​Pieter Malan could not have asked for a better 100th first class match than the current one against Free State (FS) at Mangaung Oval. All that is left now is for his team return home as victors. 
 
The skipper added 95 more runs to his overnight score to finish unbeaten with 177 runs behind his name. He and Sybrand Engelbrecht added 149 more runs to Western Province’s overnight score to see the team declare on 387 for three in 107 overs in the first innings.
 
Fast bowler, Lizaad Williams on the other hand showed no mercy for the FS batsmen. The entire top five batsmen succumbed to his incredible bowling. Spinner George Linde and medium pacer Jason Smith took one apiece to reduce the hosts to 221 for seven at close of play.
 
Although FS started their innings on a positive note with a 72-run opening stand between Thabo Masheshemane and Vukozi Bamuza, the team could not consolidate and lacked partnerships.
 
FS still trail by 166 runs with three wickets remaining in the first innings.

Zubayr Hamza scored his fifth first class century in the Sunfoil 3-Day Cup fixture between Western Province (WP) and Free State (FS) at Mangaung Oval, Bloemfontein on Thursday, 18 February 2016.

FS won the toss and sent the visitors in to bat first.

WP lost Matthew Kleinveldt (1) in the second over of the match to fast bowler Gino Vries.

Pieter Malan and Aviwe Mgijima swiftly recovered WP’s innings with a 50-run second wicket partnership before Mgijima was eventually caught behind for 23 off Romano Terblanche.

Malan (82*) who’s playing his 100th first class match and Hamza continued where Mgijima left off and together they constructed a 183-run third wicket partnership. It was off-breaker, Tshepo Ntuli who gave FS the much needed breakthrough when he dismissed Hamza for 118.
​
At close of play WP are 238 for 3 in 67 overs.
 
Teams
WP team: Matthew Kleinveldt, Pieter Malan (capt/wk), Aviwe Mgijima, Zubayr Hamza, Sybrand Engelbrecht, Jason Smith, George Linde, Shaheen Khan, Mpilo Njoloza, Thokozani Peter, Lizaad Williams.
FS team: Vukozi Bamuza, Thabo Masheshemane, Obus Pienaar, Leus du Plooy, Pite van Biljon,  Andries Gous (capt/wk), Romano Terblanche, Tumi Masekela, Gino Vries, Tshepo Ntuli

Northerns took complete control on day two of their Sunfoil 3-Day Cup clash against Western Province (WP) at PPC Newlands on Friday.

The 116-run ninth wicket partnership between Lerato Kgoatle (123) and Rowan Richards (51 not out) saw the visitors add 105 runs to their overnight score to conclude their first innings on 499 all out.

It was a revolting day at the office for the WP batsmen. Not only did Northerns took control of the game with the bat, they also did so with the ball. Debutant Derek Mitchell was the first to fall for WP in the sixth over for 10 to fast bowler, Eldred Hawken and was followed by Pieter Malan (11) six overs later. WP struggled to recover after that and at one stage were 63 for 5.

Aviwe Mgijima did well with the bat scoring 58 runs and was assisted George Linde and Sybrand Engelbrecht who chipped in with 39 and 24 respectively.

​Hawken finished with 3 for twenty to restrict WP to 184 for nine at close of play. They trail by 315 runs with one wicket remaining in the first innings.

Aiden Markram recorded his second first-class century as the Northerns recovered from a poor start to reach stumps on day one of their Sunfoil 3-Day Cup fixture against Western Province (WP) on 394 for 8 at PPC Newlands.

The visitors were sent in to bat first after losing the toss and found themselves in trouble by lunch when they fell to 105 for four.

Markram shared a vital rebuilding stand of 139 with Victor Mahlangu (61) that helped them to take control of the game.

After being cleared to resume bowling by Cricket South Africa (CSA) on Tuesday, right-arm offbreak Sybrand Engelbrecht was the key man for WP to break the crucial partnership when he dismissed Mahlangu.

The 90-run seventh wicket partnership between Markram and Lerato Kgoatle (73 not out) saw them cruise past 350 before Markram became Thokozani Peter’s second victim falling for 182 runs.

Peter and Aviwe Mgijima were the key bowlers for WP. They took 2 for 30 and 2 for 56 respectively while Mpilo Njoloza, Shabir Mallie, George Linde and Engelbrecht took one wicket apiece.

Teams
WP: Pieter Malan (capt), Derek Mitchell, Shabir Mallie, Sybrand Engelbrecht, Taariq Chiecktey (w/k), George Linde, Thokozani Peter, Brendan Young and Mpilo Njoloza.

Northerns : Aiden Markram, Kylin Vardhan, Cobus Pienaar (capt), Shershan Naidoo, Graeme van Buuren, Victor Mahlangu, Shaun von Berg, Lerato Kgoatle (w/k), Eldred Hawken and Alfred Mothoa
 
Umpires: Murray Brown and Ryan Hendricks
Reserve Umpire: Stephen Rex

​Day 2 of the Sunfoil 3-Day Cup fixture between Western Province (WP) and North West (NW) at Potchefstroom saw Matthew Kleinveldt finish unbeaten on 166 runs. This is after North West (NW) added 77 more runs to their overnight score to declare on 538 for eight in the first innings.
 
Edrich Lubbe (106) scored his maiden century for NW before falling into the hands of fast bowler Beuran Hendricks who finished with 4 for 102 in 24 overs.
 
Openers Matthew Kleinveldt and Pieter Malan (49) set the tone for WP with their 103-run opening stand. Kleinveldt was involved in another 89-run third wicket partnership with Zubayr Hamza before Hamza was run out for 51 runs.
 
Wihan Lubbe took 2 wickets for 90 and Bjorn Fortuin took 1 wicket for 72 runs for NW to restrict WP to 376 for 4 at close of play.
 
They trail by 162 runs with 6 wickets remaining in the 1st innings.

Bjorn Fortuin resumed the 2015/16 season on a positive note when he reached his career best innings of 194 runs on Day 1 of the Sunfoil 3-Day fixture against Western Province (WP) at Senwes Park, Potschefstroom on Thursday, 07 January 2016.
 
The home side won the toss and elected to bat first.
 
Following a 72-run opening stand between Henco Olivier (35) and Kagiso Rapulana (40), North West saw themselves losing 3 wickets in just 33 runs. Andre Malan and Fortuin entered the crease and together they constructed a fifth wicket partnership of 108 runs. This partnership was followed by another record breaking 238-run sixth wicket partnership between Fortuin and Edrich Lubbe (94 not out).
 
Fast Bowler Beuran Hendricks lead from the front for WP taking 3 wickets for 78 runs while Mpilo Njoloza, Matthew Kleinveldt and Lesiba Ngoepe all returned with 1 wicket apiece.
 
At close of play, North West are 461 for 6 in 101 overs.
 
Teams
WP: Taariq Chiecktey (w/k); Sybrand Engelbrecht, Zubayr Hamza, Beuran Hendricks, Matthew Kleinveldt, Pieter Malan (capt), Lesiba Ngoepe, Mpilo Njoloza, Brandon Young, Jason Smith, and Thokozani Peter

North West: Hencon Olivier, Kagiso Rapulana (capt), Wihan Lubbe, Andre Malan, Marques Ackerman, Bjorn Fortuin, Edrich Lubbe (w/k), Brady Barends, Johannes Diseko, Siviwe Gidana, Julian Souter.
 
Umpires
Kevin Lawrence
Gerrie Pienaar
Jurie Sadler (Reserve Umpire)
 
--ENDS--
 

CAPE TOWN. - Barry Richards, legendary South African cricketer and former member of the World Cricket Committee of the MCC, applauded the introduction of day/night-cricket as a spectacle and as a move to promote the game, and added that PPC Newlands is one of the suitable South African venues that can follow the example of the Adelaide Oval to host such a novelty in tests.

Richards also warned that the current South African test captain, Hashim Amla, might allow captaincy issues to affect his batting while he is at the crease.

He also casted his vote for Stephen Cook to open the batting in tests for South Africa with Dean Elgar instead of Stiaan van Zyl being converted from a middle-order batsman to an opener.

Richards delivered the 12th annual New Year’s address in front of a capacity audience in the President Suite at PPC Newlands after the conclusion of the third day’s play of the second test between South Africa and England at the iconic venue.

Asked to comment on Amla’s test captaincy (and whether he should continue in that role), Richards expressed sympathy for Amla’s challenges, including the fact that he lost tosses in India and that the Indian off-spinner Ravi Ashwin was the best bowler in the lop-sided series (which resulted in a 3-0 win for the hosts).

He added there were certain questions that he has no answer to as he is not an insider. “Does Hashim want the job, and does he approach mentors around him on where can he improve.”

Richards said Amla should exclude the things (about his captaincy) that are swirling around when he is batting. His own impression is that Amla worries about other things from a captaincy point of view while he is at the crease.

The legendary former South African opener said he would have pencilled in Cook instead of Van Zyl as opener for the current series against England.

He said he would have selected Van Zyl at number five. “I don’t think you can manufacture opening batsmen. And Stephen Cook has done it the past ten years. It might be only a temporary solution, because Cook is 33 or 34,” he added.

Richards also was probed about the South African approach against the whirlwind duo of Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow, who added 399 for the sixth wicket against the Proteas and slammed 196 runs in a session on Sunday in the second test at PPC Newlands.

He said he counted only three Yorkers being bowled in two days to the England batsmen. He also thought the South African bowlers could have used the change of pace more to force false strokes.

On the subject of day/night cricket the former South African batting maestro said this could not be implemented universally and cannot be pursued in venues with a rough outfield.

In certain venues, where there is no dew, like the Adelaide Oval, this innovation could add value to the game.
An amount of 560 million Australian dollars was invested at the Adelaide Oval, he said.

The pink ball is still in a research and developmental phase, he said.

Richards remarked that the International Cricket Council might have missed a trick at the advent of T20-cricket ten years ago by not using a franchise concept by utilizing three cities in countries in different parts of the world to play the game.

It could have aided the globalization of the game enormously.

Miami, Boston and New York could have been the United States of America’s representatives, for example. You could have imported players to represent them, he added.

Richards saluted the contribution made by Basil D’ Oliveira in being a catalyst for the sport boycott against the policy of apartheid.

As a batsman, Richards said, D’ Oliveira had the shortest back=lift he had ever seen, but he could pierce the gaps in the field like few other he saw.

Richards defended the decision of so-called Rebel Tours to South Africa.

He said the players’ opposition to apartheid were encapsulated by the famous walk-off by members of South Africa’s elite players in a game at Newlands. It met with vehement opposition from the government.

The purpose of Ali Bacher’s introduction of the Rebel-tours was to secure the future of cricket in South Africa. If this had not been done, many players and fans could have been lost to the game and could have drifted to other sporting codes, he indicated.

Richards said Fred Titmus, Erapalli Prasanna, Bishen Bedi and Derek Underwood were arguably some of the best spinners he played against.

Bedi defeated numerable batsmen with his control of length and his flight.

Underwood could be unplayable on a wet surface. “He once got 7-17 against us. I knew we were in trouble when in the fifth over of the day, he hit my opening partner on the badge of his cap while he was pushing forward to meet the ball.”

Asked if an argument could be made that the Richards duo – Barry or Viv – might have been better than sir Don Bradman, Richards said he doesn’t like to compare eras simply because conditions, wickets, rules and bats have altered.
​
“Bradman’s statistics are enormous. He averaged 99.94 in tests – that is twice as good as anybody else.”

In a first for a national sporting federation in South Africa, Cricket South Africa and Uber have signed an agreement that will see cricket fans being able to make distinctive use of the Uber service to and from Proteas home matches for the upcoming international season.
 
The Uber service will be available for matches played in Gauteng (Bidvest Wanders Stadium and SuperSport Park), Western Cape (PPC Newlands), Eastern Cape (St Georges Park) and Kwa-Zulu Natal (Sahara Stadium Kingsmead).
 
The service will commence with the first Sunfoil Test match against England in Durban on Saturday and will conclude at the end of the 3rd KFC T20 International against Australia in Cape Town in March next year.
 
“We are always looking at new ways to enhance the experience of our fans and stakeholders,” said CSA Chief Executive, Haroon Lorgat.
 
“Fan and stakeholder research plays a big part in our planning and with parking and traffic related issues being identified as one of the key challenges at stadiums around the country, we needed to find a solution.
 
“I’m grateful to Uber for responding to our challenge and look forward to our fans making use of Uber’s special services to enjoy every Proteas match,” concluded Lorgat.
 
Uber will provide a 10% discount to all fans making use of Uber to and from every cricket match - unique discount codes to activate the discounts will be provided via email, sms and on social media.
 
In addition, those who have not yet used Uber will receive, up to the value of R100, a free first ride in any city in South Africa where Uber operates. To redeem this first time free ride simply download the Uber application and enter the promotional code, CRICKETSA.
 
Alon Lits General Manager for Uber, Sub-Saharan Africa says “This is the first partnership of its kind in South Africa and we are excited to be partnering with Cricket South Africa. The Proteas and the game of cricket are much loved by all South African’s and we are proud to offer cricket fans safe and reliable rides to and from stadiums across the country.”
 
Fans will benefit from a dedicated drop off and pick up area at stadiums, making access easier in and out of stadiums.
 
-RELEASE ENDS-
 
For further enquiries, please contact:
 
Cricket South Africa Communications:
Altaaf Kazi: 082 553 9595 or altaafk@cricket.co.za
 
Uber Communications
Samantha Allenberg: 082 453 7495 or samantha.allenberg@uber.com
 
ABOUT UBER:
The Uber network is now available in 364 cities across 63 countries and 6 continents.
Uber’s mission is nothing less than a revolution in the way citizens of the world move, work and live. It aspires to transform the way people connect with their communities and to bring safety, reliability, convenience and opportunity to transport systems.
 
To request a ride, users must download the free application for Android, iPhone, Blackberry 7, Windows Phone or register for Uber at https://get.uber.com/go/cricketsa.
 
Uber is available is Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban, Port Elizabeth and Cape Town. For more information please visit: www.uber.com
​

CAPE TOWN. – While the South African batsmen’s slow, heroic stonewalling-tactics against India in an effort to save the fourth test were in full swing on Monday, their South African supporters have demonstrated their stoic support for the Proteas by wrapping up tickets for the New Year’s test at PPC Newlands against England in frenetic style as Cape Town test fever has gripped the Mother City.

Ticket sales for seating on the temporary stands (that accommodate 2000 spectators per day) went on sale at PPC Newlands on Monday, and at lunch time, only 160 tickets for the first day, 375 for the second and 400 for the third day were still available.

“Thank you to our passionate supporters for their love of the game and the way they have responded to our message that 10 000 tickets for the five days are available through the construction of temporary stands,” said Nabeal Dien, chief executive officer of the Western Province Cricket Association.

“The record attendance of a test at PPC Newlands might be wiped out by the extraordinary response time of the fans,” he added.

Tickets went on sale at the PPC Newlands cricket offices at 09:00 and the response was immediate and overwhelming, said.

“We just want to thank our fans for their superb reaction. We are overwhelmed by their support,” Dien said.
South Africa has won 11 out of their past 15 tests at PPC Newlands, which has been a stronghold of South African domination.

Dale Steyn, the South African fast bowling ace and the number-1 ranked test bowler in the world, has been under a fitness cloud due to injury the past few weeks, but the Phalaborwa Express has taken 65 test wickets at Newlands and will relish the opportunity to play at the iconic venue.

Altaaf Kazi, chief communications officer of Cricket South Africa, said the announcement of the test squad for the test series against England starting on 26th December is imminent and could happen before the end of the week.