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Kyle Simmonds Crowned Overall Division 1 SACA MVP

The 2025/26 domestic cricket season concludes with Western Province all-rounder Kyle Simmonds named Division 1 Overall SACA MVP. Simmonds earned…

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Liam Alder Named Overall SACA MVP for Domestic Division 2

Following the completion of all domestic fixtures, Liam Alder of the Garden Route Badgers finished at the top of the…

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TWELVE YEARS OF RESEARCH-BASED PLAYER SERVICE

Over the past 12 years, the South African Cricketers’ Association (SACA) has cemented its dedication to evidence-based practice through a…

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MZANSI SUPER LEAGUE ANNOUNCES FINALISED T20 SQUADS

The inaugural Mzansi Super League (MSL) T20 Player Draft was held today at Montecasino in Johannesburg today.

Each team had already been allocated a Marquee Standard Bank Protea player. Today the teams made their picks from the six International Marquee Players and then filled the remaining 14 places in each squad from the foreign and South African players who had applied to enter the draft.

In the mini-round to select the International Marquee Players, the Durban heat had first call and went for Rashid Khan of Afghanistan, the No. 1 ranked bowler in the current ICC T20 rankings. They were followed by the Jozi Stars who went for Chris Gayle of the Windies. Paarl Rocks followed with another Windies player, Dwayne Bravo. Cape Town Blitz then took Dawid Malan of England followed by Tshwane Spartans with England white ball captain Eoin Morgan and Nelson Mandela Bay Giants with England opening batsman Jason Roy.

In round one proper, the Giants led off with Chris Morris, followed by the Spartans with Lungi Ngidi, the Blitz with Andile Phehlukwayo, the Rocks with Tabraiz Shamsi, the Stars with Kolpak star Dane Vilas and the Heat with David Miller.

Lutho Sipamla became the first rookie to be chosen in Round Eight by the Spartans and they followed with another rookie in Tony de Zorzi in Round Nine. Other rookies signed were Sinethemba Qeshile for the Stars, Dyllan Matthews for the Giants, Okuhle Cele for the Heat, Eathan Bosch for the Rocks, and Kyle Verreynne for the Blitz.

The resulting teams are a unique blend of both local youth and international experience which is sure to make for some very exciting cricket.

The Draft order was predetermined by a weighted Player Matrix system. The players who are eligible for the main Draft are those who entered into a binding agreement to enter the Draft.

FINAL SQUADS

(in order of Protea Marquee Player, International Marquee Player, and then the 14 draft rounds, making a total of 16 players per squad)

CAPE TOWN BLITZ: Quinton de Kock, Dawid Malan (England), Andile Phehlukwayo, Dale Steyn, Samuel Badree (Windies), Asif Ali (Pakistan), Farhaan Behardien, Anrich Nortje, Janneman Malan, Malusi Siboto, George Linde, Ferisco Adams, Jason Smith, Sibonelo Makhanya, Kyle Verreynne (rookie), Dane Piedt.

DURBAN HEAT: Hashim Amla, Rashid Khan (Afghanistan), David Miller, Heinrich Klaasen, Kyle Abbott (kolpak), Keshav Maharaj, Khaya Zondo, Albie Morkel, Marchant de Lange (kolpak), Vernon Philander, Brandon Mavuta (Zimbabwe), Temba Bavuma, Morne van Wyk, Okuhle Cele (rookie), Sarel Erwee, Tladi Bokako.

JOZI STARS: Kagiso Rabada, Chris Gayle (Windies), Dane Vilas, Rassie van der Dussen, Daniel Christian (Australia), Beuran Hendricks, Reeza Hendricks, Dwaine Pretorius, Eddie Leie, Pite van Biljon, Duanne Olivier, Ryan Rickelton, Sinethemba Qeshile (rookie), Simon Harmer, Calvin Savage, Alfred Mothoa.

NELSON MANDELA BAY GIANTS: Imran Tahir, Jason Roy (England), Chris Morris, Jon-Jon Smuts, Junior Dala, Christiaan Jonker, Aaron Phangiso, Ben Duckett (England), Sisanda Magala, Ryan McLaren, Heino Kuhn, Marco Marais, Dyllan Matthews (rookie), Lizaad Williams, Rudi Second, Carmi le Roux.

PAARL ROCKS: Faf du Plessis, Dwayne Bravo (Windies), Tabraiz Shamsi, Dane Paterson, Aiden Markram, Mangaliso Mosehle, Bjorn Fortuin, Vaughn van Jaarsveld, Grant Thomson, Paul Stirling (Ireland), Tshepo Moreki, Henry Davids, Cameron Delport , Eathan Bosch (rookie), Patrick Kruger, Kerwin Mungroo.

TSHWANE SPARTANS: AB de Villiers, Eoin Morgan (England), Lungi Ngidi, Robbie Frylinck, Jeewan Mendis (Sri Lanka), Theunis de Bruyn, Rory Kleinveldt, Sean Williams (Zimbabwe), Gihahn Cloete, Lutho Sipamla (rookie), Tony de Zorzi (rookie), Dean Elgar, Andrew Birch, Sikandar Raza (Zimbabwe), Shaun von Berg, Eldred Hawken.

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KNIGHTS PICK UP THEIR FIRST WIN IN MODC

Rudi Second, Patrick Kruger, Grant Mokoena and Andries Gous all hit half-centuries as the VKB Knights ended their seven-match winless streak by beating the World Sports Betting Cape Cobras with a bonus point for their first victory of the Momentum One-Day Cup season in Bloemfontein on Sunday.

The hosts, who had lost five and tied two of their seven matches in 2017/18, were set up for victory after the quartet helped them amass a fixture record score of 320 for four – by far the highest score for the home side this season.

Eddie Leie and Mbulelo Budaza then shared seven wickets as the visitors were bowled out for 245 in 41.4 overs at the Mangaung Oval.

It completed a relieving win for the Central Franchise and kept their hopes of reaching the semi-finals alive with two matches to play.

They lost the toss and were asked to bat first, but began well through Mokoena, who scored a franchise cricket best of 75 (96 balls, 3 fours, 2 sixes).

David Miller was promoted to open the order but that experiment failed after he made eight, but Gous stepped up with 74 (87 balls, 8 fours) in what was his debut game.

After he departed it was the Second (78 off 58 balls, 5 fours, 4 sixes) and Kruger (64 off 44, 3 fours, 3 sixes) show as they plundered a 135-run unbroken fifth wicket stand in just 12.5 overs.

The Cobras scored quickly in their reply, but lost wickets far too regularly as they fell to 136 just after the halfway stage.

Their highest scorer was Kyle Verreynne with his 54 (49 balls, 2 fours, 3 sixes), but he was one of four wickets to fall to the spin of Leie (4/65), who last week conceded the most expensive figures in the history of the competition when he went for 90 in seven overs against the same opponents.

Budaza bagged three for 40 for good measure to lead the Knights to a timeous win.

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TITANS SECURE HOME FINAL

An unbeaten half-century by Jonathan Vandiar paved the way for the Multiply Titans to conclude their Momentum One-Day Cup regular season with a comfortable eight-wicket win over the BuildNat Cape Cobras at SuperSport Park in Centurion on Thursday.

The left-hander made 72 (78 balls, 6 fours, 1 six) to help his team reach their 185-run victory target with almost 20 overs to spare. Vandiar’s effort came after the home bowlers shot out the visitors for 184 after winning the toss and opting to bowl first.

Aviwe Mgijima was the only batsmen to hit a half-century, holding the innings together thanks to his 52 (96 balls, 2 fours). There were also contributions of 42 from Dane Vilas and 39 by Dayyaan Galiem as the Cobras were bundled out in 44.5 overs.

All the bowlers shone for the Titans, the pick of them being Lungi Ngidi with his 2/20 in eight overs, with two apiece also for Junior Dala (2/33) and Tabraiz Shamsi (2/53).

The reply was fluent one for the hosts, bar a hiccup, when the 100 was raised.

Aiden Markram helped Vandiar put on 75 for the first wicket, before Eddie Leie (3/54) removed the former for 49. The on-loan bizhub Highveld Lions spinner then took out Heino Kuhn (19) and Standard Bank Proteas captain AB de Villiers, who was caught and bowled for a second-ball duck, within the space of three deliveries.

That left the Titans on 100/3, but Farhaan Behardien and Vandiar put on 81 for the fourth wicket to ensure the home side won with ease – 111 balls to be precise.

 

 

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SMUTS HUNDRED GETS WARRIORS OVER THE LINE

Captain Jon-Jon Smuts celebrated the 100th appearance of his formidable List A career with a fine century, as the Warriors completed a comfortable 90-run victory over the BuildNat Cape Cobras in Sunday’s key Momentum One-Day Cup fixture at PPC Newlands in Cape Town.

Smuts’s 173 not out from 164 deliveries, which included nine fours and eight handsome sixes, carried the visitors to a plentiful final total of 305 for six in the allotted 50 overs.

Registering a career-best score, the highest of this year’s tournament and the third largest in the history of List A cricket in South Africa, the hard-hitting right-hander offered the national selectors a timely reminder of his limited-overs prowess, ahead of June’s ICC Champions Trophy in the United Kingdom.

The 28-year-old reached 100 off a measured 133 deliveries – and became increasingly cavalier en route to 150 off a further 22. Particularly severe on seamers Rory Kleinveldt and Dane Paterson through the closing throes, he was earlier equally adept at negotiating the wile and guile of spinners Eddie Leie, George Linde and Dane Piedt.

Smuts cherished fruitful support from fellow opening batsman Gihahn Cloete, whose 70 from 75 laid a decent foundation for middle-order duo Colin Ingram and Colin Ackermann to capitalise. Ingram and Ackermann briskly moved to 20 and 23, respectively, but were unable to convert quick cameos into the longer-term substance enjoyed by Cloete and Smuts.

On loan from the bizhub Highveld Lions, legspinner Leie proved the pick of the bowlers. His telling haul of four for 56 included the important dismissals of Cloete, Ingram and Ackermann. Paterson, meanwhile, was the worst of the lot. He travelled for an expensive 83 runs across nine wicketless overs.

The Cobras’ reply was spearheaded by centurion Richard Levi, but ultimately lacked enough stamina to hearten a Newlands crowd dotted with disappointed Cape Town Cycle Tour participants, after the world-famous event was cancelled due to severe winds earlier in the day.

Levi hammered a 70-ball 106, lined with 14 fours and a trio of sixes, but his questionable decision to briefly retire hurt before returning to reach three figures proved detrimental to the collective cause.

His initial and final departure saw the home side collapse from a promising 128 for two to an irreparable 193 for eight – and finally 215 all out in 37.3 overs.

Like their opposition, the Warriors deployed three spin bowlers – and benefited, in particular, from the leg-breaks of former skipper Ingram (three for 53) – and seamer Ayabulela Gqamane’s two for 22.

Host captain Piedt, when all was said and done, was left to ponder his decision to field first after winning the toss. His choice wasn’t necessarily incorrect, but he would have hoped for a sub-220 target, not 300-plus.

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LIONS, WARRIORS GEAR UP FOR QUALIFIER

bizhub Highveld Lions coach Geoffrey Toyana believes that starting the Momentum One-Day Cup Qualifier stronger against the Warriors in Johannesburg on Wednesday will go a long way towards deciding who will reach the final on Sunday. The two sides clash at the Bidvest Wanderers Stadium with the Cape Cobras awaiting the winner at PPC Newlands.

The hosts will go into the game as the favourites due to home advantage and by virtue of ending the season in second position ahead of the visitors.

“It’s a vital game for both sides, but from our end everyone is in good spirit,” Toyana said. “Playing at home will be a big advantage for us. “But I think it will all boil down to whoever starts the game better. That will go a long way towards deciding the outcome.”

The Warriors have had a disappointing season overall, but Toyana praised the work of young coach Malibongwe Maketa, saying they were dangerous opponents. “I think Malibongwe has done a very good job there,” he added. “His partnership with Colin Ingram is fantastic and the past 12 months they’ve played some good one-day cricket.”

The Lions have some major injury worries ahead of the game with both Temba Bavuma (back) and Eddie Leie (hamstring) likely to miss out. Hardus Viljoen faces a late fitness test, but Dwaine Pretorius is expected to return from injury.

The Warriors have even bigger injury concerns as skipper Ingram nurses back and knee problems. He is being monitored closely by their medical staff. Clyde Fortuin (finger) is expected to be fit to take his place in the XI. Coach of the Eastern Cape side Maketa, insisted there were no underdogs for the clash. “To be honest, that (counting ourselves as underdogs) will be trying to hide,” he said. “I think it’s a 50-50 game.

“There’s no underdog, it’s all about going out there and executing your skills. I think our chances are pretty good. We’ve prepared well and played some good one-day cricket overall this season. I think the side that pitches up will get through.”

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COOK, BOWLERS PUT LIONS IN QUALIFIER

The bizhub Highveld Lions booked their place in the Momentum One-Day Cup qualifier after a comprehensive four-wicket win over the VKB Knights at the Mangaung Oval in Bloemfontein on Saturday.

After winning the toss and bowling first, the Johannesburg side knocked over their hosts for a below-par 169 in 38.3 overs, before chasing down victory with 61 balls to spare. There were several stand-out performances with the ball for the Lions, including six wickets shared between Matt McGillivray and Eddie Leie.

Rookie fast bowler McGillivray was the pick of the bowlers with 3/32, while leg-break bowler Leie claimed 3/43.  But it was the single wicket by Aaron Phangiso (1/32) of Letlotlo Sesele (29) with the total on 109/2 that triggered a collapse of eight wickets for 60 runs.

Another inexperience bowler Carmi le Roux collected 2/29 to mop up the tail, while top scorer for the Knights was Reeza Hendricks (41).

The Lions lost stand-in opener Temba Bavuma (5) early in their chase, but his partner Stephen Cook anchored the chase with 64 (96 balls, 8 fours) to take his side to the brink. Nicky van den Bergh (43 not out) finished the job, while Alviro Petersen (36) provided some earlier support for the captain as the visitors moved to second on the table.

With the Warriors losing to the Cape Cobras also on Saturday, the result means that the Lions cannot be caught in second and will therefore host the February 24 qualifier. The Cobras also secured themselves an automatic berth in the final they will host on February 28 by winning in Port Elizabeth.

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LIONS SECURE MONUMENTAL DRAW

bizhub Highveld Lions, all-rounder and current Domestic MVP leader, Dwaine Pretorius added to a third career century to his tally to helped secure an unlikely Sunfoil Series draw against the Cape Cobras in Paarl late on Sunday.

The visitors were left holding on for dear life by the close when they ended an epic final day on 287 for nine from 140 overs in their follow-on innings.

Spearheaded by a magnificent 101 from 178 balls by Pretorius, the Lions had several heroes through the day, but many plaudits will go to the final wicket pair of Aaron Phangiso and Eddie Leie. Phangiso, in particular, batted for 20 minutes short of two hours at the end for a stubborn 16 from 85 balls, while number No.11 Leie was unbeaten on one from 39 balls having batted for 48 minutes. They batted for over 14 overs together to ensure the hard work done by Pretorius, who batted for over four hours, was not wasted.

There were other heroes too for the Johannesburg franchise with Nick van den Bergh making 28 in a little over three hours. The rookie wicketkeeper and Pretorius adding 112 together for the sixth wicket in 43.3 overs.

Earlier, Rassie van der Dussen (72) and Shaylen Pillay (26) played their part too as the Lions maintained their unbeaten start to the season. They walked away with 4.04 points, but still dropped to third on the table.

The Cobras, who ended their two-game losing streak, had Robin Peterson to thank for taking them so close after his four for 88. They took away 9.04 points from the game and jumped to fifth.

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PRETORIUS STRIKES IN LIONS VICTORY

Dwaine Pretorius struck four crucial blows to give the bizhub Highveld Lions the sweet taste of revenge as they beat the Sunfoil Dolphins in a RAM SLAM T20 nail-biter at Bidvest Wanderers on Sunday.

Pretorius’ 4 for 22 gave him a personal best in the format, but most importantly included the wickets of David Miller, Dwayne Bravo and Ryan McLaren as the Lions clung on to win by six runs.

The victory was all the more satisfying for the fact that the Lions had lost to the Dolphins by one run in the second round of the competition – a defeat that clearly set the young side back as they went on to lose their next two games.

This victory moved them up to fourth on the table with 12 points from six games, and gave them fresh hope of catching the top three – they are now four points behind the third-placed Cobras, who the Lions will host at the same venue in a week’s time.

By contrast the Dolphins have now failed to win in four games, and although they remain in second place, they lead the Cobras by just two points, having played a game more.

While Pretorius’ bowling swung the game in the second innings, Alviro Petersen’s unbeaten 60 from 41 balls kept the Lions in the game during the first innings as they posted 145 for six.

With Devon Conway (28) the only other real contributor, the hosts were unable to form any meaningful partnerships, as much because of their mistakes as the Dolphins’ good bowling – both Conway and Andre Malan were guilty of pulling long-hops straight to fielders.

With Morne van Wyk (20) and Vaughn van Jaarsveld putting on 45 for the first wicket while the ball was still hard, and Van Jaarsveld going on to score 42 from 28 balls, the Lions’ total looked short.

Aaron Phangiso pegged the Dolphins back by dismissing Van Jaarsveld and Khaya Zondo, but David Miller got himself in and put the visitors on track when he took 17 off an Eddie Leie over.

However, Hardus Viljoen pulled things back for the Lions with a quiet over that saw him finish with figures of 1 for 15 from four overs, and in the next over Pretorius cleaned up both Miller and Bravo to leave 23 runs required from the final two overs.

McLaren’s two fours off Lonwabo Tsotsobe in the penultimate over left 13 required off the last, which was whittled down to seven off the last two balls before Pretorius bowled McLaren to seal the game – much to the delight of the home side.

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