The Toyota Cheetahs scored one of the most dramatic wins in recent times in Bloemfontein to down the Brumbies 47-36. They scored at more than a point a minute for the first quarter before their attacking instincts and porous defence let the Brumbies in with a chance. Flyhalf Sias Ebersohn’s steady boot and fullback Riaan […]
Johan Botha showed that he is clearly the man to replace Graeme Smith in most forms of the game with one of the most polished performances in the fourth IPL season. He followed up his surreal 3/6 with a polished 45 off 39 balls at No 3. Shane Warne clearly knows something our selectors don’t, […]
Ishant Sharma and Dale Steyn showed why they are viewed as among the world’s leading fast bowlers when they blitzed the Kochi Tuskers Kerala for 74. Few people who watched the game will ever forget Steyn shattering the off-stump, a ball before he finished the game. It was proof that the IPL can still deliver […]
The elephant in the room. The thing no one wants to discuss. The looming issue that simply will not go away. The unspoken awfulness. The over-riding issue in South African rugby no one will talk about, yet everyone is thinking of. What do we do with John Smit? He’s the best captain in the country, […]
Anyone who thought that the Dutch and Irish would simply take their exile from the World Cup lying down has another think coming. The Dutch recorded their second win in as many days against county teams, in England. After downing Yorkshire, they made short work of Derbyshire in the national 40-over league. Wayne Madsen, formerly […]
Johannesburg has a proud tradition of business success. It is awash with cash and the financial capital of South Africa and Africa’s most prosperous city. By just about any measure, Johannesburg leads the way and others follow. Except in rugby, and that is a massive frustration for long-suffering Lions fans, who have had to endure […]
South Africans continued to have a fundamental impact on cricket around the world. The perennial Andrew Hall led the charge with 5/22 against Leicestershire. Neil McKenzie and Johann Myburgh allowed Hampshire to win by three runs in a run-fest, and Craig Kieswetter’s thundering 100 gave Somerset victory over Nottinghamshire. Johan Botha continues to repay Shane […]
The Sharks kept the South African flag flying as the only local team to win this weekend. They are now lurking in third place, and looking good for a semifinal spot, even if they have the Antipodean tour ahead. With a bye and only one bonus point, the Stormers are slipping down the log. The […]
After a fortnight’s post-World Cup hiatus, the world is again able to watch cricket most of the day. Apart from the IPL, there was also the resumption of ODIs between Australia and Bangladesh. South Africans starred again in the IPL, and in county cricket: – Shane Warne, bowling as well as ever, elevated Johan Botha […]
The late Doc Craven often used to opine that a strong Western Province needed a strong Stellenbosch, and that a strong Bok team needed a strong Western Province. In recent decades, this chain of dependency has moved to Northern Transvaal. The health of the Blue Bulls has translated into the success of South African rugby. […]