Pro20 : Titans rock defending champions

The Titans hosted the defending Standard Bank Pro20 champions The Cobras on Sunday afternoon at SuperSport Park. Before the game started there were rain clouds all around the stadium, having shared the points with the Dolphins the week before due to rain, the Titans could not afford another non-result due to the weather.

The Cobras won the toss and elected to bowl, which I found strange due to the chance the game could be affected due to rain, I’d always choose to bat under those circumstances. The Cobras premier bowler Charl Langeveldt opened the bowling, and was immediately hit for consecutive boundaries. This set the tone, the Titans batsmen put on 53 runs from 5 overs before lightening and then rain stopped play.

After the rain interval the game was reduced to 12 overs, which only gave the batsmen license to go for the big shots, and it was Bodi that came off. In his innings Gulam Bodi scored 88 runs from just 44 balls which included six 6’s and seven 4’s. The Titans ended their shortened inning on 136/1.

Needing 11.3 runs per over, The Cobras were under pressure from the first over. Andrew Puttick got them off to a flyer, before he was out caught and bowled by Basheeru-Deen Walters for just 9 runs. The ever powerful Herschelle Gibbs came in at three, and rocked the party. Gibbs hit 6’s all over the park before he got bogged down by the bowling of Titans captain Pierre Jouburt and Roelof van der Merwe. The two bowlers stopped the flow of runs and the pressure told. Gibbs was out caught by a brilliant Albie Morkel catch two short of his half century. The fall of his wicket was the beginning of the end, the game was already in the bag by the time Morkel bowled the penultimate over, taking two wickets.

In the end the Titans won comfortably ensuring that their Standard Bank Pro20 hopes stayed alive. The Cobras on the other hand have some thinking to do, their bowling was poor which resulted in massive pressure on their batsmen.

Proteas team for first test

South Africa start the Test series today against India, the team is as follows:

Graeme Smith (capt), Ashwell Prince, Hashim Amla, Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Mark Boucher (wk), Dale Steyn, Wayne Parnell, Morne Morkel, Paul Harris.

So my prediction that Johan Botha would pip Paul Harris was wrong, also thought that they might play both spinners.

Standard Bank Pro20 log

2010 Standard Bank Pro20 Log was last updated: 8th February 2010

David Miller

During the opening game of the Standard Bank Pro20 2010 between Nashua Dolphins and the Nashua Titans, David Millier caught the eye of a few spectators. Miller scored a quick 30 off 23 balls, before rain stopped play, Dean Oelschig asked me via Twitter what I knew about him. With my endeavour to answer your every question I went online to see what I could find.

Full name: David Andrew Miller Born: June 10, 1989, Pietermaritzburg, Natal Major teams: Dolphins, KwaZulu-Natal Inland Under-19s, South African Schools Batting style: Left-hand bat Bowling style: Right-arm offbreak

Miller is more a batsman than he is a bowler, he’s currently got a first call batting average of 29.84 with a highest score of 108*. In the recent MTN40 Miller 367 runs, in 11 innings at an average of 36.70, his highest score was 85*.

Having made his first call debut in the 07/08 season, Miller is still young and seems to be a player to watch for the future.

Never trust a cricket player

Come all ye fair young maidens and harken unto me,
Never trust a cricketer, whoever he may be.

Randier than a sailor, who’s been six months at sea.
Never let a cricketer’s hand an inch above your knee.

First let’s take the Paceman, pure speed from first to last.
My darlings do be careful, his balls are hard and fast.

Then there’s the Medium Pacer, his balls swing either  way.
He’s really most persistent and can keep it up all day.

Watch out for the Off-spinner, girls, another awkward chap.
If you leave him half an opening, he will slip one through the gap.

Then there’s the wiley ’slowy’, pure cunning is his strength,
He’ll tempt you, then he’ll trap you with his very subtle length.

So ladies, do be careful—your mothers would agree.
Never trust a cricketer—-whoever he may be.

And what about the Opening bat, his struggles never cease,

He has just one ambition, to spend all day at the  ’crease’.

The number Three is a dasher, he seldom prods and pokes,

When he goes into action, he has a fine array of strokes.

And do beware the Slogger, not content with one or two,

When he opens up for action, then only six will do.

Then there’s the real stonewaller, girls, he knows what he’s about,

and if you let him settle in, it’s hard to get him out.

We come now to the last man, be ready for a shock,

He doesn’t mind if he’s last man in -as long as he gets a knock.

So, darlings, do be careful-and be well warned by me,

Never trust a cricketer- whoever he may be.

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This was sent in by Pierre de Villiers