Pro20 News

In this weeks Pro20 update, we have a captain falling, opening batsmen scoring runs and the IPL muscling in on domestic cricket in South Africa.

This last weekends Pro20 results:

Friday 5th, Cape Cobras beat the Highveld Lions by 42 runs

Sunday 7th, Titans beat the Cape Cobras by 17 runs (D/L shortened game)

Sunday 7th, Warriors beat the Dolphins by 23 runs

note: So far in the Standard Bank Pro20 the team batting first has won every game

Neil McKenzie gets the sack

News of the day is that Highveld Lions captain Neil McKenzie has been relieved of his duties as captain, but will stay on as a senior player in the team. McKenzie has been the captain of the Lions since 2004, and truth be told the Lions have not done well for a long time now. The Lions have announced that Alviro Petersen will captain the team upon his return from India, in the mean time wicket keeper Thami Tsolekile will lead the team. I would suggest that the newly appoint coach of The Lions, Dave Nosworthy, is building a new team and new leadership from within.

IPL Muscles in on domestic cricket

Earlier in the year Shane Warne mentioned that this was going to be a massive year for him, and he now seems to have shown his hand, it was announced that the IPL team The Rajasthan Royals that Warne captained, had struck a deal where the following teams; Hampshire, Cape Cobras and Trinidad and Tobago along with a yet-to-be-confirmed Australia state team, would form an international Twenty20 (Pro20) brand. Each team will now play under the Royals name.

I’m not too keen on this idea, why does one of South Africa’s leading domestic teams need to be influenced by and IPL team? This move seems to cement the notion of big money taking over cricket, it’s now on our door step, the IPL is having a direct influence on our domestic game. More to follow on this story….

Gulam Bodi gets player of the week

Titans opening batsman is my choice for Pro20 player of the week. Bodi hit an impressive 88* runs of just 44 balls in his innings against The Cobras at SuperSport park. His innings included six 6′s and seven 4′s. Bodi would have had the chance to have made is maiden Pro20 century had it not been for a reduced innings due to rain.

Change of Venue:

Cricket South Africa has announced that the Standard Bank Pro20 match between the Nashua Titans and the bizhub Highveld Lions, due to be played on Wednesday, 10 February 2010, has been moved from Willowmoore Park in Benoni, to SuperSport Park in Centurion, because of a waterlogged field. This is great news for the Titans, Willowmore Park is a grave yard for Titans cricket.