Category Archives: Sports News

Sport24.co.za | AB pumped up for pink ball Test

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Port Elizabeth – Proteas batsman, AB de Villiers, says he is geared up for the unique challenges the pink ball will pose in the historic four-day day-night Test match against Zimbabwe starting in Port Elizabeth on Tuesday, December 26.

The Proteas held their first session under lights with the pink ball on Friday evening, with the St George’s Park conditions providing plenty of nip and spice for the bowlers. 

The 33-year-old says he is ‘excited’ to make a return to the Test fold after nearly two years, and hopes to make a meaningful contribution on and off the field as one of the senior players in the squad.

He has recovered from the stiff lower back that kept him out of the three-day warm-up match against Zimbabwe earlier this week, and is fit and eager to take on the uncharted pink ball challenge. 

“I pride myself in the fact that I can adapt to certain conditions and formats,” he explained to the media on Saturday.

“I have worked hard on my game over the last six months. I started in July facing red balls at the University of Pretoria, getting some technical stuff sorted out. I feel more ready than ever to take it on.

“I faced a few pink balls here last night on a spicy wicket, it was really tough. Then again it’s a great challenge, it’s the ultimate form of the game, it’s the greatest challenge to come out on top when the ball is moving around a bit. 

“It has always been my theory that there isn’t a massive difference between the formats.

“It’s a mindset, a little tweak here and there. You have to have more patience with the red ball but you still have to play cricket strokes, it’s not like you are playing rugby, it is still cricket. As long as you respect the conditions, sum up what is going on in a match situation, you can make it work.” 

De Villiers returns to the venue where he made his Test debut nearly 13 years ago, and insists he is hungrier than ever to make contributions in the format. The match signals the start of an important summer at home for the Test squad, with upcoming tours against India and Australia providing the platform for a thorough assessment of the squad. 

“I want to contribute,” he said of his motivation.

“I want to play knocks, have my say in the field with my experience and take some catches that can win games of cricket. We would like to be No.1 in the world, we are not far away. We know if we win a few series in the next three months against tough opposition we can achieve that. We will take it one step at a time, that will be nice to achieve, to be the No.1 team in the world and to maintain it for a few years.” 

Fast bowler, Duanne Olivier, has been added to the squad following the injury to Chris Morris. Morris was initially included in the 15-man squad but was withdrawn due to a groin injury sustained during the T20 Challenge Final. 

Proteas Test squad:

Faf du Plessis (Titans, captain), Hashim Amla (Cape Cobras), Temba Bavuma (Cape Cobras), Quinton de Kock (Titans), Theunis de Bruyn (Knights), AB de Villiers (Titans), Dean Elgar (Titans), Keshav Maharaj (Dolphins), Aiden Markram (Titans), Morne Morkel (Titans), Duanne Olivier (Knights), Andile Phehlukwayo (Dolphins), Vernon Philander (Cape Cobras), Kagiso Rabada (Highveld Lions), Dale Steyn (Titans).

Sport24.co.za | Star SA duo make Shane Warne ‘best batsmen’ list

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Cape Town – Legendary former Australian spinner Shane Warne has listed the 10 best batsmen he has either seen or played with or against.

Warne, who played 145 Tests for Australia between 1992 and 2007, expressed his views via a column for the Daily Telegraph.

Two South Africans cracked the nod on Warne’s list, with Jacques Kallis ranked at No 7 and AB de Villiers and No 9.

A pair of West Indian legends, Viv Richards and Brian Lara, are ranked in the top two spots, followed by India’s Sachin Tendulkar.

A trio of Australians – Greg Chappell, Ricky Ponting and Allan Border – are next in line, while England’s Graham Gooch also makes the list.

The two men who currently occupy the top two spots on the ICC rankings for Test batsmen – Australia’s Steve Smith and India’s Virat Kohli – are jointly picked at No 10 on the list.

“I don’t assess greatness by stats, but rather by the way someone played the game, the way they influenced results and the impact they had on all of us. That’s how we remember our heroes,” Warne wrote.

“To me a great batsman has to have made a hundred in three key countries: in England, against the Duke ball on seaming and swinging pitches; in Australia, on our fast-paced, bouncy tracks; and of course, in the dust bowls of India, on pitches that spin and spit.”

Regarding Smith and Kohli, Warne said: “To me Steve Smith is the best Test batsman in the world. Virat Kohli is the best across all three formats of the game, but across five days, Steve Smith is the man. The hole in Kohli’s CV on the Test match stage is in England and the pressure is on the fiery but very likeable Indian to carry over some double-ton magic from home soil to that country when his team tours next year.”

Shane Warne’s 10 best batsmen:

1. Viv Richards
2. Brian Lara
3. Sachin Tendulkar
4. Greg Chappell
5. Ricky Ponting
6. Allan Border
7. Jacques Kallis
8. Graham Gooch
9. AB de Villiers
10. Steve Smith/Virat Kohli

Sport24.co.za | SA Rugby gets R330m 2023 RWC ‘consolation’

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Cape Town – South African Rugby is set for a R330m windfall from the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France.

When France was surprisingly awarded hosting rights – despite World Rugby recommending South Africa hold the tournament – it was revealed they had promised the highest financial return of £350m (R6 billion) to the sport’s governing body.

The Telegraph website reported that the breakdown of projected returns to the individual unions “showed why the French bid proved so attractive”.

The 10 tier-one countries (South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, Argentina, England, France, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Italy) are expected to share a record £192.5m (R3.3 billion) payout from World Rugby because of the decision to stage the 2023 tournament in France.

That means a bonus of around $330m to SA Rugby.

“That sounds like a lot of money for the tier-one market but they generate 95 percent of the revenues in a World Cup,” Brett Gosper, World Rugby chief executive, said.

The remainder of the money will be invested into tier two and tier three countries and to develop the game in untapped markets such as Germany, Brazil, China, India and the USA.

In the controversial voting system, Ireland were eliminated from the World Cup hosting process in the first round, getting just eight votes while France received 18 and South Africa 13.

France won the decisive second round from South Africa with the votes going 24-15 in their favour.

READ: Rugby Africa voted AGAINST South Africa!

Sport24.co.za | Zimbabwe seek to end underdog tag in SA

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Paarl – Zimbabwe cricket coach Heath Streak said on Tuesday he wanted his players to play “winning cricket” when they meet South Africa in a one-off day-night Test next week.

“We’d rather lose trying to play a winning brand of cricket than just compete,” said Streak of a Test South Africa are expected to win comfortably.

“The main thing is belief and shaking off that underdog mentality we had,” he said in Paarl, where Zimbabwe begin a three-day warm-up match against a South African Invitation team on Wednesday.

Zimbabwe have played just ten Tests since they last met South Africa in Harare in August 2014, losing nine and drawing one.

“It’s well documented how little Test cricket we play,” said Streak. “I think for us it’s less about the type of cricket than about playing at international level.

“Whether it’s playing Tests or one-day internationals, it’s the gaps in between that are the biggest challenge for us.”

The contest with South Africa will be Zimbabwe’s first day-night Test and captain Graeme Cremer admitted: “We haven’t played with a pink ball and we haven’t played a lot under lights.”

Cremer said this week’s day-night match at Boland Park was a crucial part of his team’s preparation for the Test.

“We’ve had two sessions under lights to see how it (the pink ball) reacts,” said Cremer.

“At twilight, when it’s starting to get dark a little more seems to happen off the wicket.

“This warm-up game will give us a good idea of what to expect and there will be lots of discussion before the Test.”

Both Streak and Cremer are looking forward to playing in the first scheduled four-day Test in more than four decades.

“The so-called bigger teams will probably have to score a bit quicker and give the lesser teams more opportunities to take wickets. The game will move a lot quicker, I think,” said Cremer.

Streak said that with 98 overs a day instead of the usual 90, there would be plenty of time to achieve results.

“With 98 overs a day, it makes it a four-and-a-half day Test and the twilight conditions will be more challenging for batters,” he said.

Cremer said Zimbabwe needed to play consistently well throughout a Test match and avoid the off periods that have cost them previous series.

“We tend to lose Test matches in a certain period, say in an afternoon or in one day of the Test match.

“But we’ve played a lot of good cricket. It’s usually been the first innings with the batting that we have struggled so we’re hoping to change that.”

SA Invitation XI squad:

Dominic Hendricks (Highveld Lions, captain), Temba Bavuma (Cape Cobras), Tladi Bokako (Warriors), Michael Cohen (Cape Cobras), Isaac Dikgale (NW), Leus du Plooy (Knights), Dayyaan Galiem (Western Province), Zubayr Hamza (Cape Cobras), Kagiso Rapulana (NW), Kelly Smuts (Warriors), Dale Steyn (Titans), Ricardo Vasconcelos (Boland), Shaun von Berg (Titans), Lizaad Williams (Cape Cobras)

Zimbabwe Test squad:

Graeme Cremer (captain), Hamilton Masakadza, Craig Ervine, Brendan Taylor, Chamunorwa Chibhabha, Regis Chakabva, Sikandar Raza, Ryan Burl, Tendai Chatara, Blessing Muzarabani, Tendai Chisoro, Peter Moor, Solomon Mire, Kyle Jarvis, Chris Mpofu

Sport24.co.za | Smith seeks 5-0 Ashes whitewash

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Perth – Steve Smith praised his “exceptional” team as Australia reclaimed the Ashes with an innings win over England in the third Test in Perth on Monday, and set his sights on a series whitewash.

AS IT HAPPENED: Australia v England, 3rd Test – Day 5

WATCH: Is this the best ball bowled this century?

Australia dismissed England for 218 in their second innings after rain delays and a pitch controversy on the final day in Perth to win back the urn in the last Ashes Test to be played at the WACA Ground.

That gave the home side an innings-and-41-run win and an unbeatable 3-0 lead in the five-match series, having won the opening two Tests in Brisbane and Adelaide.

“It’s been an amazing couple of weeks,” said Smith.

“What the boys have delivered has been exceptional. England have had their foot in the door in a couple of games and we’ve been able to claw our way back to get back in the game, and then keep the foot on the throat.”

Having confirmed his status as the world’s best batsman with a match-winning double century, Smith added victorious Ashes captain to his ever-expanding resume.

That CV also includes a role in the 5-0 whitewash of England on their last tour to Australia, and Smith said his team would now seek to repeat that achievement.

“It’d be fantastic to do that and we’ll talk about Melbourne when we get there.”

“Right now, I’m just really satisfied with what we’ve achieved in these first three Test matches.”

“I’d love to do that again, but we will just take it one step at a time.”

While it was a comfortable win for the home side in the end, there was high drama on the final day courtesy of yet another WACA pitch controversy.

Victory seemed assured for Australia when they had England 132 for four at the conclusion of the fourth day, still 127 runs behind, but a rain-damaged pitch threatened to foil the home side.

Showers had caused play to be abandoned early on the fourth day and they continued through to Monday morning, with Australia needing just six more wickets to win.

Complicating matters further was a damp spot on the pitch, just outside the popping crease at the southern end of the ground.

WACA staff worked furiously with leaf blowers to try to dry the patch out as more showers passed through.

Umpires Chris Gaffaney and Marais Erasmus would not allow play to resume until they believed the pitch had been returned to the same condition as at the end of day four, which ended up being after lunch.

“It was a shame that was some water was able to get through the covers in the first place at an international venue,” Smith commented.

“The umpires made the right call to get us back on to play the game.”

Root agreed with Smith.

“Credit to the umpires for making the right call on the start of play, they gave it time to dry out as when we got to the ground it wasn’t fit to play on,” Root said.

Wickets tumbled quickly for England upon the delayed resumption, with Jonny Bairstow bowled for 14 by the first delivery he faced for the day from Hazlewood, which kept low.

Hazlewood also removed England’s last hope Dawid Malan – who backed up his first innings century with a fighting 54 before being caught behind – to finish with figures of 5-48.

Malan’s first day heroics, which helped England a dominant position at 368-4 from which an innings defeat would have appeared almost impossible, seemed a distant memory as he trudged from the field.

Only seven sides in Test history have been beaten by an innings after scoring 400 in their first innings, and it has happened to England three times in its last 12 matches.

Sport24.co.za | Australia a step closer to regaining Ashes

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Cape Town – Australia are six wickets away from winning back the Ashes after reducing England to 132/4 at stumps on the fourth day, the tourists still 127 runs from making the home side bat again in the third Ashes Test in Perth.

Facing a deficit of 259 runs after the Aussies declared on a mammoth 662/9, England were pegged back early as opener Alastair Cook (14) and Mark Stoneman (3) fell to seamer Josh Hazlewood.

England captain Joe Root (14) was caught at slip off the very first delivery of off-spinner Nathan Lyon as the visitors slipped to 60/3.

James Vince and first innings centurion Dawid Malan added 40 for the fourth wicket before Vince was clean bowled for 55 by a Mitchell Starc ball that straightened off a deteriorating WACA surface.

Malan (28 not out) and Jonny Bairstow (14 not out) were at the crease when rain brought an early end to proceedings just after the tea interval.

England will need to bat the majority of the final day, which will be 98 overs long, to save the game and go into the final two Tests of the series with score still at 2-0.

Earlier, England seamer James Anderson broke Steve Smith and Mitchell Marsh’s 301-run stand with the second ball of the morning after Australia resumed on 549 for four.

Allrounder Marsh fell leg before to Anderson and was unable to add to his overnight score of 181.

The wicket triggered a mini-collapse as the hosts lost three for 12 with the dismissals of Smith (239) and Mitchell Starc (one) in quick succession.

Wicketkeeper Tim Paine (49 not out) and Pat Cummins steadied the home side with a 93-run stand before latter was out lbw, also to Anderson, for 41.

Lyon was the last Australian wicket to fall off Anderson, when he skied a catch for Moeen Ali to be out for four.

Anderson finished with figures of 4-116 from 37.3 overs.

Sport24.co.za | Becker backs Agassi to be a success with Djokovic

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Cape Town – Boris Becker believes Andre Agassi can be an effective foil for Novak Djokovic, as the Serb bids to get back to the top of the men’s game.

Djokovic will continue to team up with former world number one Agassi as his coach next season, when the 30-year-old returns from six months on the sidelines with an elbow injury. 

Becker spent three years as Djokovic’s coach; helping him win six of his 12 Grand Slam titles, and believes Agassi is an appropriate successor after the pair first teamed up at Wimbledon. 

“Agassi is a very good man,” Becker told Bild. 

“In Melbourne you will already see a closer co-operation. Does Agassi have the potential to be a coach? Yes. Was he number one? Yes. Is he a Grand Slam winner? Yes. Does he have the character to tell Djokovic the truth? Yes. Is he economically dependent [on him]? No.

“These are good factors to see a coach working with a superstar.”

Sport24.co.za | FA asks Mourinho to explain pre-derby comments

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London – England’s Football Association (FA) has asked Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho to explain comments he made in the build-up to last weekend’s 2-1 derby defeat by Manchester City.

“He has until 6pm (18:00 GMT) on Monday 18 December to respond,” an FA spokesperson said on Twitter.

In his final pre-game press conference, Mourinho suggested City’s players were prone to diving, saying it only takes a “little bit of wind” for them to go to ground.

He also questioned City manager Pep Guardiola’s right to wear a ribbon in solidarity with jailed Catalan separatists, suggesting it was something he “wouldn’t be allowed to do”.

READ: Mourinho accuses City of lack of ‘education’

The FA is already investigating a mass brawl that allegedly erupted after Sunday’s game at Old Trafford, which was reportedly instigated by Mourinho’s complaints about the noise of City’s celebrations.

The two clubs have been given until Friday to provide observations about the incident.

United’s defeat left them 11 points below Premier League leaders City in second place.

Mourinho’s side beat Bournemouth 1-0 on Wednesday and visit West Bromwich Albion on Sunday.

Sport24.co.za | CT City facing expulsion from Premiership – report

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Cape Town – Cape Town City could potentially face expulsion from the Absa Premiership due to the club’s sponsorship deal with sports betting company, SportPesa, say Premier Soccer League authorities.

According to Sowetan Live, immediate expulsion from the league is a possibility, although City could also be docked three points for every game they have worn the sponsor’s name on their shirts.

Despite the threats, Citizens boss John Comitis is maintaining that the club has done no wrong.

“I think (the Absa Premiership) are on a big witch hunt here and quite frankly we are 100 percent confident that we have done nothing wrong,” Comitis said.

Nonetheless, the threat of action appears genuine with the league’s board of governors deciding to skip a disciplinary committee and head straight to arbitration in January.

The publication were given reasons for the action taken, saying: “The shirt with the SportPesa logo on was never approved by the Absa Premiership as per league rules‚ and the club were directly instructed not to use it.

“The club has had charges brought against it for every game where they have continued to wear the SportPesa logo. They had accumulated more than 20 charges by mid-October.

“This puts City in defiance of league instructions and article 9.1.16 of the NSL Handbook gives the league the power to ‘suspend‚ fine‚ terminate the membership of or otherwise sanction or deal with any Member Club’ found guilty of such a transgression.” 

Sport24.co.za | All Blacks scoff at ‘Loftus factor’

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Cape Town – The All Blacks have welcomed SA Rugby’s decision to host next year’s Rugby Championship match against the Springboks at Loftus Versfeld.

WATCH: The worst tacking ever seen on a rugby field?

SA Rugby on Monday announced South Africa’s home venues for the 2018 Rugby Championship, with the All Blacks set to return to Pretoria for the first time in more than a decade when they play in Pretoria on October 6.

The Springboks’ other home matches are in Durban against Argentina (August 18) and in Port Elizabeth against Australia (September 29).

The All Blacks though, are unperturbed about playing the Test at Loftus.

Upon announcing the news on their official website, the Kiwis were quick to point to their excellent record in matches at the ground.

Since 1996, the All Blacks have won all four of the Tests played at Loftus, while their only loss at the ground came some 47 years ago in 1970.

They also shrugged off the notion of the venue being intimidating.

A post on the All Blacks.com website reads: “The ground used to be daunting for New Zealand sides, mainly when playing Northern Transvaal sides as they were in the pre-professional days or the Bulls in Super Rugby.

“It was daunting not only because of the configuration of the ground with its high stands rising steeply almost from the sideline, but also the altitude.

“But recent issues for the Bulls have seen that reputation wane while the Test statistics show New Zealand has a healthy record at the ground.”

In 1996, New Zealand won 33-26 at Loftus Versfeld – a game which saw them secure their first Test series win on South African shores.

It was also the last time the two nations had contested a series of three or four Tests. In 1999, the All Blacks won 34-18 in the Tri-Nations (as the Rugby Championship was then called), while in 2003 they inflicted what was then their biggest ever win over the Boks with a 52-16 scoreline.

The last time the two nations met at Loftus was in 2006 when the visitors also won handsomely by 45-26.

The All Blacks also indicated that they had no qualms by playing against the Boks on the highveld.

“Ellis Park, the traditional South African fortress, became the preferred venue of choice between the two countries but New Zealand played in some stunning games to put any bogey associated with the Johannesburg venue behind them also, most notably in the 38-27 win in 2013 and the 27-20 win in 2015. While losing 25-27 in 2014 it was only a late penalty goal that gave South Africa the win.”