenge this week with a possible victory certain to elevate Toyana’s men to the top of the log. Toyana has more on how to approach the rest of the season.

Dolphins coach Grant Morgan is desperate for his team to make up for their embarrassing showing in the 20-over final earlier this season when they host the Warriors in the 50-over Momentum One-Day Cup final in Durban today (Friday). The Durban side were blown away for 100 and lost by seven wickets to the Titans in the RAM SLAM T20 Challenge final in December. But they now have a chance to make amends after surprising the Cape Cobras on Wednesday to book a home final. Morgan says they will look to make their fans proud at Kingsmead.

Multiply Titans captain Albie Morkel believes his charges have had a great season and hopes that they can carry their form into tomorrow’s Momentum One Day Cup semi-final against the Warriors in Centurion. The Mark Boucher coached Titans finished top of the log only three points adrift from the second placed WSB Cape Cobras to secure the home semi-final with both sides having won seven and lost three matches respectively. Morkel says he is most pleased with youngster that have come into the side and contribute to the team. Warriors, the Eastern Cape based franchise, secured fourth spot despite an agonizing 10-run D/L method loss to the Cape Cobras in their last fixture of the season to set up another meeting between the two teams in the knockout stages this season. Morkel says they are wary of the threat the Warriors possess.

South Africa clinched the Mandela/Gandhi Freedom Trophy Test Series after taking a 2-0 unassailable lead in the three-match Test Series following their 135-run victory over India in the second Test at the Supersport Park in Centurion earlier today. South Africa dismissed India for 151 in the second innings taking seven wickets in the first session on conditions that visibly seemed favorable to India. Proteas captain Faf du Plessis says the victory is more special than the first Test win as they had to dig deep and produce a collective performance to register the win.

The Proteas will go into the fifth and final day of the second Freedom Trophy Test with the upper hand over India after the visitors fell to 35/3 in search of the fourth innings total of 286 runs. Youngsters Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi struck early blows to the Indian batting lineup after AB de Villiers and Dean Elgar put together a solid foundation with a 3rd wicket stand of 141 in their second innings. Proteas opening batsman Dean Elgar simply Day four as a brilliant day for South Africa.

Proteas fast bowler Lungi Ngindi described making his Test cricket debut for South Africa against India in front of his home crowd at Supersport Park in Centurion as a dream come true at stumps on Day Two. India resume today (Monday) morning on 183/5 in reply to South Africa’s 335 in the first innings. Ngidi, who picked up a wicket and completed a runout on debut, says he is pleased with his performance but believes he could have done better. Indian fast bowler Ishant Sharma also spoke highly of Ngidi after seeing the youngster turn on the gas in front of his home crowd. With 80 Tests to his name and 227 wickets, Sharma says that Ngidi is a great prospect for the future of SA Test cricket.

Proteas opening batsman Aiden Markram believes that playing in the ongoing Freedom Trophy Test Series against India has been a massive step up in his carrier just months after making his Test debut against Bangladesh. South Africa take on India at Supersport Park in search of nothing but victory to wrap the three-match series up following their 72-run victory in Cape Town last week. Markram says he is learning a lot from playing tougher oppositions and also from having experienced teammate Dean Elgar on the non-striker’s end.

The Warriors begin a life without Malibongwe Maketa today when they kick-off their Momentum One-Day Cup season against the bizhub Highveld Lions at the Bidvest Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg. The 50-over franchise competition comes hot on the heels of the 20-over campaign, which was won by the Multiply Titans and concluded on Sunday. The Warriors were losing semi-finalists to the Titans in what proved to be Maketa’s final game. The former coach has now moved on to work as assistant coach for the Proteas, with Rivash Gobind stepping in. The new man is looking forward to the challenge.

Multiply Titans chief executive Jacq Faul believes that selection has been a big concern for their star-studded franchise with all the Proteas players available for selection ahead of the Ram Slam T20 Challenge final tomorrow (Saturday). The title defending Titans take on the Hollywoodbets Dolphins at the Supersport Park in Centurion with team selection their biggest headache in search of their third consecutive T20 Challenge title. Faul says this is a big challenge for the franchise throughout the tournament but he is pleased to see all the local young talent coming through.

Hollywoodbets Dolphins captain Khaya Zondo say there is a strong desire amongst the players to go all the way and win the RAM SLAM T20 Challenge ahead of their semi-final showdown against the WSB Cape Cobras in Durban today. The KwaZulu-Natal franchise have only won the trophy once in its 14-year history when they beat the same opponents in the 2014 final. It remains their only title in over a decade of domestic cricket and Zondo says they need to change the script.

Former Proteas batsman and now WSB Cape Cobras coach Ashwell Prince has commended new Proteas coach Ottis Gibson for enforcing that all Proteas players must participate in domestic cricket when not on national duty. This come after Cricket South Africa announced that players would be available for selection in the first half Sunfoil Series and the Ram Slam T20 Challenge following Gibson’s directive. Prince, who played for South Africa between 2002-2011, says someone had to put their foot down. The 40-year-old Prince, who recently won the World Hong Kong Sixes with South Africa as the coach, emphasized that players need to be given opportunities in the domestic circuit in order to grow. He commended Dolphins opening batsman Sarel Erwee, who was part of his Hong Kong Sixes winning team, for his maiden century against the Cobras in their Ram Slam T20 Challenge clash in Centurion on Sunday.

Former Proteas wicket-keeper and now Multiply Titans coach Mark Boucher believes that it will take an entire squad effort for the Centurion based side to win their 3rd consecutive RamSlam T20 Challenge title this season. Last season the Titans successfully defended the title won by former coach Rob Walter to hand Boucher his first title with the side on their way to the Momentum One Day Challenge title as well. The East London born Boucher believes that having Proteas players available for selection for the T20 tournament will be a great boost to the teams but it will also create some good selection headaches.

Africa still heavy on the players’ minds, Proteas and Bizhub Highveld Lions pace bowler Beuran Hendricks believes the Ram Slam T20 Challenge could be a lifeline for local players to impress. Fresh from the Proteas 2-0 KFC T20 International Series whitewash win over Bangladesh, Hendricks says he is looking forward to adding all the experience gained from the national set-up to the Lions. The tournament is scheduled to start on Friday 10 November at St Gorges Park with the Warriors hosting the VKB Knights under the newly fitted LED floodlights. The former Cobras bowler believes that Lions will need to execute their skills well on Sunday against the defending champions in the Multiply Titans in order to give themselves a good chance to win the Jukskei Derby.

Bizhub Highveld Lions coach Geoffrey Toyana believes that the return of Protea’s fast bowler Kagiso Rabada to domestic cricket is a timely boost for his charges as they prepare for the upcoming Cricket South Africa T20 Challenge starting on Friday. Rabada, who missed out on the Proteas 2-0 KFC T20 Series victory over Bangladesh, will return to training with the Lions today after enjoying a well-deserved break from cricket. Toyana says he is looking forward to the rest of the week ahead of their opening game against tournament defending champions Multiply Titans on Saturday.

Proteas head coach Ottis Gibson says he is pleased with his team’s start to his coaching tenure in South Africa following series whitewashes across all three formats against Bangladesh at home. This comes after clinical and convincing victories in the Test’s (2-0), the ODI’s (3-0) and most recent the 2-0 KFC T20 International series sweep. Gibson says he is happy with the attaching and front foot brand of cricket his charges have embraced since his arrival.

Cricket South Africa convener of Selectors says he is pleased to see that the Proteas are well on track with their targets for vision 2019 and post the ICC Cricket World Cup to be held in England. The Proteas started a busy summer with the first Test against Bangladesh in Potchefstroom with two young debutants in Aiden Markram(23) and Andile Phehlukwayo(21) and Zondi says this is part of the Proteas succession plan. However, Zondi also adds that there is still plenty of space for experienced players doing well in the franchise set-up….

Proteas new head coach Ottis Gibson has reiterated that his immediate goal is to get South Africa back up to number one in the world in all formats of the game including winning the 2019 ICC World Cup in England. Gibson arrived in the country on Sunday evening before being officially welcomed by CSA and the media at the Sandton Convention Centre yesterday. The former World T20 Cup winner with the West Indies in 2012, Gibson, outlined his plans for the next two years with the Proteas.

Cricket South Africa chief executive Haroon Lorgat officially welcomes new Proteas coach Ottis Gibson ahead of a summer jam packed with cricket action starting with Bangladesh in a fortnight. Gibson arrived in time for the start of the Sunfoil Series opening round where he will be monitoring Proteas players ahead of the squad announcement this Friday.

Former Proteas star Gary Kirsten believes the appointment of Ottis Gibson as new national coach will give South Africa a fresh outlook and perspective on the world game. The West Indian was recently confirmed as Russell Domingo’s successor in the national team and is set to arrive in the country over the weekend after ending his contract with the England Cricket Board, where he served as their head bowling coach. Gibson’s appointment came as a surprise for many South Africans, but Kirsten, one of India’s most successful coaches, says they should be open-minded about his arrival.

Cricket in KwaZulu-Natal received a huge boost on Tuesday, 12 September, after a betting company extended its contract with the local union to be title sponsor of the Dolphins. The brand had been associated with the KZN franchise for the past 12 months, but that partnership has been renewed for a further three years. The exact details of the deal have not been specified, but the new arrangement will also see the sponsors extend their hands more towards the development of the game in the province. Media and Communications Executive, Devin Heffer explains. The Dolphins have also finally appointed a full-time CEO after the position was filled by several people in interim roles over the past few seasons. Heinrich Strydom, the former chief executive officer of the North West Cricket Union, was hired full-time over the winter and his arrival has now given the Dolphins a feeling of further stability. The union president, Fa-eez Jaffar, believes things were now falling into place slowly at Kingsmead. The Dolphins face the Titans in their opening game and their coach Grant Morgan is looking forward to an improved season.

bizhub Highveld Lions coach Geoffrey Toyana called on all cricket fraternity stakeholders to walk-the-talk and help rebuild and maintain cricket facilities in the townships ahead of the fifth annual Momentum eKasi Challenge. The Multiply Titans host the Lions in Hammanskraal on Wednesday, September 13 hoping to pull one over the Johannesburg based franchise which leads by four victories to none in the pre-season clash. The Soweto-born Toyana has thanked stakeholders such as Momentum for the eKasi Challenge over the years but believes that not enough is being done to change the status quo.

Mark Boucher, who is going to coach the Nelson Mandela Bay Stars in the T20 Global League later this year, is happy that Warriors coach Malibongwe Maketa is his assistant and he believes that they are going to teach each other a lot about cricket. The eight-team tournament is set to start in November and end on 16 December 2017.

Bizhub Highveld Lions bowling coach Gordon Parsons believes that England need to brace themselves for a rested and raring to go Kagiso Rabada returns for the 3rd of Four Tests against England starting today at the Kia Oval. Rabada, who plays under Parsons at the Lions, was suspended by the ICC for the Trent Bridge victorious Test after accumulating four demerit points during the First Test at Lords. The England-born Parsons says Rabada will learn from his mistake in the unforgiving professional and international arena.

Former Proteas skipper Graeme Smith has given Faf du Plessis his stamp of approval for his captaincy after the latter came back to lead the team to victory against England and levelled the four match series 1-1. Smith utterances further raised questions about AB de Villiers commitment to the team as the leader. In the first match Dean Elgar was given the armband in the absence of Du Plessis, while de Villiers did not even bother to watch the match instead he was watching a reality television show - the Voice, which further prompts speculations of retiring from Test cricket. Under Du Plessis’ leadership in the limited overs South Africa never lost a series and were overwhelming favourites to clinch the ICC Champions Trophy. But when de Villiers returned and resumed his captaincy from a long layoff, the team performance in the Championship was dismal, as the latter failed to even make it to the knockout stages.

Former International Cricket Counsel (ICC) and Cricket South Africa (CSA) president Ray Mali has called on the South African cricket fraternity to confront the ‘chokers’ tag head in order to stand a chance of winning the world cup in the next couple of years. The 80-year-old believes that with the right alterations made to the current Proteas team structure, winning the elusive world cup trophy is highly possible within the next five years.

Cricket South Africa (CSA) today confirmed what many South African cricketing fans feared the most when they announced that Proteas Test captain Faf du Plessis is out of the first Test against England starting on Thursday. Du Plessis, who is back in South Africa for the birth of his first-born (baby girl), will be replaced by Multiply Titans teammate and opening batsman Dean Elgar as captain. Former Proteas Test spinner Paul Adams believes that the Proteas will be vulnerable without their inspirational leader but need to soldier on for the important series opener at Lords. According to Adams, the Proteas will need to negotiate the new ball well and make use of the early swing if bowling first. However, the former BuildNat Cape Cobras coach believes that with inform possible debutant in Heino Kuhn waiting to crack the nod for the opening Test, Adams believes it will be important for Kuhn and stand in captain Elgar to see off the new ball and set partnerships.

Former Proteas wicketkeeper batsman, and current Multiply Titans head coach Mark Boucher believes is not yet ready to coach the South African cricket team. The 40-year-old, who is going for his second season in charge of the Centurion based franchise, says he is honored to be mentioned in the running for the post but is not yet interested at the moment. He adds that he is still looking to make a name for himself in the coaching circles by leading the Titans to more trophies in the next couple of years.

Bizhub Highveld Lions head coach Geoffrey Toyana believes that poor communication and running between the wickets cost the Proteas the much-needed victory to progress to the semifinal of the ICC Champions Trophy in England. South Africa capitulated from 116/1 in the 24th over to set India 192 for victory, which they made light work of winning the game in 38 overs. Toyana credited India for their accurate bowling plans against the Proteas on the day but highlighted that the runouts truly set South Africa back in posting a good and competitive total. With majority reports surfacing in the media platforms calling for AB de Villiers to step down as Proteas ODI captain, Toyana believes that captaincy is not the issue at hand. He adds that the Proteas just failed to grab the games they lost by the scruff of the neck and come out victorious.

Proteas coach Russell Domingo has confessed that South Africa were outplayed by arch-rivals Pakistan spinners in their 19-run Duckworth-Lewis method loss at Edgbaston, Birmingham yesterday. The Proteas loss has given Pakistan strong hopes of qualifying for the semifinals while it has also left AB de Villiers and his men with a do-or-die situations against India in their last group game on Sunday. Domingo says his charges were not complacent at all coming into the clash but Pakistan were always going to be a threat.

Former Proteas and world renowned fast bowler Makhaya Ntini believes that South Africa is extremely vulnerable without a strong leader in their bowling attack at the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy in England. The Proteas conceded two totals over 300 in their first two ODI’s in their series against England before producing the goods in the third ODI and the Champions Trophy opener. Ntini believes that Proteas bowlers have bowled well in patches but need to produce more consistent and authoritative performances in order to challenge for the title. According to Ntini, who played 101 Test and 173 ODI’s for South Africa, the Proteas should have a much better understanding of what is needed to challenge for the Champions Trophy following their England ODI Series. The 39-year-old Ntini adds that the Proteas’ road to success at the tournament will depend on how united the team is.

Cricket South Africa (CSA) chief executive Haroon Lorgat Wednesday reaffirmed that CSA are well on track with their T20 Global League South Africa team ownership evaluation and recruitment process. CSA launched the official logo for the tournament schedule to replace the CSA T20 Challenge at the Bidvest Wanderers Stadium last night. Lorgat explains CSA’s plan ahead of the announcement of the franchise owners on June 19 in London, England. Lorgat also reassured the media that CSA is currently in talks with their host broadcaster pertaining to broadcasting rights and they should be in space to make the announcement in due course. Former Proteas players such as Makhaya Ntini, Paul Adams, Ashwell Prince and Robbin Petersen were present and highly involved in the launch of the tournament. Lorgat reaffirmed that it was a sign of great things to come as they look to rope in and involve past players and South African coaches in the league.

Proteas Test batsman Temba Bavuma says he is excited by the opportunity of playing in English conditions for the first time in his career with the South Africa ‘A’ side during their tour of the United Kingdom. The Shukri Conrad coached South Africa A tomorrow take on the England Lions in the first of three unofficial ODI’s starting in Nottingham. Without looking as far ahead as the Investec Test Series against England in August, Bavuma says he is looking forward to sharpening up his skills with the SA ‘A’ side and build on last season. Bavuma only managed 21 for the SA ‘A’ in their first warm-up match against Yorkshire in Leeds and didn’t bat against Derbyshire as both matches were eventually called off due to rain.

Proteas Test batsman Theunis de Bruyn says it still unclear exactly where he will bat for the side in their upcoming Test series against England following the ICC Champions Trophy. De Bruyn made his Test debut as an opening batsman in New Zealand earlier this year as a direct replacement for Steven Cook and still has not been told where he will feature in the side. However, the VKB Knights young captain says he is ready to bat anywhere in the team. The 24-year-old former SA U19 star, De Bruyn, believes that he is a top order batsman and he would succeed as an opener given enough time to test his skills at the position. He adds that if he had to choose a position that best suits him, it would be batting at No 3 or 4. He reiterates that he understands that even the greatest batsman of all time had to try different position before finding their spot.

Pat Symcox was part of the only Proteas side that has won an ICC Champions Trophy to date. But the former spin bowler says there is no reason why the current South African team can't break their losing run in big events when they compete in the upcoming Champions Trophy over the next few weeks. The Proteas are ranked as the number one team in One Day International cricket and will be one of the favourites to win the title and Symcox says they definitely have enough quality players in the side to do it. The Proteas have earned a reputation of not being able to perform at big events. The side has never managed to win a World Cup and only managed to win the Champions Trophy once. Symcox says it's astounding to think that with all the quality players in the Proteas team, past and present, the side hasn't managed to add another trophy to their cabinet.

Cricket South Africa (CSA) Centre of Excellence coach Vincent Barnes believes that both the Proteas and the Momentum Women’s Proteas have the quality in their sides to win the ICC Champions Trophy and the ICC Women’s World Cup titles respectively. Both national teams kickoff their world tournaments next month in England as hot favourites in their respective title challenges. Barnes, who has been working closely with both sides over the last five years and more, says that some special performances and experience will get both sides across the line.

The Momentum Women’s Proteas team received a fitting send off on Tuesday ahead of their departure to the 2017 ICC Women’s World Cup in England. They finished their preparations with a successful quadrangular series under the leadership of Dane van Niekerk who will be leading the side in a major tournament for the first time. Van Niekerk said that this year’s tournament will be tightly contested compared to previous tournaments, but they are confident of returning home with the world cup.

Heinrich Strydom has become the youngest Chief Executive Officer in South African franchise cricket after he was appointed to the role by the Dolphins. The 34-year-old replaces Piet de Wet on a full-time basis after he quit the union a little under a year ago. The position had been occupied by Rajesh Behari and Muhammad Seedat in the interim and is now filled by a man who comes from affiliate, North West Cricket Union. Strydom says he’s honoured to be given such an opportunity.

Proteas ODI vice-captain Faf du Plessis believes that South Africa go into their Tour of UK and the ICC Champions Trophy in very good space after a number of players returned to form in various tournaments while others had been considerably given valuable time to rest. The Proteas departed for England on Tuesday from the O.R Tambo Airport in high spirits with the 2015 ICC World Cup dejecting disappointment visibly water under the bridge. Du Plessis says he is confident his charges will rise to the occasion at the tournament with preparation having gone so well.

Proteas ODI captain AB de Villiers believes that his side has raised the bar from their disappointing 2015 ICC World Cup disappointment and that they are in with a good chance of finally winning an ICC event for the first time. De Villiers, who was visibly dejected when the Proteas lost to New Zealand in semifinals in 2015, says they go into the tournament raring to go. With the ICC World Cup coming up again in 2019, De Villiers reiterated that it will be great to finally win a major trophy before hanging up his spikes. The Proteas are grouped with Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka in group B and De Villiers says they are well aware of their subcontinent opposition in English conditions.

Proteas Women’s player Sune Luus believes the upcoming ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup will give the national side the perfect platform to showcase how far they have come as a side. Luus, who was named the Momentum Women’s Cricketer of the Year, at the CSA Awards on Saturday strongly, believes that they can do well in the tournament as long as they can handle the pressure that will come with their participation. Proteas player Farhaan Behardien says the team is very confident ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy which takes place in England next month. Behardien believes that the Proteas successes from the past season will stand them in good stead as they come into the tournaments as favourites.

The Proteas named veteran fast bowler Morne Morkel and uncapped Keshav Maharaj as the only two surprise inclusions in their ICC Champions Trophy and Tour of England ODI series squads. Morkel returns to the team ahead of injured Vernon Philander and Dale Steyn while Maharaj was preferred over the up and coming Tabraiz Shamsi. Proteas coach Russell Domingo explains Maharaj’s tricky selection ahead of Shamsi.

Cricket South Africa launched the third edition of the continuously growing Africa T20 Cup at the Bidvest Wanderers yesterday with the first pool of games scheduled to be played at the Sahara Willowmoore Park in Benoni from 25 to 27 August. The competition will again this season be composed of 16 teams divided into four groups of four meaning all 14 CSA Provincial teams with the edition of Kenya and Zimbabwe. With Proteas such as Andile Phehlukwayo, Heinrich Klaasen, Lungi Ngidi and Tabraiz Shamsi having come through the first edition of the tournament, CSA chief executive Haroon Largat reiterates that the competition has made a number of big names already.

Multiply Titans chief executive Jacque Faul has lauded team coach Mark Boucher for his valuable contribution to the side and getting them to two finals in his first year in charge. The former Proteas wicketkeeper was appointed head coach of the Centurion side to succeed Rob Walter at the start of the season and has already brought in silverware with the CSA T20 Challenge title earlier this season. Faul believes that Boucher’s appointment was always a gamble with a lack of coaching experience but is pleased it has paid off. In a repeat of the CSA T20 Challenge final, the Titans once again welcome the Warriors to Supersport Park for the Momentum One-Day Cup final this Friday. Faul believes that the game is there for the taking, adding they will not underestimate the Malibongwe Maketa coached side.

The Cape Cobras suffered their fifth defeat of the Momentum OneDay Cup competition as they lost to the Warriors by 90 runs at Newlands yesterday. The visitors from the Eastern Cape batted first and openers Jon Jon Smuts and Gihahn Cloete got the team off to a near perfect start. The openers added 119 runs for the opening stand, but the innings belonged to Smuts who scored 173 not out to lead the Warriors to 305 in their 50 overs. In the run chase Richard Levi scored another century for his province, but he found little support and the Cobras were bowled out for 215 runs. Cobras captain Dane Piedt says it's disappointing to not win at home. Warriors captain Jon Jon Smuts made his international debut earlier this year for the Proteas when he played all three T20's in the series against Sri Lanka. The 28-year old has been knocking on the South African selectors door for quite some time now and his highest ever score in domestic cricket on Sunday would have motivated his call-up to the national side even further. Pied admits it was at times good to watch the opening batsman in full swing on the field, while he added that he's pleased with his own performances in the competition so far. Following the loss the Cobras dropped to the bottom of the log and now with only two games to play, their chances of progressing to the playoffs are slim. But the skipper believes that it's not impossible. Their final two matches are against the Titans and the Knights and they will have to win both and hope other results go their way in order to finish in the top three on the log. Piedt says they haven't given up hope just yet.

Bizhub Highveld Lions coach Geoffrey Toyana believes that his side is currently enduring one of their toughest seasons in domestic cricket since joining the Johannesburg based side in 2012. The Momentum One-Day Cup defending champions have found life difficult this season following the retirement of a number of experienced players and the growing rate of players getting national call-ups. Toyana says his young Lions have had a tough season thus far without a trophy in the cabinet but he is pleased to see that they have competed well in all formats.In their next Momentum One-Day clash, the fifth placed Lions next take on the log leading HollywoodBets Dolphins in Potchefstroom on Wednesday afternoon. After conceding to the BuildNat Cape Cobras at the Senwes Park last Friday, Toyana says they will be looking to return to winning ways in the crucial encounter against the high flying Dolphins.

Bizhub Highveld Lions coach Geoffrey Toyana says that his side will not take anything for granted going into the second half of the Momentum One-Day Cup Tournament. The 50-Over competition defending champions, Lions, take on the BuildNat Cape Cobras in Potchefstroom today, a week after beating the Cape side in Paarl in the first round. Toyana says they are well aware of the challenges of the second half of the competition and his young batting order is rearing to go.Following the Proteas’ successful 3-2 ODI Series victory over New Zealand last week, Toyana – who welcomes the return of Dwaine Pretorius from national duty – credited the Proteas all-rounders for their valuable contribution. He believes that the Proteas are now ready for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy in June.

After 32 years in the business, Bidvest Wanderers Head Groundsman Bethwel Buthelezi is starting to reap the fruits of the his labour as he looks to collect his second consecutive Cricket South Africa Head Groundsman of the Season award. Buthelezi took the award at the 2016 CSA Awards, a year after being promoted to the curator role by the Gauteng Cricket Board to replace long-term colleague Chris Scott. Following another successful summer, in which the Proteas hosted Sri Lanka, the 53-year-old Buthelezi believes that they have had a successful season thus far with only domestic cricket matches left to prepare for. The Msinga-born Buthelezi commended long-term colleague and friend Scott, who he has worked with for over 20 years, for his contribution and teachings over the years. After taking over from Scott in 2015, Buthelezi believes that everything is on track and his staff is pleased with his management. With seven pitches to manage and juggle around between Test matches, international ODI and T20 as well as domestic cricket in First Class and List A, Buthelezi explains the criteria he uses to select which strip to prepare for which games. In his specialty, Buthelezi emphasizes the importance of home ground advantage and the importance of the pitch preparation for home teams especially at international level. He further reaffirms that he and his staff have an open door policy to all home team captains to openly discuss the kind of conditions preferred for upcoming games.

Coming from a disappointing weekend in which they suffered back-to-back losses to the Hollywood Dolphins and the Multiply Titans, the bizhub Highveld Lions will be looking to bounce back to winning ways in their next two games. The Geoffrey Toyana coached side face the BuildNat Cape Cobras on Friday night before traveling back home to host the in form VKB Knights at the Bidvest Wanderers on Sunday. Albeit without the services of loaned Buren Hendricks for due to contractual obligations, Toyana says he is expecting a big improvement from his charges.

The Proteas search for a limited overs opening bowling partner for Kagiso Rabada continues ahead of the fifth and final ODI against Sri Lanka at Centurion’s Supersport Park tomorrow afternoon. The Proteas lead the series 4-0 and go into tomorrow’s ODI also in search of their second 5-0 whitewash in as many series on home soil before touring start in New Zealand. Proteas bowling coach Charl Langeveldt reaffirms they are still trying out combinations to find an opening partner for the 21-year-old Rabada. In the fourth ODI in Cape Town, the Proteas failed to pick up a wicket in the first 16 overs with Sri Lanka piling on 139 before opener Niroshan Dickwella was dismissed by all-rounder Dwaine Pretorius. A harsh Langeveldt believes that the Proteas received a thorough wake-up call in their last two matches. He emphasizes that with the likes of Lungi Ngidi and Morne Morkel still out with injuries, they are struggling without a strike bowler up front. South Africa depart for New Zealand over the weekend with the same squad retained and only Cobra’s Dane Peterson replacing Pretorius who will be home with his wife expecting their first child. Langeveldt says they have also started looking at permutations and field conditions they will face Down Under.

Proteas ODI captain AB de Villiers reaffirmed that their ultimate aim is to win the current ODI series against Sri Lanka 5-0 and underline their superiority in the limited overs game. South Africa currently leads the series 2-0 following comprehensive victories in the first two games. Fresh from a 5-0 series whitewash over Australia at the end of last year, albeit under the leadership of Faf du Plessis, De Villiers emphasizes that is the benchmark they want to set for themselves. The master-blaster, De Villiers, reiterated that he is also happy to be back in the Proteas side following a lengthy lay-off especially ahead of the Pink ODI. With the occasion all for a good course helping to fight cancer awareness, De Villiers adds that Du Plessis is set to be looking dazzling in Pink again this year as he always does.

Senior Proteas batsman Hashim Amla still feels like a teenager and has no plans to quit the international scene any time soon. The 33-year-old played his 100th Test match for South Africa earlier this month and is currently with the national team in Durban for the second One-Day International of a five-match series against Sri Lanka today (Wednesday, 01 Feb 2017). Amla has already notched up over 15,000 runs for the country, but he is determined to add more to that tally.

Lions captain Dominic Hendricks believes that the Proteas new-look T20 team has played with great tenacity in the first two KFC T20 Internationals albeit with the series level at one-all. South Africa will take on Sri Lanka in the third and final T20 International at the PPC Newlands Cricket Ground tomorrow evening to decide the series before the upcoming ODI’s. Hendricks commends the positive and winning cricket the Proteas have been playing in the past six months to a year. Following their Sunfoil Series draw with the Dolphins in Pietermaritzburg this past weekend, Hendricks believes that there were a lot of positives to take out of the clash despite not getting maximum points. He adds that they are now looking forward to the last two games starting next week in East London. The Geoffrey Toyana’s coached side has been heavily interrupted with call ups to the national teams and expect more players to honor national duty in the coming weeks. Hendricks believes the openings will present great opportunities for youngsters waiting in the wings.

Proteas stand in T20 team captain Farhaan Behardien believes that Cricket South Africa has unearthed the latest sensation in superstar fast bowler Lungi Ngidi. The 20-year-old made his national T20 debut in front of his home crowd at the Supersport Park last Friday and collected the Man of the Match award as he finished with figures of 2/12 in just two overs. After complementing those figures with 4/19 in four overs at the Bidvest Wanderers yesterday(Sunday), Behardien believes that Ngidi has what it takes to follow in Kagiso Rabada’s footsteps and play in all formats for South Africa.With Proteas former captain AB de Villiers schedule to return and resume the leadership role for the third and final KFC T20 clash in Cape Town, Behardien says he has enjoyed his two-match stint as the skipper. He largely thanks senior players such as David Miller, Aaron Phangiso and Wayne Parnell for their support during pressure situations in the first two T20’s.Coming to the Wanderers expecting a wicket that would assist the pace bowlers with some good bounce and grass on top, Behardien was quick to confess that the Proteas failed to assess the conditions better. The 33-year-old says they will be very aware of the Sri Lankan spinners and the threat they possess in dry conditions. Behardien also explains the thinking behind the unpopular decision of throwing Jon-Jon Smuts the ball to bowl the final over with Sri Lanka needing seven from the last six.

Proteas T20 team stand-in captain Farhaan Behardien believes that it will be a proud moment for him when he leads South Africa out in front of his home crowd at Supersport Park this evening. The Proteas take on Sri Lanka in the first of three KFC T20 Internationals with the second game schedule for Bidvest Wanderers on Sunday before ending the series in Cape Town. Behardien believes that walking out as captain of the new-look side will be his proudest moment in the Green and Gold. Having been under the tutelage of Albe Morkel, Faf du Plessis and AB der Villiers at domestic and international level, Behardien believes that he will bring a free spirited style of captaincy to the team. He adds that players need to be backed to play with freedom especially during the pressure moments in the game. With the starting 11 yet to be decided tonight after the team meeting, Behardien believes that the versatility of the players at their disposal should add to their advantage especially in deciding the batting order. He reiterated that changes will again be dictated by match situation or conditions on the day.

Titans fast bowler Lungi Ngidi says he could not believe his fortune when he received his maiden Proteas call up for the upcoming T20 Series against Sri Lanka. Ngidi is set to make his debut for South Africa for the shortest format in front of his home crowd at Supersport Park on Friday night, a night which he says he has dreamed of since a young boy back in Durban. The 20-year-old explains how convener of selectors, Linda Zondi’s call stunned him. The Durban born Ngidi says he is enjoying life in the fast lane with cricket having moved from making his franchise debut to the verge of making his national T20 debut in two years. He credits his previous and current coaches and teammates for believing in his abilities. Ngidi believes that he has adjusted quite well mentally to where he needs to be for the step up from domestic to international cricket. A tall and physical stature imposing to batsman and troubling with his back of a length deliveries just outside off, Ngidi says he prefers being the strike bowler in the perfect world. He believes that bowling that line and length has worked for him to date.

Proteas coach Russell Domingo believes that the present times are a start of a new journey for a South African cricket team on the rise back to the top again. This comes after the Proteas whitewashed Sri Lanka 3-0 in the latest Test Series to move up the ICC Test Rankings from sixth to third place behind leaders India and Australia. Domingo believes that the side is not a finished article yet and their only way forward to by winning more Test series’ this year. The former Warriors coach, believes that consistency with the bat was the key to winning the series clinically with the top five batsmen all scoring centuries in the series. With a new-look bowling attack as well, he emphasizes that side is well on its way to finding the good balance to their playing style moving forward.Following the sudden and shocking retirement of Kyle Abbott and Rilee Rossouw, Domingo says he is pleased to have quality players in the side to replace the duo. Domingo lauded the schools system and the franchise coaching for continuing to produce quality players for the national team when needed the most. The Port Elizabeth born Domingo also called on the SA cricket fans to be patient with the Proteas when they find themselves under the pump as much as they are when they are winning. Domingo says that there is a lot to be appreciative of in South African cricket compared to other nations.

South African Test cricket team captain Faf Du Plessis believes that being consistent was the catalyst to the Proteas emphatic 3-0 Test series whitewash over Sri Lanka. The Proteas completed the clinical series clean sweep with an innings and 118 runs yesterday at the Bidvest Wanderers finishing the game with two days to spare. Du Plessis says that the key to their success was through ensuring that they can string together a number of consistent performances and results in all three playing departments respectively. After amassing 426 in the first innings on a green-top at the Bullring, the Proteas made light work of Sri Lanka’s reply bowling them out cheaply for 131. For the first time in the series, Du Plessis, warranted that the visitors follow-on. He explains the decision. Despite convincing and clinical series victories for the Proteas home and away, the leader of the pack Du Plessis still believes that they are still far from a finished article yet. The Titans stalwart believes that their ultimate goal as a team is returning back to the helm of the ICC Test team rankings all in good time. The Proteas skipper, Du Plessis, also commended opening batsman Dean Elgar and Stephen Cook, who together accumulated 524 runs at the top of the order in the series. Elgar scored two half-centuries and a century to finish Man of the Series with 308 runs while Cook managed one fifty and a hundred to end the series on 216 runs. He believes that their partnership is growing each Test especially when playing on home soil. The 32year-old says he was happy to see the pair pick up a couple of wickets in each innings as they bowled Sri Lanka out twice in 88.1 overs.

Sri Lankan Test captain Angelo Mathews described their 3-0 whitewash drubbing at the hands of South Africa as the worst defeat he has ever been involved in as a team captain. Sri Lanka were outplayed in all departments of the game in the three Tests as they continued to struggle with pace and bounce on SA wickets. Mathews says they expected to play a lot better than they did in the longest format but not all hope is lost with the limited overs. He confesses that his young charges were outplayed in each and every department of the game in all three Tests, despite arriving having prepared themselves well for the South African conditions. A disappointed Mathews reiterated the fact that his batsmen did not manage to contribute as much as they needed to in order to assist the bowlers with good totals to bowl to. He adds that they failed to convert their starts into big runs and ironically allowed the Proteas to do the exact opposite.

Former wicketkeeper batsman Ranjit Fernando believes that Sri Lankan batsman need to focus more on leaving balls outside off stump well in the Third Test at the Bidvest Wanderers starting tomorrow. The recently appointed Sri Lankan team manager believes that the visitors have not adapted quick enough to the bouncy SA conditions to save the series. The 72-year-old says they could also take a lot from how the Proteas batsman approach batting on SA conditions. With very little turn around time, three days, between the first two Tests in Port Elizabeth and Cape Town, Fernando believes that the Sri Lankans enjoyed the much needed extra few days heading into the third Test. The former Caylon wicket keeper adds that not even the persistent rain has dampened their preparations for the Wanderers Test. Fernando believes that the Sri Lankan bowlers will take confidence in their performances against a quality batting line up playing in their preferred conditions. He adds that their pack can only grow together from here. Fernando, who also sings high praise for 29-year-old leader Angelo Mathews, says they can only hope the youngsters leant fast and get accustomed to Test cricket the sooner the better.

Proteas all-rounder Wayne Parnell says he is looking forward to tomorrow’s Test playing team announcement with high hopes of make the starting team for the third and final Test against Sri Lanka. After sealing the Test series with a mammoth victory in Cape Town, the Proteas go into the Wanderers Test looking for a whitewash with a conundrum of which bowler to fill Abbott’s void. Parnell says he is ready to play for his place in the side should he get go. The former SA U19 star, Parnell - who hasn’t played Test cricket since 2014 February - believes that with Abbott’s sudden retirement, an opportunity to play for a permanent place in the team has presented itself. The 27-year-old believes that consistency will be key for him at Test level to stay there. The 27 year old all-rouner, who has played four Tests for South Africa since making his debut against England in 2010, says that he has not been frustrated with the lack of matches in the past seven years. However, he adds that he has gone back and worked things out and he is ready now. He scored an unbeaten century over the weekend renouncing that he is no mug with the bat as well at the highest level. The left handed bowler and batsman adds that he hopes to contribute with either bat or ball to pull the Proteas over the line.

Proteas bowling coach Charl Langeveldt believes that these are exciting times for South African fast bowlers following the sudden and shocking retirement of Kyle Abbott from international cricket. The news came on the day the Proteas sealed a 2-0 series unassailable lead win over Sri Lanka with a 282 runs victory in the second of three Tests in Cape Town last week. Langeveldt says Abbott’s departure has opened the door for another young fast bowler to step up to the Test arena. With the Proteas having wrapped up the series going into the third and final Test at the Wanderers, one would think fast bowler Kagiso Rabada might be rested for the dead rubber having played almost every match of late. However, Langeveldt confirmed that the 21-year-old will probably be rested during the three T20 Internationals after the Test Series. According to Langeveldt, Rabada, who ripped the Sri Lankan batting order to shreds in Cape Town to record a 10 wicket haul for 92 runs in both innings, is more likely to feature as conditions favor the lanky fast bowler more at the Wanderers. Langevledt believes that it will be a tight call between rising start Duane Olivier and Parnell on who will replace Abbott.

Lions coach Geoffrey Toyana believes that the Proteas are moving in the right direction with Faf du Plessis officially taking over the Test team captaincy following AB de Villiers’ sudden resignation earlier this week. Du Plessis recently successfully captain the Proteas to a 5-0 ODI Series whitewash win followed by a 2-1 Test Series triumph against Australia, home and away respectively in the absence of De Villiers. However, Toyana still hopes that De Villiers will still have a role to play in the Test side moving forward.

Warriors coach Malibongwe Maketa was in a much better mood yesterday after witnessing his team reach the T20 Challenge final with a clinical display against the Lions in their qualifier in Port Elizabeth last night. Colin Ingram starred with bat and ball to help the Eastern Cape franchise book a meeting against defending champions, the Titans, in Centurion on the 16th of December 2016. The performance of Maketa’s charges came on the back of a disappointing final round-robin loss to the Titans on Sunday that ended up costing them top spot and the chance to host this week’s decider. Looking back at what transpired in their last two games, Maketa felt they should not be too downbeat on missing out on a St George’s Park final. Their weekend match against the Titans looked like it was going to be washed out, before officials decided at the last moments that the weather had cleared sufficiently for a five-over per side game to be played. Those five overs in many ways were a lottery and so it proved as a freak Farhaan Behardien 50, the fastest in domestic T20 history, sealed the result. But Maketa says playing in the semi-finals against the Lions allowed his side to stay in the zone. A worrying factor for the Warriors is their record against the Titans. That loss to the reigning champions on Sunday was their 13th in 22 previous meetings. The men from the Eastern Cape have only ever beaten their Gauteng opponents six times in their history. However, one of those times was earlier this season and they also can take heart from winning on their other two most recent limited-over visits to Pretoria. They beat them in the one-day competition last season and Maketa feels his current crop of players cannot be associated with the poor record against the Titans, insisting they hold no baggage heading to the final.

Proteas batsman Temba Bavuma called on the Langa community to come out and be part of the 3rd edition of the Langa All Day Cricket Festival at the Langa Cricket Oval on December 28. The eventful day is set to revive the love of sport in the community that fathered the 26-year-old batsman from birth. Bavuma says the initiative is a way of giving back to the people of Langa.

Bizhub Highveld Lions coach Geoffrey Toyana believes that the return of batsman Steven Cook and Temba Bavuma will boost his side top order when they take on the Multiply Titans tomorrow. After losing to the Cricket South Africa T20 Challenge defending champions, Titans, in their tournament opener at the Bidvest Wanderers, the Lions will be out for revenge at the Supersport Park in Centurion. Toyana says they will take a lot of confidence from having won three of their last four matches in the competition. With both the bowlers and batters coming to the party in the last three games, Toyana says he is pleased with the balance of his side going into the Titans game. Toyana also confirmed that he is likely to push Bavuma up the order to bat at 4 behind former Titans wicketkeeper batsman Mangaliso Mosehle. With Proteas captain AB de Villiers schedule to make his come back to the game following a couple of months on the sideline due to surgery, Toyana says they will be aware of the AB dangerous factor and they will be ready for him and his Titans tomorrow evening.

Cricket’s governing body, the ICC, are on the lookout for a new regional director for the sport in Africa after Jesse Chellan quit the position, just four months after he took up office. The 52-year-old will return to life in the corporate world tomorrow, y after receiving an offer that was too good to turn down from pharmaceutical company, Virbac, as the General Manager of Southern Africa. Chellan is a pharmacist by profession, but has not worked in the industry for close to 20 years after working as a cricket administrator in that time. He says he is sad to leave. Chellan only took up the post in August when he stepped down as chief executive officer of the Eastern Cape Cricket Union after just under two years at the helm. Before that he was CEO of the KwaZulu-Natal Cricket Union, while he also served the Titans franchise for a number of years. During his brief period with the ICC, he made trips to associate nations, or second tier countries - Kenya, Namibia and Uganda - to learn more about the sport in Africa. He believes there is plenty of scope for cricket to grow even further on the continent if administrators can overcome some of the challenges they face. The ICC has several plans in place to enhance the game in Africa. Several of the tier two nations receive substantial grants, while there is also financial support for tier three nations like Ghana, Nigeria and Zambia as well. Chellan believes there is plenty of scope for his successor to help the ICC to improve cricket in Africa.

Proteas head coach Russell Domingo believes that his charges are well on the right track following their 2-1 Test Series triumph over Australia earlier this month Down Under. Domingo and his side arrived in South Africa yesterday brimming with confidence despite losing the third and final Test in Adelaide. Domingo believes that it is more pleasing to see the great ambiance in and amongst the team at the moment with a number of players also returning to form ahead of the summer. For his efforts with both the ball and bat in decisive moments in the Test series, Proteas all-rounder Vernon Philander was deservedly named Man of the Series. He finished fifth highest wicket taker with 12 scalps to his name and 136 runs under his belt. Domingo spoke highly of Philander, who recently returned from a lengthy injury lay-off. Domingo added that albeit beating Australia in Australia is nothing new, it was also good to see the resilience with which the Proteas played when they had their backs against the wall on the tour. Apart from Quinton de Kock, who finished the second highest run getter in the series with 281 runs behind Australia’s Usman Khawaja (314), Domingo believes that the rest of the batting order needs to be more consistent with their contributions. The former Warriors coach---Domingo, also reiterated that nothing changes with the return of AB de Villiers as he will resume the captaincy role from Faf du Plessis. He commended Du Plessis for his budding leadership skills at Test level.The Proteas went through a turbulent period over the past 18 months to two years, falling downs the ICC Rankings in all formats following the start of a transitional period. With recently introduced players now thriving in the Proteas set up, Domingo lamented that young players need to be given time to acclimatize at Test level.

BuidNut Cape Cobras coach Pual Adams commended the Lions performance following the three-run Duckworth Lewis loss in the Cricket South Africa T20 Challenge in Potchefstroom yesterday evening. The Lions managed 165/5 in 19.1 Overs before rain stopped play before the interval bring the Duckworth Lewis method into play. The former Proteas spinner also credited Bizhub Highveld Lions captain Aaron Phangiso for leading his charges defending 70 runs in just six overs to win the game. The Cobras, much like the Lions, have failed to be consistent with their results recording just one win and three losses in four games. However, Adams believes he has the squad to turn things around for the Cape side in the tournament. The under fire Adams later also cleared the air saying the team has moved on from the off the field problems they had at the beginning of the season.

Multiply Titans T20 captain Albie Morkel says it is extremely satisfying to start their Cricket South Africa T20 Challenge title defense season with a victory over arch-rivals the Bizhub Highveld Lions over the weekend. The Tshwane based side beat the Lions by 42 runs while the VKB Knights secured a 38-run win over the Buildnut Cape Cobras in the double header at Bidvest Wanderers. Morkel believes doing the basics right and being more aggressive than their opposition got them the good start to the season. The former Proteas all-rounder, Morkel commended his teammates for their valuable contributions with the bat including that of Heino Kuhn’s 52-ball 83 that steered his side towards their total. With the Titans expected to field a relatively young team with the likes of former SA U19 captain Aiden Markram also in the waiting wings, Morkel confirms that the 23-year-old is in line to get a run soon.

Titans Cricket franchise chief executive Jacq Faul lauded the Proteas following their resolve strengthening first Test victory over Australia at the WACA Cricket Ground in Perth earlier this week. The triumph comes on the back of their first ever 5-0 ODI series whitewash over Australia in South Africa last month. The Titans legend, Faul, also commended youngster Kagiso Rabada for living up to the expectations with the loss of veteran fast bowler Dale Steyn to a shoulder injury mid Test. Faul spoke to SABC Sport Journalist Thando Gqamane at the Titans T20 team sponsor announcement with already onboard Multiply taking over from Unlimited. Faul reaffirms the partnership.The long serving Faul also spoke highly of the Titans return to form in the last three Sunfoil Series games after dropping their first two games of the season. The Centurion based Four-Day Challenge title defending Titans currently top the log after five games albeit only separated only by nine points from the fifth placed Lions. Faul believes that franchise cricket is in for some exciting times.

Proteas and Lions all-rounder Dwaine Pretorius says they failed to apply themselves to the benefit of the team on Day One of their Sunfoil Series Four-Day Challenge clash against the Titans. The Lions were bundled out for 206 by the visitors in their first innings with Pretorius the only batsman raising his bat for a half-century(for his 72). A disappointed Pretorius say they failed to follow their plans on Day One and were punished. The Lions will resume bowling tomorrow morning with the Titans on 34 without loss. Openers Heinno Kuhn(27) and Aiden Markram on seven still 172 runs behind. Pretorius says they will need to learn from their first innings and produce the goods in the second innings in order to challenge for the game. Titans fat bowler Malusi Siboto was the pick of the bowlers picking up his first five wicket haul for the Titans as he finished with figures of 7/49 in 20 overs. The former North West provincial team player says he is pleased with the achievement on a ground that used to once call home.

Hollywood-bets Dolphins batting all-rounder Khaya Zondo hopes he can carry his impressive Sunfoil Series Four-Day Challenge form into the upcoming Cricket South Africa T20 Challenge. The Proteas ODI and T20 international has accumulated 280 in just six innings in the first four Four-Day games at an average of 56.00 to reaffirm his return to form. Zondo says all he needs is continue scoring runs and helping his side win games and the rest is up to the national selectors. The 26-year-old Zondo, who commended CSA for their hand in the growing rate of transformation, also encouraged cricket lovers and supporters to see players as players before seeing colour. He adds that he hopes to return to the Proteas set up on merit for the upcoming tours. The Dolphins, who previously won the competition in 2013/14 with former coach Lance Klusenar, will go into the tournament aiming to replicate last season’s finalist appearance at least. Zondo says his focus now is to just help his side back to the top of the competition again under new coach Grant Morgan this season.

Buildnut Cape Cobras veteran Justin Ontong says he believes that they are ready to go into the upcoming T20 Challenge with a fresh approach following off the field incidences that have visibly affected their Sunfoil Series Four-Day Challenge form. With the Cobras coach Paul Adams under fire facing a CCMA case to keep his occupation, Ontong still believes there is a lot to play for when darning on the Cobras jersey irrespective of what is happening in the boardroom. Ontong, one of the senior players who came out behind Adams after the misconduct case surfaced reaffirmed his support for the Cobras mentor. The former Proteas T20 players says that it is more important to continue playing and bonding as a team at this stage with everything happening off the field, he also highlighted a number of young and older players who are back and need to be watched by the other franchises in the competition. Proteas and Bizhub Highveld Lions left arm spinner Aaron Phangiso believes that the Lions are in a good space this season ahead of the T20 Challenge starting with a double header at the Bidvest Wanderers on Saturday November 12. The Cobras take on the VKB Knights in the first semifinal with the Lions facing defending champions Titans in the evening game. Phangiso says they Lions have a lot to prove this season on the back of last season’s match fixing scandals.

Lions middle order batsman Nicky van der Berg believes they had a successful day on Day One of their Sunfoil Series Four-Day Challenge clash against the Warriors, despite getting out on 99. The Lions had accumulated 302/8 by the close of play largely thanks to Van der Berg and Proteas all-rounder Dwaine Pretorius (97) who put together 180 for the fifth wicket. Van der Berg says he is pleased with his knock and the day’s proceedings. Warriors captain Simon Harmer, who removed the duo in their 90’s in successive overs, commended their batting on the day. Harmer says he is happy with the way the Eastern Cape side pulled things back later in the day. The Warriors fielded three seamer’s for the clash with Harmer and Colin Ackerman assisting with the spin, a move Van der Berg believes could come back to haunt the visitors. The newly elected Warriors captain, Harmer, adds that he is enjoying the extra responsibilities that come with the captaincy. Moreover, the Proteas Test spinner says he believes his side is in the right space.

Lions assistant and bowling coach Gordon Parsons believes that there is still plenty of room for improvement, following his team’s 77-run loss to log leading Dolphins in Potchefstroom. Parson has commended his bowlers after the first two Sunfoil Series Four-Day Challenge games albeit coming out with mixed fortunes with the results. In one of their earlier games, The Lions flew off the blocks with a 10 wickets win over the Cape Cobras. This week the Lions also have a welcomed boost in their attack as they welcome back speedsters’ Aya Myoli and Dwain Pretorius from injury and national duty respectively. Parsons, who turned 57 years old yesterday, says he is happy having Pretorius back in the fluent attack ahead of their next Four-Day clash on Thursday.

Proteas and Lions top order batsman Temba Bavuma says that he is looking forward to play in the Sunfoil Series Four-Day Challenge and Test cricket for the Proteas this summer. The in form Bavuma, who recently scored ODI centuries for Lions and the Proteas, says he is pleased with the way he has started the season. After contributing with a hard fort half century (76 not out) in the first innings of their 10 wicket win over the Cape Cobras, the diminutive Bavuma says he is raring to go this season. The Lions last season relinquished their Four-Day Challenge title to neighbours the Titans with the last round of fixtures going down the last day of the competition. The 26-year-old Bavuma adds that they will be gunning to reclaim the title this season. Having lost more of their well established regulars in the team to more national call-ups and retirement, Bavuma believes that the Lions young squad is brimming with confidence. Bavuma also commends 19-year-old schoolboy Wian Mulder who took seven wickets on debut against the Cobras at the Bidvest Wanderes over the weekend

Shortly after becoming only the second South Africa ever to score an ODI century on debut, behind Colin Ingram, Proteas and Lions batsman Temba Bavuma says that he could not put his feelings and emotions into words. Bavuma’s 113 (123 balls) helped South Africa set up a formidable target to set up a crushing 206-run victory in their once-off ODI against Ireland in Benoni Sunday the 25th of September. Bavuma says he is pleased with having grabbed his opportunity with both hands. Bavuma was involved in a record first wicket opening partnership with wicket-keeper batsman Quinton de Kock(82) as they put on 159 together. Bavuma complements De Kock on how he went about his business racing to a better than a-run-a-ball half-century and allowing him to play his game. Bavuma, who opened the batting for the first time in ODI level for both franchise and country, says the aim was never to change much in his approach to the game. He adds that it was also quite a challenging deck to bat on.

Soweto Pioneers Cricket Club member Luis Manthata has criticized Cricket South Africa (CSA) and other stake holders for delaying the processes of transformation in cricket and sport in general in South Africa. Manthata believes the merger by Soweto and the Dobsonville Cricket clubs to form Pioneers is a move in the right direction and will see great future stars, and strengthen the game in the townships. The club cricket activist told SABC Sport’s Thando Gqamane that they are looking forward to see the newly formed Pioneers compete well and even challenge for the Gauteng Club Cricket Premier League A title this season going forward...

Bizhub Highveld Lions coach and staunch Mamelodi Sundowns fanatic Geoffrey Toyana believes that the Brazilians have the squad to win the MTN 8 title ahead of their semifinal clash against Chippa United next weekend. Sundowns will have to negotiate their way past Chippa United while Bidvest Wits clash with new kids on the block Cape Town City both over two legs to book a place in the final. Toyana believes that the reigning PSL champions will have their work cut out against the Chili Boys. With the Proteas wrapping up the Sunfoil Test Series with a 204-run win in the second Test at Supersport Park today to confirm the 1-0 series win, Toyana says he is pleased with the number of Lions players on national duty. Also with captain AB de Villiers and opener Dean Elgar expected to be back for the Proteas Tour of Australia next month, Toyana says it will be sad to see who will miss out on the tour. In preparing for the upcoming season, the Lions have been hard at work since June getting players ready for various national call-ups during the preseason. The 42 year old coach and the Lions, who have the Momentum eKasi Challenge clash against the Titans in Soweto’s Elkah Stadium coming up next week, also have planned a number of team building activities lined up and he says he is pleased with where his squad is at the moment.

A total of 13 wickets fell on Day Three of the second and final Sunfoil Test Series clash between the South Africa and New Zealand in Centurion yesterday the 29th of August 2016, as the Proteas tightened their grip on the series decider. South Africa will resume this morning on 105/6 with Temba Bavuma on (25*) and Vernon Philander (on three) at the crease with a lead of 372. Proteas fast bowler Dale Steyn says he believes that if they at least need to bat until lunch to ensure that they put a good enough score on the board to win the game. The Proteas lost wickets in regular intervals during their second innings after restricting the visitors to 214 all out in their first innings with uneven bounce the catalyst. Steyn says he believes that the Proteas have enough options in their arsenal to utilize the pitch conditions to their benefit later today...The Multiply Titans fast bowler, Steyn, adds that he believes it will get harder to bat on the deteriorating surface the longer the Test goes on. After the Proteas were hit with a barrage of short balls throughout the second innings, Steyn says their bowling plans should not chance much heading into the last two days irrespective of the deteriorating pitch conditions...

Blue Bulls coach Nollis Marais has made three changes to his team to play against the Sharks in their Currie Cup encounter at King’s Park in Durban on Saturday the 27 August 2016. Wing Travis Ismaiel and centre Dries Swanepoel return from injury and prop Jacobie Adriaanse will make his first start for the team in the Currie Cup. Loose forward Nic de Jager also returns from injury and will be on the bench along with former Springbok hooker Bandise Maku. Marais says his team will need to make sure that their accuracy on execution is on point for the next two games if they are to remain relevant in the competition. Marais believes that their lack of accuracy has cost them dearly in recent matches and has often been the reason why they have conceded 15 tries in three matches. Blue Bulls captain Arno Botha says the players must take accountability for their performances and that they are striving to rectify the mistakes that have seen them concede 104 points while they have scored 114 points so far this season. Marais wants his team to focus on dominating the set-pieces if they are to stand a chance of beating the Sharks who have won all of their three matches so far. Marais is hopeful that his team can win in Durban and says this year’s Currie Cup is a lottery with no guarantees on which team will win.

The Eastern Titans Cricket Union earlier today announced former Proteas wicketkeeper Mark Boucher as the new Multiply Titans head coach for the next two seasons. Despite taking over Rob Walter’s post with no coaching record at any level since his playing days, Boucher will be relying on his knowledge from having played 147 Tests and 295 ODI’s for South Africa. The 39-year-old Boucher says he is honored to be appointed as head coach of a successful franchise such as the Titans. Boucher, who was forced into retirement in 2012 after picking up a career ending eye injury, says he believes he has picked up enough valuable experience to know what is needed from a coach at franchise level. Having already worked with Proteas and Titans wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock in the build up to the ongoing first Test in Durban, Boucher says he is looking forward to continuing to mentor de Kock.

Gauteng Cricket president Thabang Moroe has come out in great anticipation of the upcoming cricket season on both internationally and domestically fronts. The season is schedule to officially get underway later this month with South Africa hosting New Zealand for the first two Tests starting in Durban on 19th of August 2016. Moroe believes that the relevant alterations and innovations, mostly effective from 2016/17, have been introduced to the SA domestic and international cricket landscape in a bid to compete pound for pound and strength for strength with other countries and domestic leagues . A member of the Cricket South Africa (CSA) Board of Directors, Moroe, explains the Mother Body’s approach on the recently introduced ‘targets’ for all national teams and franchises on fielding more players of colour throughout the season. Moroe also sang a lot of praise for former Proteas fast bolwer Mfuneko Ngam for the sterling job he continues to do in producing more black African Cricketers at the University of Fort Hare and CSA Joint Venture Project in Alice. Moroe also hit out at CSA following their 25 Years Anniversary celebrations last month saying he doesn’t feel that the history of SA cricket - since 1991 - was celebrated adequately.

2016 South Africa Coach of the Year Rob Walter believes that he is leaving the Titans in good stead after choosing to end his three-year tenure at the Centurion franchise. Walter was awarded the prestigious award on Tuesday on the 26th of July 2016 at the Cricket South Africa Awards after yet another successful season that yielded two titles for the Titans. Walter, who signed a two-year deal with New Zealand domestic side Otago, speaks highly of golden boy Kagiso Rabada after cleaning up at the awards last night. With Rabada’s fellow ICC U/19 World Cup winner Lungi Ngidi also winning Africa T20 Cup Player of the Year also on the rise, Walter says he believes that the pair are two for the future of SA cricket.

Proteas fast bowler and 2016 SA Cricketer of the Year Kagiso Rabada believes that keeping a good balance between team and personal goals has been the key to his success. The maturing fast bowler made history when he scooped six awards at the Cricket South Africa Awards, held at the Sandton Convention Centre last night. Rabada, who was by far the Proteas’ shining Knight in armor in his debut season at international level, says it’s important to understand team dynamics well on the way to inspiring greatness.

South Africa ‘A’ team coach Malibongwe Maketa says he enjoys being involved at national level with Test cricketers ahead of their Tour of Zimbabwe. The SA A side departed for Zimbabwe on Tuesday, where they are scheduled to play two Four-Day Tests before heading to Australia later this month. The Chevrolet Warriors coach, Maketa, says good performances will be critical for their back-to-back tours.

Proteas and Lions fast bowler Hardus Viljoen says that he is ready to reap the rewards of a tough off-season having been working on various aspects of his game ahead of the new season. The Zimbabwe bound Viljoen is currently in camp with the South Africa ‘A’ team at the University of Pretoria’s High Performance Centre in preparation for their two-match four-day Test series. With majority of the Lions team now present and only overseas currently playing new signings schedule to return next month, the 27-year-old Viljoen believes that there is great healthy competition already in the side. The SA ‘A’ team will play the two four-day Tests before traveling to Australia for consecutive series against Zimbabwe and Australasia for two more four-day Tests with the hosts and a limited overs Triangular Series against the Aussies and India ‘A’ teams. Viljoen says his primary focus is doing well at the SA ‘A’ level consistently and should he be called up for the August 23 first Test against New Zealand, he will be pleased.After finishing last season on a high with a national call up and amongst the top wicket takers in the Momentum One Day Cup and the Sunfoil Series, the Witbank-born Viljoen says his other goal is to be consistent and better this season.

Lions budding all-rounder Dwaine Pretorius says he is ready to pick up where he left off with his cricket this season going into two four-day Test matches against Zimbabwe and Australia. Pretorius, in his first trip with the now Malibongwe Maketa coached SA A team, says he is also happy with his off-season training ahead of a busy programme of domestic and international.The 27-year-old adds that with the arrival of the new signing in a month’s time, he has no doubt that the Lions will be ready to compete. Dubbed as one of the best all-rounder in domestic cricket of late, Pretorius says he is looking forward to the learning curve with the SA A team and contributing to the Lions upon his return.

Proteas assistant coach Adrian Birrel concurred with head coach Russell Domingo saying the overload of cricket for some of the Proteas senior players is the reason for their poor performances at national level. The Proteas returned from the West Indies on the back of disappointing performances and Birrel says their players are visibly drained. The Cape Town born also indicated that they are struggling as the national team, after a couple of wins in between a two losses to start, a no-result due to rain washing out AB de Villiers 200th ODI, the Proteas dismally lost the crucial decider to qualify for the final but with no doubt they will bounce back in time. After missing out on the ICC Cricket World Cup and the World T20 Cup most recently, He says with the ICC Champions Trophy coming up next year, they still have a chance to win some silverware before Domingo and his staff bow.

Proteas coach Russell Domingo has called Cricket South Africa (CSA) to look into the currently overloaded cricket schedule especially for the Proteas senior players and their contractual obligations outside of the national team. Domingo and his coaching staff arrived this morning at the O.R Tambo International Airport from a disappointing Caribbean Triangular Series against Australia and the West Indies. Needless to say, majority of the Proteas players were left behind for the lucrative Caribbean Premier League T20 tournament starting today. Domingo says they need to look into and sort out a number of issues ahead of a packed summer schedule.

Standard Bank Proteas and Bizhub Highveld Lions budding fast bowler Kagiso Rabada, says that he cannot wait to get the cricket ball rolling again ahead of an action packed summer of cricket. South Africa departs for the West Indies later this week where they are schedule to take on Australia and the Windies in a Tri-Angular series starting in a fortnight. Rabada, who last featured for the Proteas at the ICC T20 World Cup says, he has worked hard off the field and now he is looking forward to get back to action. With the Proteas schedule to play a lot of cricket this summer, the speedster says it will be important to manage his body well and use what works for him. Rabada, who will be traveling to the Caribbean for the first time says he has also gathered some knowledge of the conditions and what to expect on tour.

After spending his first full season with the Proteas and featuring in every format, Kagiso Rabada, who turns 21 years old tomorrow(25 May), says he has picked up some experience in his 6 Tests, 14 ODI’s and 16 T20 Internationals. With transformation the talk on everyone’s lips in South Africa, Rabada who will be traveling to the Caribbean for the first time says he has also gathered some knowledge of the conditions and what to expect on tour. Rabada says that he feels privileged to be an ambassador of the movement and a role model to all aspiring cricketers in the country irrespective of the colour of their skin...

Cricket South Africa chief executive Haroon Lorgat today commended their timely reunification with long term sponsor Standard Bank as the Mother Body celebrates 25 years since coming out of isolation. For the first time ever all three Proteas teams will have the same title sponsor for the next four years. Lorgat says both parties have taken a massive step for cricket in South Africa.

The second edition of the Africa T20 Cup will get underway in September, Cricket South Africa (CSA) announced today.Launched in 2015, the event will once again feature 13 provincial sides, as well as international guests Kenya, Zimbabwe and Namibia. Cricket South Africa’s GM of Cricketing Services Corrie Van Zyl says the tournament was created to help develop players and give them exposure, but also to revive provincial identity.

Unlimited Titans assistant coach Mandla Mashimbyi believes the state of cricket in Limpopo is changing for the better. Mashimbyi was speaking at the Limpopo Impala Cricket (LICA) end of season awards ceremony at the Peter Mokaba stadium on Friday night, 22 April. Some of the things LICA was celebrating from their season were the province’s qualification and performance at the Rural week. The province did not qualify for the rural week last year but finished second this year. LICA chief executive Feizel Kimmie said that it was important for the province to perform well at the rural week considering that is where they are measured. Kimmie also admitted that he was proud of the likes of players such as Hector Ngobeni and Rynard De Lange for being selected for the CSA camp. The administrator revealed that their biggest challenge is to retain and nurture their own talent.

Lions cricket coach Geoffrey Toyana says he is disappointed with the Proteas’ World T20 Cup tournament campaign after South Africa failed to progress to the semi-finals. The Proteas lost two from four in the group stages only registering wins against associate sides Afghanistan and Sri Lanka in the dead-rubber game on Monday, 28 March 2016. Also, after a rough six months going through CSA disciplinary programs and remodeling his bowling action weeks before the world tournament, Toyana had high praise for left-arm spinner, Aaron Phangiso’s contribution in the last two matches. Toyana says he believes that the Proteas opening loss to England was the game that hurt Russell Domingo’s men.

Sunfoil Series log leaders, Titans, yesterday resumed training ahead of their round nine clash against archrivals, the Lions, starting on Thursday morning in Centurion. Having tasted success early in the season by winning the Ram Slam T20 Challenge title, Titans head coach, Rob Walter says that he was disappointed that his charges were unable to successively defend their Momentum One Day Cup title for the second time. However, now in with a firm chance claiming the Sunfoil Series title, Walter says he believes it has been a successful season.

Bizhub Highveld Lions coach Geoffrey Toyana says he is pleased with the standard of cricket his charges have played this season. With already one trophy in the cabinet and the Sunfoil Series title defense still on course, Toyana says he believes they’ve a good season and they adapted well to the manner in which the domestic cricket season has been structured…The Lions which are one of the franchises that are heavily rocked by match fixing scandals during the Ram Slam T20 challenge finished fifth in the competition with a fairly young side. Despite all the controversy surrounding the competition, Toyana says he was also impressed with his future stars putting their hands up…In the midst of all the controversy, the Lions and Gauteng cricket still had something to smile about after winning the Momentum One Day Cup title in Cape Town. Toyana believes that they would not have won the competition if it wasn’t for the good depth franchise has…Baring a successful return to Four-Day cricket, days after their limited overs final against the Cobras, the defending champions, Lions, have not won a game in their last two outings. A 10 wicket loss to the Knights at home and a draw in Pietermaritzburg against the Dolphins has seen the Johannesburg side drop to third on the log behind the Knights and the log leading Titans. Toyana says his charges know they are facing a tough challenge of collecting two from two in order to stand a chance to defend their title…The Lions next play the high-flying Titans, who are unbeaten in Centurion this season, in the first of their last two games closing out their season with the Warriors in Port Elizabeth. Toyana says he believes the game is a straight shootout with the winner most likely to go on to win the championship…

Lions coach Johan Ackermann says that he has rewarded his son Ruan for playing well against the Highlanders and wants him to play his game against the Cheetahs. Ackermann says his son is already under pressure from the media because his father is the coach, but believes that he is good and therefore old enough to play Super Rugby at the age of 20.

Sunfoil Dolphins co-caretaker coach Yashin Ebrahim sent a clear warning message to their next Sunfoil Series opponents the Lions ahead of their round eight clash in Pietermaritzburg starting today the 18th of March 2016. The Dolphins who are now under the tutelage of Ebrahim and former Proteas fast bowler Roger Telemachus, vowed to continue from where they left off against the Titans last weekend. Ebrahim says that they have their plans in place...

Proteas and Lions top order batsman Temba Bavuma, describes their clash against the Sunfoil Dolphins as a must win game heading into round eight of their Sunfoil Series title defense. The 25-year-old Cape Town born reiterates the importance of his team lifting up their game in all aspects of play against the KwaZulu Natal side, starting today the 18th of March 2016.

Our cricket coverage consists mainly of updates and scores.However, Radio 2000 broadcasts a selection of 'local' international matches live.

Lions vice-captain Dominic Hendricks commended his team’s performance in their innings and 78 runs victory over the Cape Cobras on their return to the longer format earlier this week. The Lions claimed the 20 wickets in a day and a half to ensure they don’t bat again with 21-year-old left arm orthodox spinner Bjorn Fortuin and Protea’s Hardus Viljoen claiming six sticks each in the. The team will be looking to exert more pressure on the Titans with another victory at home and Hendricks says they know they have to take it one game at a time.

Our cricket coverage consists mainly of updates and scores.However, Radio 2000 broadcasts a selection of 'local' international matches live.

The Former ICC U19 World Cup winning captain Aiden Markram echoed Phehlukwayo’s words on the importance of the T20 Schools Challenge for youngsters straight out of high school. Markram, who also led the University of Pretoria (TUKS) to a successful Red Bull Campus Cricket World Cup title defense last year, says that T20 cricket is an extremely valuable format for youngsters…

Former SA U19 and now Sunfoil Dolphins all-rounder Andile Phehlukwayo, believes that the Coca Cola Schools T20 Challenge tournament is a great platform for youngsters to showcase their talent and gain valuable experience. Phehlukwayo highlights the importance of playing T20 cricket as it has a major influence in other formats as well...

David Warner and Glenn Maxwell shared a 161-run stand at Wanderers, the nation’s highest ever T20 partnership delivering a dramatic five-wicket win over South Africa. Australia didn’t have the best of starts with the bat, but a T20 record partnership between Warner (77) and Maxwell (75) steered them home. The pair put together 161 in just 13 overs in the largest fourth wicket stand in T20 cricket and propelled Australia to their first T20 win, in five games. Having batted at the top of the order for most of his career, Warner who came in at N0.4, says that he enjoys his new role in the team’s middle order. Warner adds that he is happy wherever he plays for the benefit of the team.

Australia successfully chased down South Africa’s 204 in the second T20 international played at the Bidvest Wanderers to level the series one-all, yesterday the 6th of March 2016. Proteas captain Faf du Plessis says that they had enough on runs on the board but couldn’t hold their nerve with the ball to win the game.The series heads to Cape Town for the grand finale with victory ensuring much needed momentum heading to the subcontinent. Despite letting slip a chance of sealing the series, Du Plessis says they will take confidence in having played a number of pressure games heading to India.

Bizhub Highveld Lions bowling and assistant coach Gordon Parsons has described winning the Momentum One Day Cup on Sunday the 28 of February 2016, feeling like a dream. The Lions comprehensively beat title favorites the Nashua Mobile Cape Cobras by eight wickets at Newlands to register their second trophy in as many seasons. The 56-year-old Parsons commends his bowlers, without discrediting veterans Alviro Petersen and Stephen Cook for their form with the bat and their incredible adjustment. Having worked for years with fast bowlers Chris Morris (now with the Titans), Kagiso Rabada and Hardus Viljoen (Proteas players), Parsons says he was thrilled to watch the three pacemen all turning out for the Proteas this year.

Bizhub Highveld Lions coach Geoffrey Toyana credits his coaching staff after ripping the benefits of the work done with the youngsters during the winter off-season, where they go deeper to their structure. The Lions played majority of the One Day tournament without the services of top players such as Kagiso Rabada, Hardus Viljoen, Aaron Phangiso and Temba Bavuma to name a few. With the likes of Niel McKenzie (retired) Chris Morris and Quinton de Kock (moved to Titans) also no longer part of the Lions, Toyana says it is part of their job to keep producing players and adapting with the changes of the squad over time.

The two Black African head coaches of Cricket South Africa’s franchise game Geoffrey Toyana and Malibongwe Maketa will watch on as the Bizhub Highveld Lions do battle with the Chevrolet Warriors at the Bidvest Wanderers this afternoon, Wednesday, 24 February 2016. The victorious side will book themselves a date with the Nashua Mobile Cape Cobras in the Momentum One Day Cup final on Sunday at Newlands. Lions coach Toyana, who was once coached by Maketa at the Titans and Northerns Cricket, says he is expecting a fierce clash. The Lions have won the toss and elected to field.

The Proteas dismissed England for 171 after putting them in to bat first on their last cricket match of their near months long Tour in South Africa. Proteas T20 captain Faf du Plessis, commends his bowlers for building a solid foundation in their win on the 21st of February 2016. Du Plessis says that they needed something special upfront and De Villiers delivered a majestic batting display together with Hashim Amla at the top. Du Plessis also adds that they are aware of De Villiers's capabilities with the bat in the middle to the back end of the innings but they believes he will also thrive at the top in sub continental conditions.

Proteas T20 opening batsman AB de Villiers, says that they will take a lot of confidence from their 2-0 series victory over England heading to the ICC T20 World Cup in India next month, March. South Africa trounced England by nine wickets in the second and final T20 at the Bidvest Wanderers yesterday the 21st of February 2016, recording back-to-back limited overs series wins against England (3-2 ODI Series). De Villiers (71 from 29 balls) and Amla (69 from 38 not out) were involved in an opening stand of 125 in just 8.2 overs before the former skied one to the safe hands of Joe Root in the deep. De Villiers also commends fellow opening batsman Amla, on his classy knock.

Proteas T20 Captain Faf du Plessis has lauded Cricket South Africa’s convener of selectors and the players named in the ICC T20 World Cup squad for the tournament in India next moth, March 2016. After careful planning and preparation over the last 18 months, Du Plessis commends the selectors for sticking with the same group and the players for putting their hands up for the world showpiece. The Proteas kickoff off their final preparations for the world cup tonight the 19th of February 2016, 18h00 in Cape Town with the first of two T20 Internationals against England. The 31-year-old Titans stalwart, Du Plessis, says that it will be highly important for players to hit the ground running and play their roles well for the team starting tonight.

Mayor of Tshwane, Kgosientso Ramokgopa has praised the successful hosting of the 2016 Tshwane Open that also marked the end of co-sanctioned events in the summer swing and says he could not have asked for a better finish. Charl Schwartzel beat his nearest challenger Jeff Winther of Denmark by eight strokes after a final round of 63 to win his 11th European Tour title. It was also a historic day for black indigenous golfers as no less than two players, Lindani Ndwandwe and Toto Thimba made it through the weekend, something that caught the mayor's attention and he says next year they will invite more black players as part of their five year anniversary.

Kagiso Rabada says, he is pleased to see the selectors and the public showing that they have faith in him. The 20-year-old rising star is one of the Proteas 18-men squad to do battle at the 2016 World T20 Cup tournament, in India March 2016. Rabada says that even though the magnitude of the world stage is different and the standard of the game is much higher, he is mentally fit for the challenge.

Cricket South Africa chief executive Haroon Lorgat, commend the Proteas 18-men squad to do the battle at the 2016 World T20 Cup tournament in India March 2016 Lorgat says with the world class players the Proteas have on their side, they stand a great chance of competing well and coming out victorious with the World T20 title and they will take great confidence from their 3-2 ODI series win.

The Proteas will next have five T20 International matches in preparation for the upcoming world T20 World Cup in India, which will be staged across eight venues from 8 March to 3 April 2016. De Villiers says they need to be focus heading into these next five games.

South Africa won the fifth and final ODI by 5 wickets in Cape Town yesterday on the 14th of February 2016, rewriting the history books with three consecutive triumphs to highlight their remarkable comeback. Proteas captain AB de Villiers says the difference between the two teams in the clash is that the Proteas were hungrier than England coming back from 2-0 down. de Villiers, who starred with a better than a run 101 in the 236 run chase, says the series win to him and the team is a monumental achievement. According to the captain believing in each other and having faith in their abilities to comeback from 2-0 down was key in their series triumph.

The Proteas produced an all-round spirited performance last night the 9th of February 2016, to register their first ODI win over England in three outing when they recorded a seven wicket victory at the Supersport Park in Centurion. A record braking opening partnership of 239 between Quinton de Kock (135) and Hashim Amla (127) laid the foundation for AB De Villiers’ men to prevent a humiliating 3-0 series unassailable lead for the inform England. One positive thing the Proteas will take to Bidvest Wanderers on Friday’s clash the 12 of February, is that the home side is unbeaten at the Bullring in pink in three outings.

Dolphins chief executive Peter de Wet says that the Dolphins will win either the Sunfoil Series title or the Momentum One Day Cup, this season. Having missed out in retaining this year’s controversial Ram Slam T20 Challenge losing to the Titans in the final, the Dolphins will be desperately looking for some silverware in the two remaining competitions.De Wet tells SABC Sport Journalist Thando Gqamane that they are pleased to see the progress the Dolphins have made on and off the field in the past nine months supported well by their developmental structures...

Proteas star fast bowler Kagiso Rabada says his milestone of being the youngest South African bowler to take a 10 wicket haul and also finishing the third and final Test against England with the second best bowling figures of 13 wickets for 144 runs, is a moment that he will one day look back on with plenty of pride. Rabada yesterday, 26 January 2016 ripped into the heart of the England batting line-up and finished the second innings with six wickets after taking seven wickets in England’s first innings.

Both Lions and Titans cricket coaches Geoffrey Toyana and Rob Walters have respectively slammed corruption and match fixing in domestic cricket in South Africa. This comes after Cricket South Africa last week charged former Lions and Titans batsman Gulam Bodi of ‘contriving to fix, or otherwise improperly influencing aspects of the games in the 2015 Ram Slam T20 Challenge’. Toyana called on CSA to bring all the culprits forward and act accordingly. Former Proteas fitness and conditioning coach, Walters says the matter must be dealt with efficiently.

Proteas rising all-rounder Chris Morris says he is looking forward to see how the new Test captain AB de Villiers goes about things in his recently undertaken role, speaking ahead of their third test against England at the Bidvest Wanderers on January 14, 2016. England was leading the four-match series 1-0 after their opening win in Durban and South Africa would be looking to level the series and set up the grand finale at Centurion.

Proteas coach Russell Domingo, who highly rates Hashim Amla and worked closely with him during his tenure, took the opportunity to get a few things off his chest. Domingo says that Amla is one of the best players the country has ever produced, and deserves more respect than he commands currently.

Batsman Hashim Amla, who led the much needed fight-back for the Proteas with a trademark 201 after losing by over 200 runs in the first Test in Durban, reaffirmed that his decision to step down as Test captain has been long forth coming. Amla added that he could not have signed out any better than amassing yet another double ton.

Cricket South Africa chief executive, Haroon Lorgat congratulated and thanked Amla for his services during his tenure as captain, taking over from Graeme Smith 18 months ago. Amla resigned on Wednesday, 6th of January 2016 following the drawn England Tour of South Africa second Test in Cape Town. The 32-year-old was alarmingly under pressure from the public and the media for his leadership style for the Proteas, an issue resulting as far as having scathing remarks and opinions publicized during the first two Tests with the team under pressure from a 3-0 series loss in India. Lorgat went on to confirm that AB de Villiers will succeed Amla in the leadership role for the next two Tests in Johannesburg and Centurion.

Proteas Test captain Hashim Amla has announced that he will be stepping down as the team leader with immediate effect following the drawn England Tour of South Africa second Test in Cape Town on the 6th of January 2016. The shocking news come after Amla batted for two days with AB de Villiers and Faf du Plessis respectively, to put the Proteas in a safe place on day three and four, scoring 201 in the process. The 32-year-old with 89 Tests for South Africa at an average of 50.05 and over 7000 Test runs says the decision has been pending for some time now and he has no regrets over it.

Going back 46 years ago, a big footballing institution in Southern Africa, Kaizer Chiefs, was born and, the founding owner Kaizer Motaung believes that his team has played a big role in this country on and off the field. Motaung, a former Orlando Pirates player who joined forces with some of his teammates who were expelled from the Bucs at the time, feels that his club has progressed with the times. The future is also very important and Motaung tells SABC Sport journalist Velile Mbuli that he’s not entirely happy with the progress of their development academy, despite having spent millions of rands building the new state of the art development headquarters at the Chiefs Village.

The third Test is scheduled January 14th at the Bidvest Wanderers in Johannesburg with the Proteas still with a chance of winning the series should they salvage a draw in Cape Town. Makhaya Ntini says the Proteas bowling attack still needs to find the formula to taking 20 wickets in a Test to stand a chance of wining both the last two Tests.

Former Proteas fast bowler Makhaya Ntini says he believes that despite the tremendous resilience in the fight from the Proteas in the ongoing second Sunfoil Test match against England in Cape Town, the pressure is still on South Africa in the four Test match series.by Thando Gqamane

Proteas middle order batsman Temba Bavuma produced one of the best knocks Newlands Cricket Ground has seen in a while to score his maiden test century (102) on Day Four of the second Test. With the game likely heading for a draw, Bavuma, who came to the crease with the Proteas a little less than 200 runs behind, says getting his first test ton in his birth place made it more special for him…By Thando Gqamane

England assistant coach and former Sri Lankan coach, Paul Farbrace, heaped a lot of praise for Bavuma earmarking him as a great talent for the future…By Thando Gqamane

Bavuma, who also wrote a new chapter in Cricket South Africa’s books becoming the first ever Black African to score a century for the Proteas, says he understands the significance of his historic achievement…By Thando Gqamane

Despite yesterday’s fruitful batting display with Russell Domingo’s men losing only the wicket of AB de Villiers on the third day, Faf Du Plessis has called for the side to be more consistent with the bat

Du Plessis will resume this morning on 51 with Amla hoping to bat the entire day to get close to England’s score and get valuable time out on the crease. The South African T20 captain, Du Plessis, adds that his main priority will be to convert his half-century to a big score to also boost his confidence going into the last two Tests in Gauteng…

Chris Gayle’s former coach at the Bizhub Highveld Lions Geoffrey Toyana commended the West Indians destructive batting display at the ICC Cricket World Cup as the left hander became the only batsman ever to score a double century in a World Cup match today. West Indies beat Zimbabwe by 73 runs on the Duck Worth-Lewis method earlier with Gayle scoring a majestic 215 from just 147 deliveries in their world record highest ever ODI partnership of 372 with Marlon Samuels (133). Toyana, who coached Gayle earlier this season in the Ram Slam T20 Challenge, says he looked dangerous throughout his innings and proved his worth in the Windies side. Toyana told SABC Sport journalist Thando Gqamane that he believes that the Proteas are still on course to lifting their first ever world cup title if they hit their straps starting with their game against the West Indies on Friday.

The Nashua Cape Cobras and the Unlimited Titans do battle for the Momentum One Day Cup title for the second time in just as many years this afternoon at Newlands in Cape Town. The two sides shared the trophy last season after the final was rained out at the same venue. Cobras coach Paul Adams says he hopes the weather Gods will be smiling down on them for this final.

Proteas ODI captain AB de Villiers says he is very satisfied with their first world cup win over Zimbabwe in their Pool B tournament opener in Hamilton. South Africa survived under the pressure pump from a spirited Zimbabwean side to win by just 62 runs after being sent in to bat first. De Villiers says he believes that the toss played a big role in the game.

Chief executive of ASEM Varsity Sports and former Springbok captain Francois Pienaar says he is pleased with the latest edition to their platform in Varsity Cricket. The weeklong opening season of Varsity Cricket was held in Potchefstroom’s North West University where the University of Pretoria beat Maties in the final. Pienaar says he was impressed by the standard of cricket and looks forward to next season.

Proteas ODI captain AB de Villiers believes it’s high-time they fight fire with Proteafire and drive each other as a team to come out as victors at the ICC Cricket World Cup. De Villiers says they are feeling the pressure as a team that has never won the world tournament before but they are ready to rewrite the history books.

Minister of Sports and Recreation called upon the Proteas to go out and fight for the nation and represent at the ICC Cricket World Cup. Mbalula stressed the importance of doing the country proud and united again despite all the difficulties and hard times we’ve faced and still continue to. The Minister commended De Villiers and his troops on their confidence and attitude in their approach to the tournament. Mbalula also assured coach Russell Domingo and his captain, De Villiers, that South Africa is fully behind the team in their campaign.

The Proteas flew out to Australasia this afternoon to take part in one of the world’s biggest tournaments in the ICC Cricket World Cup. A tournament that they have never won before. Melrose Arch in Johannesburg was buzzing with the public out in umbers to bid farewell and good luck to AB de Villiers and his men. Proteas coach Russell Domingo says he is pleased with their preparations at home ahead of the tournament.

Proteas’ coach Russell Domingo is of the view that players are under tremendous pressure bring the ICC Cricket World Cup trophy. The tournament, which is co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, starts on 14 February….

Proteas assistant coach Adrian “Adi” Birrell is of the view that experience is going to play a massive role at the upcoming ICC Cricket World Cup, which is going to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand…

The Proteas concluded their Momentum ODI Series against the West Indies with a comfortable 131 run victory in the fifth and final game at Supersport Park in Centurion. The series provided theapp much needed game-time and a positive string of results as South Africa clinched the series 4-1 heading to the World Cup in Australasia next month. Proteas ODI deputy and stand in captain on the night, Hashim Alma, believes the series was a great success especially with the bat and hopes they will take the form and momentum into the world showpiece starting on Valentines Day’s February 14th.

West Indies allrounder Andre Russell describes their one wicket victory over the Proteas as a very important and special win especially after being on the receiving end in the first three ODI’s. Russell, who top scored for the Windiess with a 40-ball 64 not out and also smashed the wining runs for the visitors, says the victory was an entire team effort. The Proteas currently lead the five-match ODI series 3-1 with the last game to play in Centurion.

The West Indies needed a late cameo from all rounder Andre Russell to record a one wicket victory over the Proteas in the fourth ODI in Port Elizabeth. Russell finished the innings on an unbeaten 64 from just 40 balls to guide the Windies to their first victory in the already decided ODI series (3-1). West Indies captain Jason Holder says the win will give them a huge moral boost ahead of the final game in Centurion.

West Indies’ young ODI captain Jason Holder expressed a lot of disappointment after losing the series to the Proteas after their third consecutive loss in East London. The Windies lost by a crushing nine wickets at Buffalo Park to watch South Africa take an unassailable 3-0 lead with two more matches to play in the series. The 23-year-old Holder says he is disappointed in the cricket his side has played thus far and hopes they can bounce back in the last two games and pick up some momentum going to the World Cup.

Proteas bowler Vernon Philander praised his fellow bowlers for their near perfect display at Buffalo Park in East London yesterday in bowling the West Indies out for a paltry 122 which led to the Proteas winning the third ODI by nine wickets and also clinching the series. Philander is hopeful that the team will feed off the confidence gained in the series as they go into the Cricket World Cup which starts next month… SABC Sport journalist Vata Ngobeni reports

The Proteas will be looking for nothing but a victory to wrap up the five-match ODI series with an unassailable 3-0 lead in East London this evening. South Africa thrashed the West Indies by 148 runs in the second ODI smashing a number of records at the Bidvest Wanderers. Proteas opening batsman Hashim Amla says they will always acknowledge the victory margins but they are moving on with the series. SABC Sport journaist Thando Gqamane reports

The Proteas demolished the West Indies by 148 runs at the Bidvest Wanderers in Johannesburg to go up 2-0 in the five-match ODI series. There were centuries for the top three batsman including a maiden ODI century for opener Rilee Rossouw and a world record fasted hundred, from 31 balls, by Proteas captain AB de Villiers. De Villiers says the plan was to be more aggressive especially with the platform set up by Hashim Amla and Rossouw upfront. SABC Sport journalist Thando Gqamane reports

West Indies stalwart Chris Gayle slammed the West Indies Cricket Board and its national selectors decision to leave Trinidadian allrounders Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard out of the upcoming ODI series against South Africa and the ICC World Cup. The 33-year-old Gayle called the move ridiculous and believes it is some sort of victimization towards the two senior players. However, Gayle says they dedicate the T20 series win over the Proteas to both players before questioning the reasons behind leaving two of their best players with the ball, bat and on the field out of the world showpiece in Australasia. The West Indies will be looking to complete a clean sweep when they face the Proteas for the third and final T20 in Durbans Sahara Kingsmead Stadium on Wednesday and Gayle told members of the media. SABC Sport journalist Thando Gqamane reports

West Indies pinch-hitter, Chris Gayle, credited their four-wicket win over the Proteas in the second T20 international to a collective team effort after congratulating South Africa for setting a tough total to chase down. The destroyer, Gayle, amassed 90 runs from just 41 balls in his explosive and entertaining inning at his former ‘home ground’, the Wanderers, where he recently represented the Bizbuh Highveld Lions in the ram Slam T20 Challenge. The victory saw the visitors take an unassailable 2-0 lead with one game remaining in the three-match series. SABC Sport journalist Thando Gqamane reports

Proteas opening batsman Alviro Petersen announced his retirement from international cricket following the Proteas eight wicket win over the West Indies in Cape Town. The 34-year-old Petersen thanks CSA and the Proteas set-up for believing and trusting in his abilities at the highest level. The Port Elizabeth-born Petersen also wishes the Proteas all the best in the upcoming 2015 ICC World Cup in Australia next month. SABC Sport journalist Thando Gqamane reports

Proteas Test team captain Hashim Amla believes he has had a dream start to his tenure as the leader of the ‘new school’ Proteas side six Tests into the hot seat. Amla has lead South Africa to three series wins in Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka and at home against the West Indies. The former SA U19 captain says he is going through a huge learning curve together with the team in their transition period. SABC Sport journalist Thando Gqamane reports

Kyle Abbott says he is bidding his time and learning a lot from team mates ahead of him in the bowler’s pecking order. The right-arm fast-medium bowler who turns out for the Dolphins says the records of those ahead of him speaks for itself and they deserve it, therefore it does not bother him....SABC Sport journalist Jefferson Lupuwana reports

The Bizhub Highveld Lions unveiled West Indies explosive opening batsman Chris Gayle at the Wanderers Cricket Ground as part of their squad for the upcoming Ram Slam T20 tournament. Despite missing out with the Sunfoil Dolphins in the past two seasons due to injury, Gayle says he is looking forward to the tournament and hopefully winning the trophy. The Lions ironically open their campaign against defending champions the Dolphins at 6pm. SABC Sport journalist Thando Gqamane reports

West Indies cricket legend Brain Lara was given the honour to officially open the multipurpose centre, the Mandela Sports complex in Hammanskraal. According to the local council the complex has also managed to create 38 jobs and 5 local sub-contractors were appointed. Even though the work was 70 percent finished, Lara had the opportunity to do cricket clinics with school kids within the surrounding communities. And the former Windies captain was so humbled by the occasion, and he says it reminds him of his playing days as a kid… SABC Sport journalist Tshepo Khuzwayo reports

The Castle Lager Proteas will be relying on character and adaptability in unchartered territory ahead of the One-Day International (ODI) series against New Zealand starting at the Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui. Proteas all-rounder, Ryan McLaren says although the conditions are not familiar they however seem to be favourable for his side to pull off a decent performance...SABC Sport journalist Jefferson Lupuwana reports

When Cricket South Africa recently named JP Duminy as Captain for the Proteas T20 squad for upcoming series down-under few would have expected that name to crop up but the dimunitive cricketer feels this is his chance to prove his leadership abilities....SABC Sport journalist Jefferson Lupuwana reports

Former Proteas have returned to the game to help Cricket South Africa in spreading the gospel of development at the entry level of the sport. Former Proteas captain Graeme Smith, fast bowler Mfuneko Ngam and batsman Neil McKenzie are the three KFC Mini-Cricket assistant coaches and will be helping out with the winning school in preparing them for their game against the Proteas. The second season of the Mini-Cricket Kids vs Proteas Tour will see first prize winners playing with their school team against the Proteas at a live curtain raiser to the T20 International Series against West Indies in January next year. Smith has more on the importance of Mini-Cricket and how it helps to draw kids to the game…SABC Sport Journalist Velile Mbuli reports

Cricket South Africa chief executive officer Haroon Lorgat confirmed that Proteas coach Russell Domingo’s contract has been extended until 2016. Speaking after yesterday’s CSA Annual General Meeting held at the OR Tambo International Airport Protea Hotel, Lorgat said that Domingo and his management team had ensured a seamless transition from the previous coach and players and that they wanted no uncertainty with the national team ahead of next year’s Cricket World Cup……Lorgat said he was satisfied with the finances of CSA after the organization posted a profit of R199million at the end of their four year cycle. CSA had expected to post higher earnings had it not been for the shortened tour by India at the end of last year but Lorgat said they had been forced into coming up with some creative means of making up that money and also lessening spending…..Lorgat said that he was also satisfied with the culture of good governance within the organization and that all the decisions taken by CSA have always been with the best interest of the game at heart……Lorgat says that CSA and its affiliates will need to find new ways of doing things if they are to sustain and grow the game of cricket……SABC Sport journalist Vata Ngobeni reports

Faf du Plessis and Dale Steyn provided the individual highlights as the Castle Lager Proteas scored a conclusive six-wicket victory over Australia in the final of the Triangular ODI Series that was played at Harare Sport Club. The weekend result puts the Proteas level on 113 ODI rankings points with India and Captain AB de Villiers believes his team is on the right track...SABC Sport journalist Jefferson Lupuwana reports

Proteas all-rounder Jacques Kallis announced his retirement from all forms of international cricket. The 38-year-old Kallis, who is widely regarded as the greatest all-rounder of modern day cricket, had retired from Test cricket at the end of last year but was hoping that he could keep on playing One Day International cricket with the hopes of making it to next year’s Cricket World Cup. Speaking through a recorded statement, Kallis said that he realized during the recently concluded tour to Sri Lanka by the Proteas that his World Cup ambitions were a bridge too far. Kallis though believes that the Proteas have the ability and potential to win the World Cup even without the experience of Graeme Smith and himself. Kallis confirmed that he will continue playing Twenty20 cricket for the Kolkota Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League and for the Sydney Thunder in Australia. Kallis made his ODI debut against England in 1996 at Newlands and went on to play 328 matches scoring more than 11500 runs, taking 279 wickets and playing at five World Cups……… Cricket South Africa chief executive Haroon Lorgat today said that Kallis would be missed in the national team and praised him as a phenomenal player who was a brilliant batsman, bowler and fielder……Lorgat thanked Kallis for the way in which he retired saying that it has helped in the transition of life after Kallis. Lorgat said Kallis’ presence in the One Day International team after his retirement from Test cricket at the end of last year was beneficial to the younger players…….Former Proteas captain Graeme Smith described Kallis as a match winner for the national team and was in awe on how Kallis was able to play international cricket for almost two decades……Smith said Kallis’ greatest attribute was his ability to understand the game of cricket and contribute positively in order to be successful as an individual and as a team player……Smith believes that the retirement of Kallis won’t be negative for the Proteas and that the national team still has a strong environment. Kallis is the third Proteas senior player to retire in the past two years with wicketkeeper Mark Boucher being forced into retirement after sustaining an eye injury on the Proteas tour to England in July of 2012. Smith followed suit but his was this year after Australia’s tour to South Africa. Smith though acknowledges that there will be more pressure on the remaining senior players in the team to lead from the front while the door has opened up for younger players to stake their claim in the side……Journalist: Vata Ngobeni

Proteas Test captain Hashim Amla said he was extremely proud with his team after they valiantly fought on the last day of play to draw the match in the second and final Test against Sri Lanka in Colombo. The draw meant that the Proteas win the series 1-0 making it their first series win in Sri Lanka in two decades. The Proteas won the first Test in Galle by 153 runs to go 1-0 up in the two-Test rubber. Chasing a target of 369 runs, the Proteas were reeling at 148 for 8 yesterday but tail-enders Vernon Philander with a match saving 27runs not out and Imran Tahir with four runs not out hung on in the final nine overs to finish on 159 for 8. The series win and draw in the second Test also saw the Proteas reclaim the number one ranking on the ICC Test Team Championship, a ranking that had relinquished to Australia earlier this year…….Amla admitted afterwards that there had been nervous moments during the game but says it was the hunger to clinch the series that saw them through at the end…… Amla also dubbed the tour very successful after the Proteas also won the ODI series 2-1 and said that there had been a handful of crucial moments of brilliance that propelled the Proteas to victory……With the Proteas having won their first Test series under the captaincy of Amla, the man they call the “Peaceful Warrior” is hoping that the winning continues into the one off Test against Zimbabwe next month and into the One Day Internationals lined up for the remainder of the year ahead of next year’s World Cup……Journalist: Vata Ngobeni

Proteas bowling coach Allan Donald commending the team for the damage control they were able to enforce at the end of the first day of the second Test against Sri Lanka at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo. Sri Lanka finished the day with 305 for 5 and it was the hosts batsman Mahela Jayawardene’s 140 not out that saved the home side after their earlier slump when they stole two early wickets…….Donald praised Proteas seamers Vernon Philander for his performance with Philander picking up two wickets from his 16 overs while conceding an economical 33 runs which included five maiden overs and was by far South Africa’s best bowler on the day……..Donald says the Proteas will need to approach the second day with a positive attitude and do everything in their power to get the best out of the first session working in their favour……Journalist: Vata Ngobeni

Proteas batsman AB de Villiers says it will be important for the team to play as well as they did in the first Test when the second Test against Sri Lanka starts in Colombo on July 24. De Villiers said the team almost played flawless cricket in the 153 run victory which was the Proteas first Test victory in Sri Lanka since 2000 and has urged his teammates to win the second Test and clinch a series victory as well……De Villiers believes that the Proteas will need to do more of the same if they are to win the second Test and it will be important for the team to make their intentions known from the onset……With the Proteas having won the One Day International series 2-1, De Villiers says it will be a remarkable feat if the Proteas were to also win the Test series as well…..Journalist: Vata Ngobeni

From a smashing Test debut in 2008 to being relegated to the side-lines for two years and then returning to suffer a serious injury, Proteas batsmen JP Duminy's international career has been quite a dramatic journey. His determination has been remarkable through all of it as his efforts have not gone unnoticed in the last few months with the diminutive cricketer receiving two nominations at this year’s Cricket South Africa Award. The Cape Town born batsman says the nominations came as a surprise to him but he is chuffed…. Duminy received a nomination for SA Cricketer of the year and the Blue Label Telecoms T20 International Cricketer of the year. The 30 year-old says he is excited to have received the nominations considering the setback from injury that affected his game last year…Currently part of Delhi Daredevils, Duminy has been the highlight of an otherwise ordinary campaign. Although his team has underperformed with the Daredevils currently lying bottom of the IPL standings, Duminy has individually turned on the power to hit impressive averages of 66.40 and he is also amongst the top batsmen with high strike rate innings. Duminy says his team has been trying to rectify their shortcomings and will be hoping to overturn things….With upcoming tours of West Indies and the Proteas travelling to Sri Lanka, Duminy says touring the Asian country is always tough but he will be hoping for a good showing as a new generation of cricketers is being ushered in….With injuries and the up-and-down performances firmly behind him, Duminy is now enjoying a phenomenal run. At 30, he would be central to South Africa's plans post the Graeme Smith era. Duminy shared some of the light hearted moments of the IPL saying life in India was made easier due to the presence of other SA cricketers…Journalist: Jefferson Lupuwana

Proteas T20 captain Faf du Plessis says that nobody’s place in the team is guaranteed and that they will need players who are in-form if they are to make an impression at the ICC World T20. With the Proteas not having done well in their last series against Australia, Du Plessis believes that the return of bowlers Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel to fitness ahead of the World Cup in Bangladesh will be a major boost for the team. The Proteas will play all their games in Chittagong starting with their match against Sri Lanka on Saturday then followed by matches against New Zealand, Qualifier B1 and England……Du Plessis believes that spin bowler Imran Tahir will play a huge role for the Proteas especially in the sub-continent conditions which are well-suited for spin bowling…..Proteas coach Russell Domingo is not at all worried about the poor form of his team of late and says that they have played good enough T20 cricket in the last year……Domingo also said that unlike in previous World Cup tournaments, the Proteas are going to Bangladesh with less pressure and that they are amongst many teams that are tipped to win the tournament. However Domingo said that his team’s goal is to win the tournament….. With batsman Hashim Amla not in the best of form, Domingo said that he is not concerned about Amla’s form and that he expects Amla’s form to be at its best at the World Cup……Domingo conceded that his team thrived on conditions with surfaces suited to fast bowling but stated that his team has the players and experience to be able to play and win in the sub-continent…..Journalist: Vata Ngobeni

Cricket South Africa chief executive officer Haroon Lorgat has been cleared off allegations that he knew about the statement about the International Cricket Council Board and the Future Tours Programme by former ICC legal head David Becker. Lorgat was also cleared of the charge of bribing and threatening journalists. Being cleared of the charges means that Lorgat will again be CSA’s representative at the ICC Chief Executive’s Committee and will also be involved in matters involving the Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI). Speaking today at a press conference at the Wanderers Stadium Lorgat said that he had insisted that the investigation into the allegations proceed even though other ICC member nations wanted the matter to be dropped……Journalist: Vata Ngobeni

Clarke also took time to shower praise on retiring Proteas captain Graeme Smith saying that he deserved more recognition than what he has received and the way in which South Africa fought on the last day of the Test epitomized the leader they have in Smith…….Clarke urged his team to learn from the fight South Africa put up throughout the entire series and also commended his backroom staff for ensuring that all players were fit and ready to play even when they were injured……Clarke said that he doesn’t know who he can say should captain South Africa after Smith but was unequivocal that Smith was a once in a lifetime player and will be solely missed by the Proteas……Journalist: Vata Ngobeni

Proteas coach Russell Domingo still believes that there is hope of saving the third and final Test and the series against Australia at Newlands in Cape Town. With one more day left to play the Proteas require 440 runs to win with six wickets in hand but the Australians will feel that they have the upper hand in the game after claiming four wickets in the South African second innings…….Domingo admitted that chasing down the score will be a tough and there is no blueprint in how a team should go about doing it……Domingo says that the team will need to move on and start a new era after captain Graeme Smith announced his retirement. Smith was the third high profile retirement from the team in the past 18 months with Mark Boucher and Jacques Kallis having also done so…….Domingo said the responsibility to take the team forward will fall on the shoulders of the likes of Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers, Dale Steyn and other senior players in the team in the same way Smith and company did so when Shaun Pollock retired……………While the Proteas have not yet won a series against Australia at home, Domingo said that it had been their objective to create history coming into this series. Domingo has almost resigned himself to accepting a draw in this Test to save his team from a series loss……As much as the Australians have the match firmly in their control, Domingo doesn’t count out a come from behind win from his team as they have done in the past but said it would be important to take it session by session……Australian opening batsman David Warner who has already scored two centuries in his two innings in the third Test at Newlands says he would feel better about his centuries if his team win the Test…….The controversial Warner said that he thrives on the pressure that comes with his adversaries banter especially after his outburst about the Proteas ball tampering in their second Test victory in Port Elizabeth. Warner says he is an honest individual who is just misunderstood……..Warner is hopeful that his teammates will be able to claim the six remaining South African wickets and win the Test match and with the help of some reverse swing from the Newlands wicket, Warner doesn’t think that the Proteas will repeat their come from the jaws of defeat draw which they did in Adelaide last year……..Journalist: Vata Ngobeni

Proteas bowler Kyle Abbott conceded that the conditions at Newlands with the howling wind were difficult to bowl in. Even though Abbott took no wickets in his 28 overs, he only conceded 68 runs and bowled 11 maiden overs. JP Duminy was the pick of the South African bowlers picking up four wickets for 73 runs in 17 overs. Regardless of Abbott’s efforts, Australia managed to amass 494 for 7 with captain Michael Clarke top scoring with 161 runs not out……Reporter: Vata Ngobeni

Proteas batsman Faf du Plessis has conceded that a draw would be good enough for South Africa in the third and final Test of the series against Australia currently underway at Newlands in Cape Town. With the Proteas being bowled out for 287 runs well behind the 494 posted by the Australians in their first innings, it seems as though the Proteas will have to limit the damage on day four as the visitors looked determined to increase their score in their second innings as they finished day three on 27runs for no wickets……..

Proteas batsman Dean Elgar said that being omitted from the group of players to get national contracts from Cricket South Africa this week served as motivation for him going into the second Sunfoil Test against Australia in Port Elizabeth. Opening the batting, Elgar top scored for the Proteas with 83 runs and shared a third wicket partnership of 112 runs with Faf du Plessis……..Elgar said he is comfortable opening the batting and even when the likes of Graeme Smith and Hashim Amla perished much earlier in the innings, he hopes that his experience at the top of the order will continue to help him flourish in the Test team…… Elgar, though, admitted that it was a long day in the office and he needed to work hard against unrelenting pressure from the Australian bowling attack……..Elgar says it was important for him to make as many runs as possible in order to cement a good first innings for the Proteas and that the St George’s wicket was getting harder to bat on by the day…….Australian spinner Nathan Lyon says his team had a good day but their biggest task is to bowl out the Proteas on the second day and start with their innings. Lyons finished the day with impressive figures of 2 wickets for 47 runs in his 23 overs picking up the vital wickets of Dean Elgar and Faf du Plessis……Lyon believes that much more patience will be required from his teammates if they are to be successful and win the second Test against the Proteas. It is that patience that paid off for the visitors on day one according to Lyon……. Lyon also hailed Proteas batsman AB de Villiers for scoring half centuries in 12 consecutive Test matches as he finished the day on 51 runs. Lyon said that it was a major challenge bowling to De Villiers but one that he is enjoying……Reporter: Vata Ngobeni

Proteas captain Graeme Smith says his team will deserve all the criticism that will come their way after losing the first Sunfoil Test against Australia by 281 runs with a day to spare at SuperSport Park in Centurion. Smith says his team will need to train well and make smart decisions ahead of the second Test in Port Elizabeth this week…….Smith says the only way for his team is to respond in the strongest way possible……Smith does not think that the loss would have dented his team but said that the Australians won the big moments in the game aided by fast bowler Mitchell Johnson who took 12 wickets in the match……Johnson’s 12 wickets were helped by an unpredictable surface according to Smith but he conceded that Johnson is bowling well and that the Proteas top order need to improve drastically……Australian captain Michael Clarke says his team have played as good a cricket as they did in the Ashes series and that credit must go to both batsmen and bowlers for a team effort that earned them victory……Clarke has urged his team to continue playing as well as they did as playing a series in South Africa against the Proteas still remains the ultimate challenge for his team……Johnson says that the first Test was far from being the perfect performance even though he earned himself his best bowling figures against the Proteas with his 12 wickets for 127 runs. Johnson believes that there is still room for improvement……Clarke did not want to speculate on what was going on in the Proteas dressing room after the game but lauded Johnson and said that the rest of his team will need to improve if they were to stay abreast of the Proteas in the remaining two Tests…Journalist: Vata Ngobeni

It is the first time Kenyan Cricket has failed to qualify for the International Cricket Council (ICC) World Cup. New Zealand will be the host of the ICC World Cup final next year. And the implications are far-reaching, following the ICC's decision to kick Kenya out of the One Day Internationals (ODI’s). General Manager of Kenyan Cricket Association Mr Kobus Oliver of South Africa reckons that Kenya’s expulsion from the ODI’s will have a huge impact. He admitted it would be difficult for the East African nation to play credible oppositions moving forward, adding that it would be harder to draw sponsorships.Asked to comment on the future of cricket in Kenya, Oliver believes it is not the end of the world, given the east African nation passion for the sport. He says with Kenya having played in the five previous World Cups, processes are in the pipeline to revive cricket.Oliver stressed the importance for Kenya to start rebuilding for the future. He says the current players have run their course and it is only natural for Kenya to identify its best eleven.According to Oliver, now that Kenya has failed to progress to the ICC World Cup final in New Zealand next year, the next programme of action is to identify new players from the grass roots to replace the tried and tested players.Oliver set the record straight in as far as the coaching debacle is concerned, insisting Coach Robin Brown resigned and was not sacked as reported. Journalist: Coudjoe Amankwaa

The Kenya national cricket team is currently in New Zealand, competing with other nations for a spot in the 2015 ICC World Cup. The bitter memories of their failure in qualifying for the T20 event last year serve as a motivation. Kenya is considered one of the strongest of the association member nations of the ICC in Africa.Head of ICC’s representative in Africa, Cassim Suleman says given the amount of work put in by the authorities in Kenya, indications are Kenya should qualify for the ICC World Cup….The Kenyan players had been the Associate nation’s most pampered professional. And with majority of their players being young, their progress has been steady and reassuring. The Kenyan authorities have resorted to other established nations such as South Africa and Sri Lankan’s expertise in sharpening their players’ skills.Following their 1996 World Cup display Kenya was granted an ODI status by the ICC. A rebuilding process began in 2005, and Suleman is of the view that the time is opportune for Kenya to flourish, starting with the World Cup.All national teams are currently in New Zealand, battling for a place in the coveted International Cricket Council (ICC) World Cup finals, scheduled to take place next year! Journalist: Coudjoe Amankwaa

Proteas fast bowler Dale Steyn says the Kingsmead pitch aided him and the Proteas in dismantling the Indian batsmen in the rain interrupted day which saw the Proteas eventually bowl India out for 334 after the Indians had started the day on 198 for one……Steyn believes that the rich rewards for himself and the Proteas was due to a lot of hard work and the fact that they were not complacent because previous results have not gone their way in Durban……In achieving his 22nd five wicket haul in Test matches, Steyn believes that the Test was one of his better ones as it was started with a soft dismissal before he wrapped up the rest of the Indian batsmen. Steyn had also gone for 414 deliveries without a wicket but ended his drought with six for 100 in 30 overs which included nine maiden overs……Steyn also revealed that Kallis’ retirement took him by surprise but that it seemed as though Kallis has been enjoying his final moments with his teammates during this Test match…Journalist: Vata Ngobeni

The near miraculous recovery by Proteas bowler Morne Morkel from an ankle injury that had initially ruled him out for the second Test against India currently underway at Kingsmead in Durban, is all due to a rigorous rehabilitation and the retirement of Proteas allrounder Jacques Kallis. This is according to Morkel who was speaking at the conclusion of day one of the second Test after bad light brought an end to proceedings with India having accumulated 181 runs for the loss of one wicket……Morkel says that the Proteas have been rather surprised at how slow the Kingsmead wicket has been but has urged his teammates to adapt to the conditions and make the best out of them……Morkel also lamented how quickly the ball wears out but said that it was important that they are still containing the Indian batsmen……Morkel also admitted that he was slightly disappointed with the fact that they were not able to pick up more wickets but said there was enough time for them to go on to win the Test especially with Kallis playing in his last one……Even though the Proteas knew the day before Christmas and there had had been speculation about the retirement of Jacques Kallis, Morkel said that the announcement was still a big shock. Kallis is playing in his last Test for the Proteas and bows out of the game as the best ever all-rounder statistically…….Morkel believes that the Indian batsmen played well again with Murali Vijay and Cheteshwar Pujara sharing an unbeaten century partnership but believes that the Proteas can regain the upperhand if they pick up quick wickets……Journalist: Vata Ngobeni

Proteas bowling coach Allan Donald strongly believes that the South African bowlers will have a fruitful day two in their first Test against India at the Wanderers. Donald believes that the Proteas could have gotten better rewards for their bowling even though it was not as tidy as he would have liked it to be as the Proteas were able to contain the Indians to 255 for 5 at the close of Day One……. Donald though commended the Indian batsmen for showing patience and discipline and says that they have seemingly learnt from their past experiences in South Africa. Donald was also content with the fact that the Proteas bowlers still had control on proceedings and in keeping the run rate low……..Donald believes that the Proteas bowlers will come out firing in and that they have triumphed over much tougher situations as a team…..Donald also conceded that the Wanderers wicket was not condusive for spin bowling in the first few days but has no doubt that Imran Tahir will be a factor later on in the Test even though Tahir finished with figures of 0/47 in his 8 overs bowled……Donald showered praise on Indian batsman Virat Kohli who top scored with 119 not out at the close of play saying that he reminded him of now retired Indian legend Sachin Tendulkar. Kohli’s knock is his highest score in Test cricket and his fifth ton…Journalist: Vata Ngobeni

Proteas captain AB de Villiers says he is proud of his team’s two nil ODI series victory over reigning world champions India after their last game at SuperSport Park in Centurion was abandoned because of rain. De Villiers revealed that their success was because they won the big moments….. With the Proteas proving to be strong with bat in hand during the series, De Villiers says that he is hopeful that they will continue their form into the Test series which starts next week at the Wanderers…..De Villiers particularly mentioned opening batsmen Quinton de Kock and Hashim Amla for their strong opening stands in two of the matches while De Kock smashed three consecutive centuries in three consecutive innings to become only the fifth player in history to do…..De Villiers says that even though their batting looked strong, it came through a lot of hard work. What impressed De Villiers the most is the way his team was able to adapt to the conditions and make the best of them…..De Villiers says it will be important to start the Test series with the same hunger and dominance they did in the ODI series if they are to make India’s tour of South Africa one of their worst in recent times……The Proteas will again play limited overs cricket next year in June but De Villiers doesn’t believe that the long break will break the momentum and says that it will be easy to pick up their winning ways……De Villiers has warned that India will be a different opponent in Test cricket and that their bowling unit will be much difficult to face…Journalist: Vata Ngobeni

The Proteas and their management gave tributes to the late former President Nelson Mandela who passed away at his home on December 05. Former Proteas fast bowler and now Proteas bowling coach Allan Donald says that Madiba made a huge impact on South African sport and left a legacy…….Proteas fast bowler Dale Steyn says that Madiba was a true inspiration and he is eternally grateful to have met him on a couple of occasions and says those memories he will carry for the rest of his life……Proteas all-rounder says Madiba was an incredible force for South African sport and also made an impact on his life. Kallis recalled the times that he met Madiba and the aura that surrounded the man…… Proteas batsman JP Duminy says that Madiba was the ultimate ambassador for the country and was solely responsible for bringing the country from the brink of war to winning the Rugby World Cup in 1995 and uniting the nation….. Proteas coach Russell Domingo says Madiba will be missed and that he was an incredible gift to South Africa and the world… Journalist: Vata Ngobeni

Proteas captain AB de Villiers says he is not too worried whether his team bats or bowls first in their opening ODI against world champions India at the Wanderers Stadium. The South Africans have been vulnerable in the past when batting second but De Villiers says his team proved they can chase down games when they beat Pakistan in their last ODI……De Villiers says he doesn’t care whether their first ODI game against India is a high or low scoring affair as long as his team wins and plays good cricket in the process…..With Jacques Kallis and Dale Steyn confirmed to return to the team after sitting out the last game because of injury concerns, De Villiers said that there won’t be significant changes to the team to play against India and conceded that his team was low on confidence after the series loss to Pakistan…..De Villiers says while there will be new faces in the Indian team, they will still be as formidable and tough to beat. Regardless of who is in the team, De Villiers believes that they are still the best team in world cricket……De Villiers also admitted that India’s strength is in their batting line-up but that it will be the task of his bowlers to grab early wickets if the Proteas are to pose a real threat to the Indians……The Proteas will again be wearing the pink outfit in support of breast cancer awareness and De Villiers is hopeful that it will bring them the same luck it did earlier this year when they beat Pakistan……De Villiers says there is a lot of reasons why they will be motivated to perform against India but for the Proteas it will be the perfect opportunity to see where they are against the number one team in world cricket……Journalist: Vata Ngobeni

A mouth watering clash is expected this month as India is set to tour South Africa with three One Day Internationals (ODI) and two Test matches lined up. The first of these is the ODI to be played at the Wanderers this December 5 and former Proteas batsmen Herschelle Gibbs says as much as he is satisfied with the bowlers his main concern will be the stuttering batsmen, especially when it comes to chasing a target....The Proteas made a few tweaks and changes to the batting line-up and also drafted in a few young players in this previous ODI series against Pakistan, however Gibbs says that the Indian series will be a big one and was of the notion that the Proteas must stick with the team that did the job in the United Arab Emirates....India currently boast an array of world class spin bowlers who can give Proteas batsmen a hard time, Gibbs says that with the 2015 World Cup in sight, the ODI series against India presents South Africa with the opportunity to gauge or strength in the ODI....Journalist: Jefferson Lupuwana

Swing bowler Vernon Philander has sent a strong message to the South African One-Day International selectors about his prowess in the 50-over game with a superb performance as the Proteas defeated Pakistan by four wickets in the final match of the series in Centurion. Philander bowled with excellent control to record figures of three for 26 in his 10 overs and help to restrict Pakistan to 179 all out after the visitors were sent into bat having lost the toss. Philander who won man of the match says he is happy to be back into the ODI fold after being only preferred in test matches....South Africa never looked troubled in their chase, reaching 181 for six with 68 balls to spare, captain AB de Villiers steering them home with a composed 48 not out....Meanwhile Pakistan clearly spoiled the applecart by sealing victory in the ODI Series in the first two matches and fittingly Saeed Ajmal was credited with a man of the series award. Ajmal paid credit to his Captain and team mates...Journalist: Jefferson Lupuwana (SABC Sport)

Cricket in Kenya is growing in stature following the east African’s nation’s recent back to back victories over established cricket nations Denmark and Scotland. Considered, one of the strongest of the associate member nations of the International Cricket Council (ICC), Kenyan Cricket Authorities are working hard to reach benchmark set by South Africa in cricket. Head of Africa for the ICC Mr Cassim Suleman explains…..Kenya currently has One day International (ODI) status until 2013; they failed to qualify for the T20 tournament. However, given a quality succession plan, pundit reckon Kenya stand a good chance of qualifying for the Cricket World Cup in New Zealand 2014.Asked about Kenya’s 15th ranked Cricket nation in the world, Suleman had this to say.Kenya’s remarkable progress in the world of cricket is seen as a motivation for the rest of the continent to follow suit. And with Cricket regarded as minority sport in Africa, and against the backdrop of youth unemployment, it is envisaged that the spread of cricket in Africa will go a long way in helping not just in creating meaningful employment but also help to entrench discipline among the youth.On the development of cricket in Africa, Suleman emphasized ICC’s strategy for the youth moving forward as comprehensive. Journalist: Coudjoe Amankwaa

Pakistan secured a first ODI series win over the Proteas on home soil, also spoiling the home team's 500th ODI milestone winning by one run to secure a famous series victory at St. George’s Park in Port Elizabeth. Proteas assistant coach Adrian Birrell gives an account of what led to the defeat on such a historic day...Pakistan’s Junaid Khan managed to shut the Proteas out, conceding only seven runs in the process with the Proteas needing only nine runs going into the last over. It is the first time that Pakistan has beaten the Proteas in a bilateral ODI series in South Africa and Birrell says the Proteas have been struggling whenever they are chasing a target....With the Proteas celebrating their 500th ODI match they were certainly expected to win, Birrell says the mood in the camp remains optimistic despite the loss to Pakistan. The assistant coach added that it is their aim to turn the team’s fortunes around...Meanwhile Cricket South Africa has partnered with Blue Label Engage to launch the Love Cricket program, an initiative meant to draw cricket closer to the fans and encourage more people to attend cricket matches. Birrell says the support at St. George was evident but more is needed from the cricket fans...Journalist: Jefferson Lupuwana

With Sunfoil Series receiving a major boost today after the announcement of a major cash injection of two million Rand by the Willowton group into four-day first-class cricket, former Proteas batsmen, Nicky Boje has welcomed the development saying it is a much needed incentive...The champion team will be taking home a handsome one million rand, the highest winner’s cheque ever given to a domestic Franchise team across any competition. Dolphins’ bowler, David Miller says this is an incentive to work hard and he will be working on certain aspects of his game...Journalist: Jefferson Lupuwana

Sunfoil Dolphins coach, Lance Klusener has roped in big hitting West Indies batsmen, Chris Gayle for the 2014 RAM SLAM T20 campaign. Gayle first joined the Dolphins in the 2011/12 season but could not play due to an injury he sustained in the Bangladesh Premier League. Klusener says although this is Gayle’s second stint with the Durban based side he will be hoping his younger players will get to learn from the big hitter. The Windies superstar is regarded as one of the world’s most devastating T20 batsman, having amassed an enormous 5752 runs in T20 cricket, the most by any batsman, at an average of 43.9 and a remarkable strike-rate of 151.84. He will be the Dolphins’ second overseas pro, alongside England’s fast bowler Graham Onions and Klusener says he has one of the youngest teams in the competition and it is important to add some international experience. Klusener added that his game plan will not rest squarely on Gayle’s shoulders as they intend to stamp their authority with their own brand of cricket and will only hope the big man from the Caribbean will serve to compliment their team efforts.The RAM SLAM T20 Challenge starts early next year in January with the Dolphins first match on January 10 against the Chevrolet Knights in Kimberley. Podcast by Jefferson Lupuwana. Picture: Gallo Images.

Proteas’ most experienced Test campaigner Jacques Kallis, is ready to take the field after a long break in the upcoming series against Pakistan starting in Abu Dhabi this morning. Kallis has been out of action since February this year, and expressed his excitement and mental freshness ahead of the series…The Proteas are very confident going into this two test series against Pakistan and Kallis says their record in the sub-continent speaks for itself especially when up against spin bowling… Kallis who turns 38 on Wednesday is a veteran of 162 test matches, with an impressive 13128 runs next to his name and an astonishing batting average 56.10. To him age is just a number and at this stage he’s not even thinking about retirement… The Pakistan tour is also Russell Domingo’s first assignment as a Proteas coach since he replaced Gary Kirsten as the coach few months ago. Kallis says there’s not much difference between these two coaches’ approach…Journalist: Velile Mbuli

The Proteas began their preparations for the two match Test Series against Pakistan in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. The tour starts with a three day warm-up match against Pakistan “A”. This is coach Russel Domingo’s first assignment as Proteas coach since he replaced Gary Kirsten in July. Pakistan’s opening partnership has struggled in recent matches and it is clear that Domingo wants his bowlers to capitalize on that…South Africa and Pakistan will also play five one-day and two Twenty20 internationals. The Proteas currently enjoy the status of being the world’s no.1 Test team and as the season gets underway so is the pressure of defending that supremacy. Domingo says it is important that they stick to the basics that got them to this position…Pakistan has left behind one of the most important members of their team, captain of the national cricket team in the T20 format Mohammad Hafeez. It is a decision that does not concern the Proteas according to Domingo…This will be a first test series for the Proteas since February earlier this year where they overpowered Pakistan, completing a white wash in a three match test series. The long lay-off does not bother Domingo as he believes that his 15-man team will be up to the task…Faf du Plessis has arrived from India and Thami Tsolekile is expected to complete the 15-man playing squad. Journalist: Velile Mbuli

South African domestic cricket professional coach of the year Geoffrey Toyana believes that his work ethic has done the trick for him in his first season at the highest level. The Highveld Lions coach beat his counterparts from Cape Cobras Paul Adams and Eastern Cape Warriors Piet Botha to win this award during the Cricket South Africa awards on Monday night. Toyana and Lions also won the RAM Slam T20 challenge and tied for the Momentum One Day Cup in the first season…Proteas spin bowler Aaron Phangiso was one of the star performers in the Lions system and enjoyed playing under Toyana and has wonderful things to say about the Sowetan…When Toyana was appointed he became the first black to coach in the Franchise system and he followed that up by picking a number of deserving black players in his Lions team. A former first class cricket player himself, Toyana says all black players need is an opportunity to play and make their mark…This is a statement that is well supported by Phangiso, one of the main black players to have starred under Toyana this past season but not because of the colour of his skin…As winners of the Ram Slam T20 Challenge here at home, the Lions will be leaving for India next week to represent South Africa in the Champions League Twenty20 and Toyana knows that after reaching the final last year on home soil, they will have to go one step further this time around… The Lions are in Group A in the CLT20 and open their campaign against Australia’s Perth Scorchers on the 24th of this month. Phangiso is aware that pressure is on them to deliver in India…Journalist: Velile Mbuli

Proteas players have distanced themselves from the India inbound cricket tour debacle. Media reports in India have alleged that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is planning to trim the tour from 12 to seven international matches. Leading all rounder Jacques Kallis remains hopeful that this issue will be resolved…Given India’s lucrative standing in the world of cricket, a curtailed tour itinerary would hit Cricket South Africa (CSA) big time in the coffers. However SA ODI team captain AB De Villiers steered clear of this…CSA is said to be paying the price for going ahead with the appointment of Haroon Lorgat as their new CEO going against BCCI’s advices who had a turbulent relationship with him during his spell as the International Cricket Council (ICC) CEO. India is apparently unwilling to play more than two Tests, three one-dayers — the ICC’s minimum requirement — and two Twenty20s. Each of the one-day matches alone is estimated to carry a gross worth of R256.5m. All Proteas fast bowler Dale Steyn would prefer is to play more test matches… Lorgat is expected to meet BCCI’s honorary secretary Sanjay Patel next week as they attempt to resolve this issue. Meanwhile the Proteas team announced to play Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates, Kallis was only named in the Test squad and not in the ODI team. With the 2015 Cricket World Cup around the corner, Kallis has confirmed that starting with the home series against India in November he will be back in the mix but in a more manageable situation…Also welcoming back Kallis is the ICC’s top ranked test bowler Dale Steyn who believes that the 38 year-old adds a different dimension to the team…With over 321 ODI matches next to Kallis’ name, Proteas leading batsman and newly crowned SA Cricketer of the Year Hashim Amla says the ICC’s top ranked test all rounder’s experience is dearly missed there… Journalist: Velile Mbuli

Cricket South Africa has welcomed the Labour Court ruling against it's former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Gerald Majola. Majola appeared at the Labour Court in Johannesburg and the court ruled against him. A bonus scandal involving millions of rands and the 2009 Indian Premier League is the root of Majola's problems. CSA newly appointed CEO Haroon Lorgat is a relieved man…Majola's problems stem from the Nicholson Commission of Inquiry which found that he had breached the Companies Act by authorising R4.7million in bonuses to be paid to CSA staff without clearance from the board or remuneration committee. Lorgat says Majola can still appeal against this ruling but certain steps will have to be followed first…The Nicholson Inquiry was appointed by the Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula following a series of negative reports around this scandal. CSA then followed with a disciplinary process based on the recommendations and Majola's turbulent 10 year tenure at the helm disgracefully came to an end. Lorgat says the process of bettering their battered image has is going on very well under the current board headed by President Chris Nenzani…During Majola's spell as the CEO, Lorgat was appointed as the national convenor of the selectors and the two worked very closely in a lot of areas. Lorgat a former International Cricket Council (ICC) CEO still has a lot of respect for Majola…Journalist: Velile Mbuli