The fourth round of the SuperSport Series is the last in the first of three legs. The Titans have taken a solid lead in the series, while the Warriors now have almost no chance of making it as their match was again washed out.

Cobras vs Warriors

Yet again the weather played the most significant role in this SuperSport Series match in East London. The Cobras opening pair of Alistair Gray and Andrew Puttick both scored centuries to power the Cobras to 283/1 at the close of day 1. Gray was out caught behind from the second last ball of the day, departing for 126 which included 17 4’s.

Senior partner Puttick was on 151 at the close of day 1, he resumed his innings on day 2 managing to add 30 runs to his score before he was out lbw to Boje for 193, just seven short of his double century.

The rain then ended the chances of further play, the Warriors did not score a single point from this match, putting them in serious trouble of receiving the wooden spoon in the SuperSport Series 2010/11 as they languish in last position on the SuperSport Series log with 9.68 points.

Titans vs Knights

Coming off the back of two losses in a row, the Titans had to win their fourth game of the series. Batting first the Titans put up a decent total of 337, Behardien top scoring with 147 who was well supported by Henry Davids’ 81.

Once the Titans batsmen had done their thing it then became the Ethy Mbhalati show…. Again. Mbhalati took five wickets as the Knights we’re skittled out for just 113. The Titans then added 187/7 dec to set the Knights 411 for victory.

The Knights put up a great fight with all the batsmen contributing, eventually falling just 21 runs short. Ethy Mhbalati was the difference between the two sides as he took five second innings wickets, ending the match with a ten wicket haul.

Lions vs Dolphins

Imran Tahir and the weather stood between the Lions and victory, The Lions through Neil McKenzie (164) and Vaughn van Jaarsveld (126) posted 462 runs in their first innings – Imran Tahir took five wickets for the fourth time this season.

The Lions then bowled the inconsistent Dolphins out for 201 and forced the follow on. The second inning was a different story, this time the Dolphins put 406 runs on the board setting the Lions 145 for victory. And then the rain came.

The Joburg thunderstorm didn’t last long and gave the Lions enough time to haul the runs in… it did come close though as they lost 6 wickets in the chase.

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.

Neil Mckenzie and Morne Morkel have been dropped for the third Castle Test in Cape Town. Ashwell Prince returns to the side as captain to replace the injured Graeme Smith, Prince will play as opener, alongside the Dolphins batsman Imraan Khan, who’ll make his Test debut.

Albie Morkel has been retained in the squad, while the uncapped fast bowler Wayne Parnell has also been included.

The inclusion of Prince as captain is not much of a surprise after he missed all the Tests in Australia due to injury and failed to win back his place due to the strong form of JP Duminy. I have to ask why Cricket South Africa is so conservative? Prince is 32 years old this year, he’s don’t have long to play, why not invest in a young player for the future?

South Africa squad: Ashwell Prince (capt), Imraan Khan, Hashim Amla, Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Mark Boucher (wk), Paul Harris, Albie Morkel, Dale Steyn, Makhaya Ntini, Wayne Parnell.

The recent series against Australia has not been kind to Neil McKenzie and in my opinion it’s brought his test career to an end. Neil has played 10 innings to date in this summers series against Australian, he’s scored a total of 223 runs at an average of only 22.3. In those 10 innings he’s gone past 50 only once in the fourth innings at Melbourne. We can’t afford to carry an opening batsman against the Australians.

In Neils last 20 innings he’s scored 604 runs at an average of 33.5 runs, this includes the series in England, and the home series against Bangladesh. Turning 34 this year Neil McKenzie is not getting any younger, I think it’s time for Neil to make way for a new opening batsman and go earn some pounds up north before he hangs up his boots.

Below are the stats from Neil McKenzie’s last 20 innings