Tag: Theunis de Bruyn

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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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PROTEAS WRAP UP NINE-WICKET SERIES CLINCHER

The Standard Bank Proteas needed just 47 minutes and 59 deliveries to score the 41 runs necessary for victory and wrap up the Castle Lager Test Series against Pakistan at PPC Newlands on Sunday. They now have a 2-0 lead in the series with the chance to make a clean sweep in the final match at the Bidvest Wanderers Stadium, starting on Friday.

The final margin was 9 wickets after Theunis de Bruyn, opening in place of the injured Aiden Markram, was caught behind off a top edge, attempting to hook a bouncer from Mohammed Abbas.

Hashim Amla retired hurt after taking a nasty blow on the right arm, leaving Dean Elgar and Faf du Plessis to finish the job.

Du Plessis was named Castle Lager Man of the Match for his first innings century that underpinned the Proteas decisive first innings lead.

The Sunfoil Education Trust (SET) has benefited to the tune of R422 500 from the number of fours and sixes hit and wickets taken by the two sides in the series to date with the final tally for the current match being R217 500. The players on both sides score income for the fund by hitting boundaries (R1 000) and sixes (R2 000) and taking wickets (R2 500)

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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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DE BRUYN PUTS DOWN MARKER WITH MAIDEN TEST CENTURY

Theunis de Bruyn put down his marker for an extended run in the Standard Bank Proteas Test team with his maiden Test century on the fourth and final day of the second Test match against Sri Lanka at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo on Monday.

He was unable to prevent Sri Lanka from clinching the inevitable win by 199 runs and a 2-0 series victory but both he and Temba Bavuma will have gone a long way to restore credibility for South Africa’s ability to make runs on the sub-continent.

De Bruyn was eventually bowled, not offering a stroke, by Rangana Herath for 101 (232 balls, 12 fours) to be the eighth man out by which time the game was beyond saving but his fourth innings century will go down alongside other notable fourth innings centuries for the Proteas.

These include Jonty Rhodes unbeaten century in the first ever Test match between the Proteas and Sri Lanka at Morutuwa in 1993, Jacques Kallis’ maiden Test century at Melbourne in 1997, Faf du Plessis’ match-saving century at Adelaide in 2012, the centuries made by Graeme Smith and AB de Villiers in chasing down 414 for victory at Perth in 2008 and the centuries by De Villiers and Du Plessis that nearly brought about a record runs chase against India at the Bidvest Wanderers Stadium in 2013.

But, taking into account the struggle that foreign batsmen have on the sub-continent, De Bruyn’s innings has a special status.

De Bruyn and Bavuma both displayed excellent technique with their footwork and decisive use of the bat that largely took the bat/pad catch and lbw out of the equation.

This was De Bruyn’s debut Test match on the sub-continent while it was only Bavuma’s fifth, one of which was a virtual wash-out in Bangladesh, and they can both take a lot out of their performances looking ahead to the next visit to India.

Bavuma contributed the majority share (63 off 98 balls, 4 fours) to a partnership of 123 that was only six short of South Africa’s sixth-wicket partnership record against Sri Lanka.

Together they were responsible for the Proteas having easily their best batting session of the series with 109 runs being scored for the loss of 2 wickets in the morning session. The result was that the Proteas were able to make their highest fourth innings total ever on the sub-continent of 290.

The Proteas now have a few days to regroup ahead of the start of the five-match ODI Series in Dambulla on Sunday.

Sri Lanka opening batsman Dimuth Karunaratne was the obvious choice as both Man of the Match and Man of the Series as his consistent batting in both matches as his 356 runs at an average of 118 was an essential difference between the two sides.

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KNIGHTS WELCOME TITANS TO KIMBERLEY

VBK Knights coach Nicky Boje and his Multiply Titans counterpart Mark Boucher are both content with the starts their sides have made to the RAM SLAM T20 Challenge competition but know they face a tough battle when they clash in round two at the Diamond Oval in Kimberley on Wednesday.

Both were eight-wicket winners when the tournament began over the weekend, with the hosts winning away at the Warriors in Port Elizabeth thanks to half-centuries from captain Theunis de Bruyn and David Miller.

The visitors thumped the Highveld Lions in the second match of a double header in Centurion where their skipper, Albie Morkel, and AB de Villiers were the stars.

“I’m pleased with the way the first outing went, the way the guys bowled and fielded,” Boje said. “The two experienced players there with the bat came through well to take us to the win, so all in all, it was a satisfying way to start.”

The four mentioned names are all international quality players and with all the Proteas available for the competition this season, Boje knows they face a tough task in the Northern Cape.

“The Titans are a quality side with quality throughout their squad,” he added.

“They have plenty of big names, but it’s not about that at the end of the day. It’s how you play in the match that counts. We’ll be going out there trying to make sure we do our basics right in a competition that is looking great with all the internationals playing.”

Boucher, meanwhile, will have been satisfied to have started the white-ball part of the season with a victory.

The defending champions were the only side among the three opening round winners to have triumphed with a bonus point, but their demanding coach wants more.

“It was good to start with a win, but I still thought we were a little bit rusty,” he said. “I don’t think we bowled particularly well and I don’t think we fielded particularly well.

“Obviously we have a strong batting line-up and I think it made the game look a lot easier than it actually was. So there’s a lot of areas I feel we can improve on going into Wednesday.”

Nine of the 11 players that turned out for the Titans on Sunday have international experience and Boucher is pleased that so many Proteas are part of the competition this year.

“I think the Proteas playing is going to raise the standard of cricket because it’s going to give a lot of the domestic players an opportunity they rarely have, which is to test themselves and sort of judge themselves as to how good they really are when they are up against a Proteas bowler or batter,” he concluded.

The two-time defending champs are further bolstered by the return of Dale Steyn on Wednesday.

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DU PLESSIS TO MISS OPENING TEST

Standard Bank Proteas test captain, Faf du Plessis will miss the opening Test against England at Lord’s to remain with his wife after the birth of their first child. Dean Elgar will stand in as captain, leading South Africa for the first time.

Du Plessis will rejoin the squad later in the week to prepare for the second Test at Trent Bridge which begins on July 14.

In du Plessis’ absence, South Africa look set to pick Theunis de Bruyn ahead of newcomer Aiden Markram, who was included in the squad as cover for du Plessis. De Bruyn was preferred over Markram in the tour match at New Road last week, and made his debut in South Africa’s most recent Test against New Zealand after Stephen Cook was dropped from the opening berth. De Bruyn scored 12 runs in the match and selection convener Linda Zondi confirmed that when the batsman was reconsidered for a Test spot it would not be as an opener. This is, therefore, an opportunity to blood him in the middle order.

“Theunis played the one Test match in New Zealand. There’s been a sense of fairness to players,” Russell Domingo, South Africa’s coach, said. “We haven’t really discarded a player after one Test match, or two or three innings. At the moment he would be ahead in the pecking order, ahead of a guy like Aiden.”

Even if Markram is made to wait, South Africa will still have at least one newcomer to the XI come Thursday. Heino Kuhn is set to partner stand-in skipper Elgar at the top of the order which means half of South Africa’s top four will be fairly inexperienced. Hashim Amla, with 103 Test caps, will bat at No.3 with Temba Bavuma and JP Duminy at No.5 and 6 respectively.

South Africa can call on seniority in the bowling department, though. Vernon Philander was passed fit after sustaining an ankle injury during a county stint at Sussex. His availability was particularly pleasing to Domingo, who regards Philander as among the tougher prospects for batsmen.

“Vernon is a fantastic bowler for us. He is probably the hardest bowler to face in our side and when he is not there, we tend to struggle a little but because he gives us that control but also gives us the cutting edge if there is something in the wicket and also balances our side with his batting. He is a fantastic cricketer.”

Philander will form part of a three-pronged pack alongside Kagiso Rabada and Morne Morkel. Duanne Olivier, Chris Morris and Andile Phehlukwayo are the reserves.

With the focus on the make-up of their own XI as they “try to find out what the best combination is,” as Domingo put it, South Africa have not spent too much time weighing up their opposition. Like South Africa, England are under a new captain in Joe Root – although his is a permanent appointment – and Domingo suggested his side would look to a test a top order which continues to be juggled around.

“We haven’t looked too closely at their side. Ben Stokes, Joe Root, Alastair Cook, Stuart Broad, James Anderson are five seriously experienced players who are all match winners in their own right. They are a good side but they’ve also got some uncertainties,” Domingo said. “There’s a new opening batter in Keaton Jennings who has only played a handful of Tests and Gary Ballance has come back into the side. There are certain areas where they may be a little uncertain about that we want to expose.”

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THEUNIS DE BRUYN NAMED AS KNIGHTS CAPTAIN

The VKB Knights Board of Directors has announced that Theunis De Bruyn has accepted the offer to lead the team as captain for this coming cricket domestic season.

“The appointment of De Bruyn as captain starts a new era for the VKB Knights. Theunis comes from one of the most successful Cricketing Clubs (TUKS) which has won the title of World Club Champs in Dubai. We are confident that he will install a positive mindset and approach towards the modern game,” commented VKB Knights Chief Executive Officer, Johan van Heerden.

Head Coach Nicky Boje welcomed De Bruyn’s appointment and paid tribute to his predecessor, Werner Coetsee.

“Werner Coetsee has done a great job over the last couple of years but we are moving into a new era and I am excited that Theunis de Bruyn will be leading the way forward for this coming season. I wish him all the best as Captain.”

De Bruyn has had an outstanding career to date, being the third quickest South African batsman to reach the landmark of 1 000 first-class runs, doing so in 20 innings. He represented the South Africcan A team against the England Lions at home and on the tour to India in 2015. He was part of a loan deal with The Unlimited Titans last season to play for the VKB Knights franchise during the T20 Domestic campaign and is now a permanent member of the Knights squad.

“I feel honoured and privileged to captain the Knights Franchise next season,” he commented. “These are exciting times for the Franchise, with new players building their careers, a new environment and structures and these developments are leading towards something positive. The Franchise is looking to create a new culture and legacy which is a winning one and hopefully within the next few years bring us some silverware,” he concluded.

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ELGAR, ADAMS BAT TITANS TO A DRAW

A tremendous batting performances by Dean Elgar and Qaasim Adams helped the Unlimited Titans take a step closer towards the Sunfoil Series title with a battling draw against the bizhub Highveld Lions in their high-profile clash in Centurion on Sunday.

Proteas opener Elgar struck a monumental 173 (386 balls, 23 fours, 3 sixes) after batting for over nine hours with his side eventually finishing on 385/6.

Adams too played his part and was there at the end on 71 not out (190 balls, 10 fours) – himself batting for over four hours having arrived at the crease with defeat looking the likeliest of outcomes at SuperSport Park.

The top-of-the-table Titans had started out the day on 156/1 in their follow on innings and still needing another 223 to make the Lions bat again.

But they lost four wickets in the first session on Sunday as Grant Mokoena (27), Theunis de Bruyn (7), Mangaliso Mosehle (0) and Henry Davids (0) fell to the pace of Pumelela Matshikwe.

They were precariously placed at that stage on 216/5, but a 110-run sixth-wicket stand between Elgar and Adams rescued them. Not only did the pair keep hold of their wickets, but more importantly, they ate up time as their stand lasted more than 40 overs.

Matshikwe, who took all six wickets to fall for figures of 6/58 in 31 overs, eventually dismissed Elgar with more than 20 overs to play, but Adams found an unlikely batting ally in fast bowler Marchant de Lange. The Proteas paceman batted for over 20 overs with Adams to make 23 not out as the game ended in a draw.

 

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BEHARDIEN TON RESCUES TITANS

Farhaan Behardien recorded his eighth first-class century as the Unlimited Titans recovered from a poor start to reach stumps on day one of their rain-affected Sunfoil Series clash against the bizhub Highveld Lions on 285 for seven at Senwes Park.

After winning the toss and batting in the top-of-the-table clash, the visitors found themselves in all sorts of trouble by lunch when they fell to 104 for four.

But Behardien, the stand-in captain, shared in a vital rebuilding stand of 157 with David Wiese (69) that helped them momentarily to seize the initiative.

The fifth-wicket partnership came from just 34 overs with all-rounder Wiese collecting 69, before both set men fell late on a rain-hit day.

There was even time for a third wicket in the last session, meaning the home side held the advantage by the close.

They had been in a solid position after the first session when three wickets by the in-form all-rounder Dwaine Pretorius (4-57) set them back. He included among his wickets two of the Titans’ key men – Heino Kuhn (six) and Theunis de Bruyn (18).

But Behardien and Wiese looked to have weathered the storm by taking their side to 249 for four with less than 10 overs to play.

The returning Hardus Viljoen (2-80) then struck some telling late blows to leave the second-placed Johannesburg side with the edge.

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DU BRUYN STEERS KNIGHTS TO VICTORY

A dominant bowling performance followed by Theunis de Bruyn’s 42 steered VKB Knights to a comfortable eight-wicket win – their second win of the season – over the Sunfoil Dolphins in a low-scoring game in Port Elizabeth. Andre Russell and Malusi Siboto took three wickets apiece, as Dolphins were restricted to 82 for 9 in 20 overs.

Dolphins got off to a horror start after choosing to bat, as they were left reeling at 35 for 5 at the end of the 10th over. They failed to recover from that start as wickets fell regularly – including two run-outs – and substantial partnerships were hard to stitch. Dwayne Bravo, who was the only batsman to score more than 15, top-scored with a 24-ball 23, before he was dismissed by Russell in the final over.

In the chase,  Knights too were off to a dodgy start, losing both openers within the first three overs. De Bruyn then came in and combined with Aubrey Swanepoel to post an unbeaten 75-run partnership which helped Knights reach their target with eight overs to spare, earning them a bonus-point in the process.

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COBRAS BEAT KNIGHTS TO STAY IN THE RACE

The Cape Cobras kept pace in the race for the RAM SLAM T20 play-offs after they triumphed by four wickets over the VKB Knights, who have now lost all six of their games in the competition.

On a Boland Park pitch that none of the batsmen were able to sink their teeth into, the Knights put up 140 for seven after being put into bat, which the Cobras eclipsed with three balls to spare.

While that suggested a close run chase, in truth the Cobras always looked in control after Richard Levi had scored a quick 36 and Justin Ontong had anchored the innings with his 40.

The Cobras were also grateful to Dane Paterson, who took 2 for 24 from four overs and, crucially, broke a threatening stand between Theunis de Bruyn and Andre Russell.

The Knights had slumped to 49 for three in the first half of their knock, but De Bruyn and Russell put on 51 in 34 balls to put them on track for a solid total.

Paterson ensured the pair were not around for the business end of the innings when he bowled Russell (27) and then completed the run-out of De Bruyn (45) in the same over.

With Levi scoring his runs from just 23 balls at the top of the Cobras innings, the scoreboard pressure was taken off the rest of the line-up.

Although they were pegged back by Dillon du Preez’s double strike in the ninth over and squeezed by Malusi Siboto’s canny bowling, which permitted just 15 runs in four overs, the required rate never rose above eight per over.

With Kieron Pollard’s firepower that was never a problem, and the West Indian’s unbeaten 23 from 12 balls saw the hosts over the line.

The Cobras remain in third place on the table, two points behind the second-placed Dolphins, but will feel that they are yet to hit top gear in the tournament.

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CAPE COBRAS TAKE THE WIN AT THE DIAMOND OVAL

Reeza Hendricks completed his return to form with an unbeaten 98, but it wasn’t enough to get the VKB Knights off the mark in the RAM SLAM T20 as the Cape Cobras triumphed by four wickets at the Diamond Oval.

After going through a lean spell in the Momentum One-Day Cup, when he managed just 101 runs in five innings, Hendricks showed signs of improvement with his 42 against the Dolphins last week and backed that up with a superb 66-ball knock that gave the Knights a total of 174 for five.That looked to be enough at several points in the Cobras reply, but the defending champions found the firepower in their batting line-up to keep up with a demanding asking rate and pick up their second win in the competition.

The Knights will feel they should have put the game to bed after Hendricks put on a 92-run stand with Rudi Second in under 11 overs, but that platform was dismantled by George Linde, who recorded figures of 4 for 21.Hendricks brought up his fifty off 39 balls in the 11th over of the innings, but the Knights were pegged back soon after when Justin Ontong took a stunning catch on the long-on boundary to dismiss Second (35).Linde backed that wicket up with two more in his next over as he lured Theunis de Bruyn out of his crease before extracting turn from the dry Kimberley surface, and then had Diego Rosier caught behind two balls later.Linde returned later to grab his fourth scalp, but Hendricks recovered from the barren spell brought on by his teammates’ struggles to take 30 off the final two overs and finish just short of three figures.

The Cobras’ task became harder when they had a poor powerplay, which yielded just 34 runs for the loss of two wickets and ramped the required rate up to 10 per over. However, Andrew Puttick (37) and Ontong (31) just about kept in touch with that in a partnership of 60, and after Ontong had fallen, Rory Kleinveldt was promoted to No. 5 and duly smashed four sixes in his 14-ball 36. Momentum shifted back to the Knights when Kleinveldt and Puttick holed out in quick succession, only to swing again when Sybrand Engelbrecht scored 33 off 15 balls. Engelbrecht fell with 12 runs still needed off nine deliveries, but Lesiba Ngoepe (16 not out) finished the game in style, hitting two sixes to carry the Cobras home with an over to spare.

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