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The clash between the two most impressive teams in the tournament proved to be a one-sided affair as Kolkata Knight Riders cruised to a six-wicket victory

The Report by Siddarth Ravindran07-May-2012
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Jacques Kallis was Man of the Match for his all-round performance•AFP

The clash between the two most impressive teams in the tournament proved to be a one-sided affair as Kolkata Knight Riders cruised to a six-wicket victory at a packed Feroz Shah Kotla, displacing Delhi Daredevils from the top spot they had held virtually from the start of the tournament.Jacques Kallis made two big early breakthroughs, Sunil Narine continued to confound batsmen and Rajat Bhatia quietly continued to prove an important cog in Knight Riders’ bowling as they stifled Daredevils’ formidable batting. The chase of 154 proved straightforward, the only real moment of concern for Knight Riders coming when Brendon McCullum brutally pulled a delivery straight at their dug-out in the 15th over.Daredevils’ two most productive batsmen this season have been Virender Sehwag and Kevin Pietersen, and their consistency had so far shielded the rest of the team’s batting from too much scrutiny. With Sehwag finally failing after a record five half-centuries in a row and Pietersen back home, the rest of the line-up couldn’t quite deliver.Brett Lee began with a maiden to David Warner, who was playing his first game of the tournament, but Sehwag and Warner slammed 34 off the next two to provide Daredevils a flying start. Kallis nipped that stand early by slipping in a length delivery after a couple of shorter ones to trap Sehwag lbw. Warner also didn’t last long, nicking behind in Kallis’ next over.That over ended with an angry confrontation between Mahela Jayawardene and Gautam Gambhir after Jayawardene survived a loud and confident shout for caught-behind. In the next Kallis over, there was less doubt about whether Jayawardene edged the ball but he was lucky as wicketkeeper McCullum spilled a tough chance to his right. He couldn’t capitalise on the lives though, as he was run-out attempting a suicidal single. Gambhir under-armed a direct hit and spiritedly celebrated the wicket.Bhatia and Narine choked the batsmen, conceding only 25 runs in a five-over stretch in the middle of the innings. The biggest struggle was for the out-of-form Ross Taylor, who scratched around for 16 off 27 deliveries, potentially putting his place in jeopardy. A cameo from Irfan Pathan, who again showed off his clean hitting, lifted Daredevils beyond 150 despite four wickets in the final over from Narine.That total didn’t prove too much of a challenge for Knight Riders, particularly as the Daredevils bowlers provided plenty of freebies down the leg side. Gambhir and McCullum put on their fourth fifty-plus stand in six innings to demoralise Daredevils as they raced to 60 for 0 by the end of the Powerplay. Gambhir was the more fluent of the openers, extending his prolific run this season with a quick 36 before being bowled by fast bowler Varun Aaron, playing his first match in five months.McCullum tried to muscle the bowling early on but couldn’t time it too well, though he gradually grew in confidence and was reverse-sweeping Irfan Pathan by the time he was nearing his half-century. As Gambhir’s striking had reduced the asking rate, Kallis didn’t need to try anything fancy, sticking to conventional strokes as he and McCullum added 60 before they were dismissed off consecutive deliveries by Umesh Yadav, who regularly reached 150kph.Those strikes weren’t enough, though, for Daredevils to hang on to the No. 1 spot, as Knight Riders coasted to victory with eight deliveries to spare.

Richard Levi, the South African opening batsman who holds the world record for the highest Twenty20 score, has signed with Somerset for the Friends Life T20

Firdose Moonda18-May-2012Richard Levi, the South Africa opening batsman who jointly holds the record for the highest score in Twenty20 internationals, has signed with Somerset for the Friends Life T20. Levi replaces countryman Faf du Plessis, who was not permitted to travel to Somerset by CSA because of national commitments.”We are delighted to have him on board,” Brian Rose, Somerset’s director of cricket said. “With Marcus Trescothick likely to miss the start of our T20 campaign, I wanted to sign a power hitter for the top of our batting order. Richard certainly fits the bill and is capable of making Taunton look a very small ground.”It was frustrating to miss out on du Plessis, particularly after what happened with Chris Gayle. But I am more than happy to have secured Richard’s services and we will keep fingers crossed that nothing happens to prevent him joining us.”Somerset have suffered major setbacks in their bid to secure a second overseas player for the Flt20. Chris Gayle pulled out of their campaign after opting to play for West Indies in the upcoming ODI series against England before du Plessis was forced to cancel his arrangement because CSA require him to play in a series between South Africa A and Sri Lanka A and an unofficial T20 tri-series with Zimbabwe and Bangladesh – a series that Levi and Albie Morkel, who has also agreed to play for Somserset, could still be required for.That series is scheduled from June 18 to 24. If they are required, the pair will be able to play in Somerset’s first two matches on June 13 and 14, before joining up with the South Africa national squad for their week in Harare. They would then return to Somerset to play the remaining five fixtures and be available for a potential quarter-final and finals day.Although Levi and Morkel are not CSA contracted players, unlike du Plessis, both are part of the national squad’s limited-overs plans and had to receive clearance from CSA before committing to Somerset. “Team management and the coaching staff had a discussion about it and we decided it’s about giving both opportunity and experience in this format,” Mohammed Moosajee, South Africa team manager, said.Levi, in particular, has found a niche in the twenty-over game. He smashed an unbeaten 117 in his second T20 match for South Africa against New Zealand in Wellington in February, breaking Chris Gayle’s record and hitting the most sixes in a T20 innings with 13. The 45-ball century was also a world record.The knock earned him a contact with the Mumbai Indians for the IPL season, after initially going unsold, and he immediately impressed with a half-century on debut for them. Since then, Levi has struggled, particularly against the pace and swing of Dale Steyn. He has played in six matches and totalled 83 runs and could use more time in the middle in preparation for the World T20 later this year.Somerset are set to provide that, extending their long association with South African players. Graeme Smith captained them to victory in the Twenty20 Cup in 2005 and they have recently enjoyed the services of seamer Vernon Philander in the County Championship.

Clyde Butts, chairman of West Indies’ selection panel, has said West Indies A’s impressive show against India A in the unofficial Test series augurs well for the future of West Indies cricket.

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Jun-2012Clyde Butts, chairman of West Indies’ selection panel, has said West Indies A’s impressive show against India A in the unofficial Test series, which the hosts won 2-1, augurs well for the future of West Indies cricket.West Indies A, who made a weak start to the series by losing the first game by two wickets, outplayed India A in the two matches that followed, winning them by comfortable margins. Butts said a strong all-round performance helped the team. “They were exceptional in all departments and deserved to win,” Butts said.”We want to develop our players and see them move forward but we also want to develop a winning mindset. In the ‘Test’ matches the players showed that they are developing into a very competitive unit and it was really good to see the way they performed against more experienced opposition and won the series.”Butts said the WICB had placed greater emphasis on the A-team programme in recent years. “The WICB has set out a policy of development and where we want to go. This series win and some of the individual performance were steps in that direction and we are confident that we are on the right path.”We saw players stepping up and playing with confidence and assurance. Last year we also played some good cricket when the Bangladesh A Team came to the West Indies. The win in this series against India was a huge bonus.”West Indies A will now face India A in two Twenty20 matches on June 23 and 24 and three 50-overs games thereafter. Butts said the selectors picked the side for the T20 matches with an eye on the World Twenty20 in September. “We have the World T20 tournament in Sri Lanka coming in September, that’s just around the corner, so we have selected a number of players who have represented West Indies in this format and others who have done well in the regional competitions.”We had some players who featured in the ‘Tests’ but are not in the T20 side. We want to make it clear they have not been dropped or anything like that. This weekend we are focussing on the T20s and we have selected a few new faces to have a closer look at them against the Indians.”Edited by Carlyle Laurie

Pakistan coach Dav Whatmore has said his side has conceded the advantage they had coming into the third day of the Pallekele Test

Sa'adi Thawfeeq in Pallekele10-Jul-2012Pakistan coach Dav Whatmore has said his side has conceded the advantage they had coming into the third day of the Pallekele Test. Sri Lanka began the day on 44 for 3, after Pakistan had made 226 in the first innings, and managed to bat out the first session without losing a wicket.They finished with a lead of 111, courtesy some dogged batting from Tharanga Paranavitana and Thilan Samaraweera, an attacking innings from Thisara Perera and lapses in the field from Pakistan. The visitors ended the day at 27 for one, having lost opener Taufeeq Umar for four and still trailing by 84 runs on the lively Pallekele pitch.”The position we are now in, we [have] really got to fight very hard with the bat in the second innings,” Whatmore said. “I thought the first hour the pitch didn’t misbehave but it really gave some encouragement to the bowlers. Unfortunately we weren’t able to capitalise. It was disappointing not to pick up a wicket, particularly in that first hour. The first session was clearly Sri Lanka’s.”It’s a good wicket now, offering something for the bowlers and the [batsmen]. It’s not about just taking time out of the game, but scoring runs as well. It’s the old fashioned way – work hard, get a start and then maximise.”Whatmore defended captain Misbah-ul-Haq’s decision to set a defensive field once Sri Lanka’s batsmen has settled in. “In the heat of battle, when things are going their way, you just need to try and stop the runs as well as take wickets. It’s not an easy situation. It [the game] was really taken away from us in that last session.”Pakistan’s catching once again let them down, with three missed chances – two in the slips and a return catch. On all occasions, the bowler was Umar Gul.”They were tough catches later in the day, but it’s got to be taken,” Whatmore said. “The slip catches have been good, it [those drops] was a little bit of a surprise for me. Our slips cordon is pretty decent, but it wasn’t today.”Thisara Perera was the biggest beneficiary. He was dropped twice, by Gul off his own bowling on 11 and by Misbah-ul-Haq at first slip on 22. He made Pakistan pay; after arriving at the crease with the score on 204 for 6, he added 133 with the lower order and was the final batsman to fall.”[Thisara] is fairly new to international cricket. It will take time for teams to have a true appreciation of the damage he can do,” Whatmore said. “It will be harder for him in the second and third year. From what we’ve seen now, he is a real physical presence for the home team and a thorn for the visiting team. He’s a strong boy and thrives on brute strength.”For Pakistan, Junaid Khan was the biggest positive – he picked up his second five-for in the series. His ‘competitiveness’ made him special, Whatmore said. “Junaid has been a bit of a revelation for us. The first time I’ve seen him play and he has been a terrific competitor. He has that ingredient that all good players have, that real fierce competitiveness – you can feel that when you talk to him.”He has got some skill and he has got a big engine: he runs all day and he is fit, and he’ll only get better. He did a really good job under very difficult conditions at the SSC and he has carried on here.”Pakistan have been handicapped by a finger injury to their wicketkeeper, Adnan Akmal, who, Whatmore said, may have to come out and bat if required. Taufeeq Umar kept in Akmal’s absence, and did not have the best of days, allowing 16 byes. But how Taufeeq coped in a tough situation should be commended, Whatmore said.”Wicketkeeping is a specialised position and when you haven’t got that person in the team it’s unfortunate … But Taufeeq battled hard for us, although we gave away a lot of extras. Somebody had to put the gloves for us, so he did a pretty decent job.”

Duncan Fletcher has said India are pleased to have started the season with the 4-1 ODI series win over Sri Lanka

Abhishek Purohit in Pallekele05-Aug-2012Duncan Fletcher, the India coach, said it was difficult for his side to follow-up a successful World Cup year with the same “intensity”, citing India’s lack of home fixtures in the past year as the reason for their poor form, after the 4-1 ODI series win over Sri Lanka on Saturday. Fletcher has had a tough first year since taking over from Gary Kirsten after the 2011 World Cup, with the team losing eight consecutive away Tests, four each to England and Australia.He said England faced similar problems of relaxing after a successful phase and that the win would provide India with confidence ahead of home matches against New Zealand and England.”It is always difficult after you have had a very successful year like that when you have won the World Cup,” Fletcher said. “I have been involved with another side [England] that did the same thing and afterwards, after having had a successful series, to maintain that sort of intensity is quite difficult because sides tend to sit back a bit.”One must also consider that since then we have only had one series in India. We haven’t played [much] in India which is where they are very strong like any side is. I have seen other sides go away from home lately over the last two-three years and they have all struggled. We have only had that one series [against West Indies] where we played some very good cricket in India.”Beating Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka is very difficult. Not many sides have been able to do it. Hopefully this gives the side a lot of confidence. When we get back to India we have some difficult tours coming up and hopefully we can play the good cricket that we know we can in India.”India closed out games from tight situations in the series, and Fletcher said that was something they had been working on. For instance, today Sri Lanka needed 45 from 48 deliveries but Irfan Pathan struck thrice in two overs to seal the game for India.”There have been problems on previous away tours [when] we have had the opposition in trouble and have not been able to make sure that we maintain the pressure on them and take advantage of that. It is something we spoke quite a lot about – making sure when we get ourselves into a situation that we maintain our concentration levels. I think it is mainly a concentration situation where they think the game is really in the bag, and with cricket today with batting orders going down all the way down to No 9 and 10, there is no way you can take your foot off the pedal until you have bowled a side out. There have been occasions here where we have had a bit of scare, where the opposition have come back at us. But it is nice to see that they [Indian team] have held their nerve and maintained the discipline that we require of them.”I think it was a very good win from the point of view that we had had a long break [and there was] some sort of nervousness to see how they would start the season. Obviously [we were] going to arrive here a little bit unfit. We have worked on the fitness regime and the results have proven here. They have played some good cricket.”Fletcher said Rohit Sharma – who made 13 runs in five games in the series – was in poor form but would come out of it. “People must consider that he has played well for us in the one-day side before. You have a look at him when he has batted under pressure for us while batting second. So it is not a pressure situation. It is like most cricketers go through a dip in form and suddenly it just hangs in there and they are put under pressure. I am sure Rohit will come out of that situation.”Virat Kohli continued his outstanding run since the World Cup with two more centuries in the series. Fletcher said what was good was that Kohli had capitalised on his good form.”Normally players can go through short spells where they do well and then lose that form but he has maintained it which is very good.”Irfan Pathan took eight wickets, including a five-for today, in the series at an economy-rate of 5.27 and also performed twice in crucial situations with the bat. “I think he is a very useful cricketer. He puts in an all-round contribution. He is very professional on and off the field. He works hard at his game and he has got the results that he deserves. I think he has got the potential. We just have got to see him progress from here and see how he bowls in India and bats in India. He has done a good job for us at the moment.”

30-Aug-2012Worcestershire 323 and 44 for 3 (Roland-Jones 2-18) lead Middlesex 306 (Dexter 90, Robson 72, Richardson 4-62) by 61 runs
ScorecardNeil Dexter continued his recent good form but fell ten runs short of a century•Getty Images

Half-centuries by Neil Dexter and Sam Robson helped lift Middlesex to 306 in reply to Worcestershire’s 323 in the weather-hit Championship Division One match. Dexter led the way with 90 and figured in a century stand for the fourth wicket with Robson, who made 72.Relegation-battling Worcestershire were again being well served by paceman Alan Richardson, who took 4 for 62, and by the close the hosts led by 61, having lost first-innings century-maker Daryl Mitchell, Phil Hughes and Moeen Ali.Dexter, who scored 101 against Warwickshire at Edgbaston last week, and Robson produced key performances for Middlesex after Richardson had wasted little time in unsettling his former club when they resumed on 49 without loss off 13 overs.He launched a burst of three wickets in successive overs, costing just four runs, by having left hander Chris Rogers caught by young wicketkeeper Ben Cox for 22, leaving him 15 short of completing 1,000 Championship runs for the season.Joe Denly soon followed, bowled off stump, before Richardson picked up his 50th Championship scalp of the campaign by removing Dawid Malan. Richardson’s impressive treble left Middlesex on 61 for 3 and in need of a steadying influence which Robson provided after resuming on 27 not out.Accompanied by Dexter, he completed his half century off 108 balls with nine fours and by lunch they had steered Middlesex to 140 for 3 off 44 overs. Both batsmen continued to prosper after the break and completed a well earned century stand in 32 overs.Robson, dropped the previous evening on 21, finally fell after hitting 11 fours off 157 balls in his highest Championship score so far this season. He put on 106 in 34 overs with Dexter, whose 50 came off 106 deliveries with eight fours. Robson, whose father Jim played for Worcestershire’s second XI in 1979, perished when he dollied up a catch to Matt Pardoe at forward short leg off spinner Moeen.Adam Rossington was trapped lbw by paceman Gareth Andrew before Dexter and Gareth Berg pushed Middlesex past the 200 mark in the 63rd over. By tea, taken one ball early because of a brief shower, they had completed a half-century stand with Middlesex on 241 for 5.The first ball after the interval, however, ended the 60-run partnership when a loose drive outside the off stump by Berg led to him being caught at first slip by Moeen off Chris Russell. Dexter finally departed to an inside edge on to his middle stump against Joe Leach after hitting 12 fours off 190 balls.Worcestershire continued to pep their fortunes when Richardson ousted Toby Roland-Jones before Russell saw off Steven Crook and Tim Murtagh after the last two Middlesex wickets had yielded 41.

An eventful third day, which included a century from Tom Latham and a declaration from New Zealand A, ended with India A in control of the first unofficial Test in Lincoln

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Sep-2012
ScorecardAn eventful third day, which included a century from Tom Latham and a declaration from New Zealand A, ended with India A in control of the first unofficial Test in Lincoln. India went to stumps on 137 for 2, with an overall lead of 242.New Zealand had begun the day on 105 for 4, with Latham and Reece Young at the crease. The pair added a further 69 runs, with Young going on to make a half-century. The lower-middle order though did not put up too much resistance for the hosts, and soon after the fall of Latham, on 132, the innings was declared with a view to force a result in the four-day match. New Zealand were 234 for 8 at that point, 105 behind India.Captain Abhinav Mukund once again contributed with 41 off 60 deliveries, before Anustup Majumdar and Mandeep Singh put on an unbeaten 64-run stand for the third wicket to leave India in a comfortable position overnight.

Christi Viljoen and Louis Klazinga took three wickets apiece as Namibia completed an innings victory over Kenya on the final day of their Intercontinental Cup match in Windhoek

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Oct-2012
ScorecardChristi Viljoen took three important wickets as Namibia wrapped up victory•ICC/Helge Schutz

Christi Viljoen and Louis Klazinga took three wickets apiece as Namibia completed an innings victory over Kenya on the final day of their Intercontinental Cup match in Windhoek. Set up by Gerrie Snyman’s unbeaten double hundred, Namibia’s first-innings score of 630 for 7 declared was enough for them not to have to bat again, as Klazinga bowled Tanmay Mishra with Kenya still one run in arrears.The win moved Namibia up to fourth, with 43 points from four completed matches, and left Kenya struggling in seventh, with only Canada below them. Ireland head the table with 67 points.Kenya resumed their second innings after being 109 for 2 overnight, looking to bat out the day in pursuit of a draw. They were dealt a blow when opener Irfan Karim was caught of the bowling of Viljoen in the third over of the day. Nightwatchman Hiren Varaiya lasted another ten overs before falling to Viljoen and when Collins Obuya was caught behind off Sarel Burger for 46, Kenya were five down before lunch and struggling to save the match.Mishra provided the main resistance of the day, adding a half-century to his first-innings hundred, but the biggest partnership he was involved in came with No. 10 Nehemiah Odhiambo, who struck 31 out of 46 for the ninth wicket. Viljoen returned to break the stand and when Mishra’s 159-ball vigil was ended, Namibia had claimed the maximum 20 points.

A wrap of the second day of the first round of Ranji Trophy matches in Group C

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Nov-2012
Scorecard
Hemal Watekar added 154 with fellow opener Prasanth Kumar for Andhra (file photo)•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Jamshedpur was set to witness an exciting finish to a game that has favoured the bowlers and has yielded 22 wickets on the first two days. Assam made an effective fightback into the contest while defending only 179, taking Jharkhand’s last seven wickets for 32 runs. The comeback was inspired by veteran offspinner Arlen Konwar’s 10th five-for in first-class cricket.Jharkhand were cruising at one stage with opener Rameez Nemat scoring 53 and all of top their top five reaching double figures. Just when a big lead looked a formality, Konwar and Abu Nechim struck. It took them Jharkhand only 16.2 overs to take the last seven wickets.It wasn’t all the action on the frenetic second day. Assam had to bat 12 overs before stumps, but lost two wickets over that period, one each to spinners Shahbaz Nadeem and Samar Quadri.
Scorecard
Allrounder Pravez Rassol fell 39 short of the highest score by a Jammu & Kashmir batsman, but his 171 took his side to a healthy 338. Coming in at No. 4, he scored more than half the team total. He enjoyed great support from captain Samiullah Beigh, with whom he added 146 for the eighth wicket, overtaking J&K’s previous eighth-wicket record of 90. Beigh remained unbeaten on 57.J&K began the day 196 for 7, and continued with their circumspect progress. Rassol spent 419 minutes at the wicket for his 171, a rate of about 20 runs to the hour. Beigh, too, spent close to three hours for his 57, but their coach Bishan Bedi won’t be complaining after they failed to reach 200 in their first match.Amogh Desai, who took four wickets for Goa, continued his good work as opening batsman, adding 48 unbeaten runs with Swapnil Asnodkar in 29 overs.
Scorecard
Andhra enjoyed a profitable second day taking the four remaining Tripura wickets for just 32 and then following it up with a 154-run opening stand in Anantapur. At stumps, Prasanth Kumar was 20 short of what can be a second first-class century in just four matches, and Hemal Watekar had reached 57.The big breakthrough for Andhra came in the first over of the day when Paidikalva Vijaykumar removed the centurion Abbas Ali for his overnight score of 103. Atchuta Rao then ran through the tail.It was the Prasanth-Watekar show after that. They hit 13 fours and a six between them and stayed together for 289 minutes.
Scorecard
Services ended the first day with the game in balance, but when they lost their last four wickets for the addition of just 22 to their overnight 290, they handed over the momentum to hosts Himachal Pradesh. Himachal, in turn, ran away with the game through fifties from their top three. Himachal were now just 60 adrift of the Services total with eight wickets in hand, and could think of an outright win.It was veteran swing bowler Vikramjeet Malik who began Himachal’s charge when he dismissed Muzzaffaruddin Khalid and Suraj Yadav with the second and third balls of the day. Malik missed the hat-trick, but took another wicket in that spell to leave Services tottering. Allrounder Rishi Dhawan finished off the innings, and it was over to Chopras.Aakash and Prashant began slowly, but Prashant picked up the pace dramatically in a 138-run opening stand. Playing only hiss second match, Prashant fell 10 short of what would have been his maiden first-class century, but Aakash and Paras Dogra continued the good work with fifties of their own. Dogra, who scored a century in the first match, was unbeaten on 56 when time was called.

Lions’ left-arm spinner Aaron Phangiso and all-rounder Chris Morris are expected to receive their first call-up to South Africa’s Twenty20 squad

Firdose Moonda12-Dec-2012Lions left-arm spinner Aaron Phangiso and allrounder Chris Morris are expected to receive their first call-up to South Africa’s Twenty20 squad, with the pugnacious Roelof van der Merwe tipped for a recall. Those are just three of the changes that could be made, as a new-look outfit has been promised for the three-match series against New Zealand.South Africa last played in the shortest format at the World T20 in Sri Lanka in September, where they were knocked out in the group stage, and have since resolved to overhaul their T20 structures. The extent of that will be known tomorrow, when the squad is announced.The first act of refurbishment was performed last week. National assistant coach Russell Domingo was promoted to the main job of the T20 side. Although Gary Kirsten will retain overall control, Domingo will take charge of the team for their five T20s this summer. It is his maiden voyage as an international coach and he will embark on it during a time of change.”We are probably going to see a whole different look in the side. We are going to try a few youngsters here and there and there will definitely be a few new names. That’s the way we want to go,” AB de Villiers, the T20 captain said.”We want to give youngsters performing at the domestic level a chance to showcase their talents. We might see a different side against New Zealand coming through. We’ll follow the same kind of strategies but with new players, they will bring in different talents and skills, which is exciting. I am not going to change my captaincy too much. I am still learning but I will still follow the same kinds of game plans. Russell is there, he might have a few new ideas. It’s always good to change a bit, get something fresh in and am looking forward to it.”South Africa will go into the series without some of their heavyweights. Graeme Smith has not played international T20 cricket this year and is unlikely to be selected. Jacques Kallis made a comeback for the World T20 but is nursing a hamstring strain and will focus on preparing for the Tests. JP Duminy is recovering from a ruptured Achilles’ tendon and Dale Steyn may also be rested. Johan Botha, who has relocated to Australia, remains available for South Africa but will probably not be considered.That will provide an opportunity and a stepping stone for the likes of Morris, who was identified after last season’s domestic one-day cup in which he was the leading wicket-taker. He travelled with the squad to the unofficial T20 series in Zimbabwe in June and played three matches. Morris also performed well in the Champions League T20 in October and has been reaching speeds in the upper 140kph consistently this season. His big-hitting makes him an allrounder in the 1990s-mould, which South Africa have been searching for as the understanding of Kallis’ cricketing mortality hits them.Phangiso also found prominence through the CLT20. He finished joint-second on the wicket-takers list with ten scalps, and had an economy of under six runs an over. The Lions have called him their banker for the last three seasons because of his ability to dry up an end, and he could partner Robin Peterson in that role.Van der Merwe can do a similar job and has done so in the past. He last played for South Africa on the tour of West Indies in 2010 but has fought his way back into contention. He finished as the second-highest on the bowling charts in the one-day competition with 22 wickets at an average of 19.95 and an economy of 4.69. Also known for his tenacious batting, van der Merwe could help harden up a soft middle-order.South Africa also have concerns at the top of the order where Hashim Amla, Richard Levi and Faf du Plessis will compete for two spots. Levi was dropped in the latter stages of the World Twenty20 due to a struggle for form following his record-breaking hundred in Hamilton. Levi is the leading run-scorer in the ongoing one-day cup and convenor of selectors Andrew Hudson indicated the blistering batsman may be ready for a second coming.”For a lot of players like Richard, it’s all about building knowledge, building your skills and the ability to perform in any environment,” Hudson said. “There is no reason to discard him or any of the youngsters at this stage, it’s more about understanding where he is with his game, what he is working on and what his potential is.”Other players who could come into contention are Gulam Bodi, who followed up a stellar CLT20 campaign with runs in the one-day competition, and young wicketkeeper batsman Quinton de Kock. The 19-year-old de Kock has been talked up as a future star and is described as an “awesome talent” by his franchise coach Geoffrey Toyana, but has been inconsistent. He scored a hundred in the one-day cup campaign but all the rest of his scores have been below 40. Titans’ opening batsman Henry Davids, who is the second-highest run-scorer in the one-day cup could also get a chance while left-arm seamers Wayne Parnell and Lonwabo Tsotsobe may find themselves back playing for their country.