The transformation of the senior Cape Cobras batsman Omphile Ramela owes much to his renewed self-belief, but also to his apt game-plans, said Paul Adams, the Cobras coach, and Justin Ontong, the skipper.

Ramela has blossomed in his past four first-class games by scoring three centuries.

His latest was a surprisingly brisk 112 in 238 minutes off 197 balls for South Africa A against India A.

It was his maiden four-day match for South Africa A.

Ramela struck 12 fours and three sixes in his splendid innings.

Adams said his 129 on his 27th birthday against the Chevrolet Warriors was a turning point as it bolstered Ramela’s self-confidence.  He is a strong character and that century revealed the need for a peculiar structure that Ramela understood.

Ontong said an impressive feature of Ramela’s four-day approach is that his game-plans are so good.

He decided before the tour to India A that he needed to rotate the strike against the spinners while not allowing them to pressurize him.

His strike-rate of 56.85 against India A in his 112, bears testimony to the fact that he did not allow himself to get bogged down by the slow bowlers.

Ramela’s contributions in his last four games are 129, 202*, 14 and 112.

“It is important that he retains his level of consistency,” said Ontong.

The century at the Krishnagiri Stadium in Wayanad in the first unofficial test between South Africa A and India A has underlined Ramela’s credentials as a possible future South African player.

Ontong said there was no doubt about his potential before the century against the Warriors, but the industrious Ramela worked tirelessly in the nets in tandem with the Cobras batting coach Salieg Nackerdien, and particularly erased any flaws he still might have had in his match strategy.

That proved to be essential to his improved performances.

A rejuvenated Cape Cobras top- and middle-order that swept all-comers away so many times the past few years can return to its former glory if it refines its rhythm and composure, according to Andrew Puttick, one of the achievers for the franchise in the 2014/2015-season.

A feature of the 2014/2015-season was the several excellent opening partnerships between Puttick and Richard Levi.

Puttick slammed 652 runs in the Momentum One Day Cup competition and was the major run-scorer in this format last season. Levi was the leading run-scorer in the Ram Slam T20 Challenge and hammered 392 runs in the 2014/2015-season.

According to Puttick, any order consisting of Stiaan van Zyl, Omphile Ramela, he, Levi, Dane Vilas, Justin Ontong and Justin Kemp is quite a formidable one.

In the 2013/2014-season, the Cobras struck 11 Sunfoil Series-centuries, but managed just six in the 2014/2015-season.

One adjustment needed in the 2015/2016-season is to find the balance between defensive work and attack.

The Cape Cobras usually bat at a healthy rate, but in the 2014/2015-season, the team got ahead of themselves at times. The batsmen got carried away and stages and lost wickets instead of grinding things out and first establishing a solid foundation.

Rectifying the mistakes of the past and securing massive first-class totals might be part of their game-plan for the new season.

The Cobras won their tenth title in seven seasons in 2014/2015 by beating the Chevrolet Knights by 33 runs in the final of the Ram Slam T20 Challenge. The Cobras reached the final of the Momentum One Day Cup competition in 2014/2015, and ended in fourth place in the Sunfoil Series.

Puttick is hard at work in the gymnasium and at the Bishops Indoor Centre, while Levi is plying his trade for Northamptonshire.

A series of strong performance for Read Cricket Club in the Ribblesdale Cricket League bolstered Keegan Petersen’s self-confidence in the lead up to the Cape Cobras 2015/2016-season.

Petersen struck 650 runs at an average of 50 and finished eighth on the list of leading batsmen. His highest score was an unbeaten 144.

The young Cape Cobras batsman said he had a terrible start to the league and needed to find a way to deal with a moving delivery on wet wickets in the 2015-season.

In his first few games, he constantly perished when in his 20’s and 30’s, but he finished in impressive style.

“I needed the self-confidence before the season starts,” he said.

Petersen says his focus in the 2015/2016-season would be to knock down the door of the franchise-selectors with some high-scoring for Boland. If presented with another franchise-start, he knows he needs to make it count.

Petersen showed glimpses of his talent in the maiden match for the Cape Cobras against the bizhub Highveld Lions by hitting 47 and 23. He got the starts, but the young player will know that a more relentless pursuit of the big scores and the ability to capitalize on the splendid starts would be needed to break into the big league.

“I felt good about my starts as I wasn’t bothered (by the bowling attack),” he said.

Petersen would like to return to the sort of dominant form that saw him score 965 runs for Boland in the 2013/2014-season at an average of 48.25. It included four centuries. He was the leading run-scorer in the Sunfoil Three-Day Cup competition that year, and his feats underlined the fact that once he is entrenched at the crease, he can amass big scores.

His career-best is an unbeaten 225.

Nabeal Dien, the chief executive officer of the Association, also said Newlands will host 18 international games over the next four years. It forms part of a new dispensation announced by Cricket South Africa (CSA) which is geared to maximise income generation by only allocating internationals to the main five stadiums in South Africa.

Williams, the president of the Association for the past four years, underlined the proactive incentives implemented by WPCA the past year in accelerating the empowerment of black African stars in the Western Cape.

These programs included the Langa cricket festival and the formation of the Newlands Cricket High School, which is a unique South African cricketing institution and has received rave reviews from Cricket South Africa (CSA).

He also applauded the efforts of the WPCA to erase Newlands’ debt in the next five years through the redevelopment model of the stadium that is geared towards that purpose, which will involve the transformation of suites to mixed-use facilities. The new redevelopment plan, when fully implemented, will potentially cost in the region of R450 million over the next five years.

Williams challenged the WPCA to capitalize on the Cape Cobras’ domestic on-field-dominance which saw them win 10 trophies the past seven trophies, and to “make Newlands the home of champions in every sphere.”

Dien committed himself to create a framework for non-racialism in Western Cape cricket by utilizing resources, capacity and human capital to ensure proper access and opportunities to all the communities under the jurisdiction of the WPCA.

At the annual general meeting, advocate Nicholas Kock was elected vice-president.

Four non-independent directors, Trevor Blake, Ashraf Burns, Fezile Mguqulwa and Albin Wagner were elected. The five independent directors of WPCA is Mustaq Brey, Itumeleng Langeni, Suliman Mohamed, Johannes van der Merwe and Lance Witten.

According to the treasurer’s report, WPCA has finished in the green in the 2014/2015-season, showing a profit of R340 013,00.

The 21-year old fast bowler has had a long hard look in the mirror, and he has decided to tweak his bowling action a tad to address his injury niggles.

Williams admitted those niggles has forced him to drop a few places back in the proverbial queue for the Cape Cobras starting eleven.

The young pace merchant is a former South African u.19-player who has shown promise in his 17 first-class games, taking 52 wickets with seven for 89 his best match-haul.

His previous first-class game for the Cape Cobras came in January. He captured three for 64 in a more than decent first innings against the Chevrolet Warriors. Since then, injury lay-offs have been a frequent and frustrating pastime for the Vredenburg-born player.

Now, a rejuvenated and motivated Williams is determined to ensure that his off-season training ensures the core stability, strength and conditioning levels so that he stays on the field of play for the duration of the 2015/2016-season and spends minimal time on the physiotherapist’s recovery bench.

Williams has expressed his satisfaction with his level of training in the off-season.

Apart from his regular visits to the gymnasium, he is also a first-year student in environmental studies and geography at the University of the Western Cape. He hopes to complete his studies in 2017, with the possibility of doing a post-graduate study.

One of his greatest dreams, though, is to remain injury free and to get to the front of the queue to grab opportunities of becoming the first-choice fast bowler or first-change bowler of the Cape champions, the Cape Cobras.

The emergence of the senior Cape Cobras star JP Duminy as a genuine all-rounder provides South Africa with new options in test cricket, said Justin Ontong, the Cobras captain.

Duminy, middle-order stalwart and off-spinner of South Africa in all three formats, was the destroyer-in-chief in the first innings of the second test against Bangladesh in Mirpur on 30th July.

He captured three for 27 in 15 overs as the Tigers slumped to 246 for eight in their first innings. The match was abandoned due to rain that only allowed 88.1 overs on the first day.

Ontong said not only does Duminy bowl with good variation and turn it prodigiously occasionally, but he also gets some drift into the batsmen.

Duminy’s work-ethic is a factor in his continuous improvement.

“I know JP. He works so hard on his game and he seeks to introduce new elements. He is probably working on a different thing now.  A few months ago, he attended the spinner’s camp as well,” said Ontong.

Duminy was one of the heroes of South Africa’s nine-wicket demolition of Sri Lanka in the Cricket World Cup quarter-final as he produced a stunning hat-trick.

“Due to the way that JP is bowling right now, you almost don’t need Simon Harmer (in the test team). It offers you other options in the subcontinent, as you can introduce a left-arm spinner like Aaron Phangiso. In South African conditions, you might even use a four-prong pace attack,” Ontong said.

Paul Harris, a former left-arm spinner of South Africa, says Duminy gets a good loop on his deliveries. In the second test against Bangladesh, he bowled about 5 kilometres per hour slower than Harmer, who might have erred by bowling a South African pace.

Duminy consequently turned the ball more.

“I’m not saying Simon is not a good bowler, but the way JP is bowling right now, he is doing as good a job.

“I would still say you need an attacking spinner in South African conditions, like an Imran Tahir or Eddie Leie, with JP doing the back-up job. On certain grounds, like Newlands and Centurion, you need an attacking spinner.”

Donald, when probed about his longevity, said the Cape Cobras and South African spearhead can reach 500.

Trott, a former England batsman, said 500 or possibly even 600 when asked about Steyn’s long-term prospect on the cricket-website www.espncricinfo.com.

Justin Ontong, the Cape Cobras captain, said 500 wickets is achievable for Steyn. “It is simple. If he plays in another 20 tests, he could take five wickets per test and get to 500. He should pursue it. He is a naturally strong and fit athlete.

“Maybe Dale might decide to retire from one of the formats in order to prolong his test career,” Ontong said.

JP Duminy, a Cape Cobras colleague of Steyn in the national team, said the best wickets taken by Steyn that he remembers, were those dismissals of Brad Haddin (the Australian wicket-keeper) when the two teams clashed in Port Elizabeth in 2014. Steyn used one of his most devastating assets, his reverse swing, to cause the death rattle behind Haddin’s back.

Steyn is statistically one of the most remarkable fast bowlers of all time on the Asian subcontinent.  Consider this: In 19 tests on the Asian subcontinent, he has nipped out 90 batsmen, with five five-wicket hauls.

Mitchell Johnson of Australia has only managed 33 in 12 tests and the former Australian fast bowler Dennis Lillee only captured six wickets in four tests in Asia.

Glenn McGrath took 72 wickets in 19 tests on the subcontinent and the former West Indian fast bowling legend Malcolm Marshall finished with 71 wickets in 19 tests in Asia.

Steyn was named ICC test cricketer of the year for 2008. He held the position of the number-1 ranked test bowler in the world from July 2009 until December 2013, when he was briefly overtaken by Vernon Philander.

Since then, Steyn has returned to the summit of the test bowling rankings.

His strike-rate of 41.5 is the fourth best of all time, and the best for all bowlers who has operated in 20 tests or more.

Steyn will lead the South African attack in the One Day Internationals against New Zealand starting on the 16th August at Kingsmead.

Dane Vilas, who made his test debut for South Africa in the second test against Bangladesh in Mirpur, is one of the four Cape Cobras players in the squad consisting largely of semi-professionals.

Dane Paterson, Omphile Ramela and Wayne Parnell are the other Cape Cobras professionals in a squad jam-packed with gifted players.

The team will be led by Pieter Malan, also the captain of the Western Province team in 2014/2015.

The 18-year old South African u.19-player Dayyaan Galiem, and the 25-year old Parnell are the two exciting all-rounders in the squad.

Ramela, Paterson and GF Linde played pivotal roles in the 2014/2015-season in propelling the Cape Cobras to the Ram Slam T20 Challenge title. Ramela hammered a superb 54 off 34 balls in the finals against the Chevrolet Knights.

Paterson ripped through the Knights and finished with four for 33.

The left-arm spinner Linde nabbed out 14 wickets in the Ram Slam T20 Challenge and was a revelation with the ball.

Mpilo Njoloza was magnificent in his first Sunfoil Series match for the Cape Cobras as he achieved a hat-trick against the Sunfoil Dolphins on franchise-debut.

Zubayr Hamza and Malan were prolific for Western Province in the Sunfoil Three-Day Cup competition in 2014/2015-season.

Despite the number of high-profile performers, Davids was a bit circumspect about their overall chances, He said a concern is that the team will only be assembling in the final week before the start of the tournament in September in Benoni, due to the fact that many players are still plying their trade overseas at present.

The winner of the CSA T20 Africa Cup will collect R300 000 and the runners-up will take home R150 000.

The Western Province team is: Pieter Malan (capt),Dane Vilas, Lesiba Ngoepe, Omphile Ramela, Wayne Parnell, Dane Paterson, GF Linde, Zubayr Hamza, Dayyaan Galiem, Travis Muller, Mpilo Njoloza

Sybrand Engelbrecht would philosophically refer to his club-cricket stint at HBS in The Hague as a “great learning curve”. Yet, batting at number three or four when the balls were moving as if delivered by Dale Steyn or the sultans of swing, Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis, was a challenge, to put it mildly.

Engelbrecht, 26-year old all-rounder of the Cape Cobras, said he realized early during his three-month period in the Netherlands that he had to fulfil the low-risk role and occupy the crease.

Some of the other batsmen had a more cavalier approach to life and cricket, advancing down the crease and attempting to clear the ground early on during their innings.

Their adventure did not always pay dividends, as they were dismissed cheaply occasionally.

The synthetic wickets were not always perfect, with the ball moving prodigiously off the seam, while variable bounce was another factor.

Sometimes the ball whistled past your head, while some deliveries came at boot lace height. He realized that some wickets would offer inconsistent bounce and he had to be prepared for it.

Engelbrecht did score a 140, a couple of 70’s and two 80’s.

As a bowler, he did not enjoy an easy passage. “The cricketers over there are quite clever, because they know who the overseas professionals are, and they won’t take unnecessary risks and take your bowling on,” he said.

They would rather defend dourly against his off-spin, and attack his colleagues.

Engelbrecht has set his sights on representing the Cape Cobras in every format in the 2015/2016-season.

“All I am hoping for  is game time to represent the Cobras to show my value under pressure,” he said.

In the 2014/2015-season, Engelbrecht captured eight wickets in eight Ram Slam T20 Challenge matches with his four for 22 against the Chevrolet Warriors his best performance.

He was also a revelation in the Momentum One Day Cup format, as Engelbrecht scored 225 runs and averaged 37.50, while also taking seven wickets with his two for 49 his best return.

“I was disappointed with my performances in the four-day competition and I hope I can improve,” he added.

Engelbrecht says he counts himself lucky to have two senior players as mentors when batting, as both Andrew Puttick and Justin Kemp will give him honest feedback in this department.

The 2015/2016-season might be a pivotal one for Engelbrecht, who will hope he can reproduce the match-winning performances that made him such an asset to the Cape Cobras at the Champions League T20-tournament in India in September and October 2014.