CRICKET
Noteworthy win on Goldstones for St Charles first XI
The St Charles College first XI built on their four-wicket victory over Glenwood the previous week to record a meritorious 28-run win over the Maritzburg College first XI on Goldstones Saturday.
College won 7 of their 9 completed matches against Saints and overall won 9 of their 14 matches over the course of Saturday.
Feature photo: The victorious St Charles College first XI on Goldstones Saturday.
The St Charles College first XI did very well to consolidate and build a defendable total after being put in to bat on a grassy Goldstones pitch that assisted the quicker bowlers in the morning session. Saints were 17 for two after 8 overs with College opening bowlers Bryn Brokensha and Matthew Ponter asking plenty of questions of the batsmen.
Saints captain Jason Muirhead continued his excellent run with the bat, scoring 88 on Goldstones Saturday to go with his unbeaten 73 in the win over Glenwood. N. Zuma scored 54 as the third-wicket Saints partnership proved to be a decisive factor in the match.
The Saints innings closed at 216 for six at the conclusion of their 50 overs, Ponter and Cayden Hohls getting 2 wickets apiece.
Creedon Smith (36) and Caleb Thomas (44) had done much of the work in getting College to a handily-placed 97 for two at afternoon tea. Needing 116 to win off the remaining 25 overs with 8 wickets still intact, College were in a strong position.
St Charles, to their credit, managed to restrict the run rate and the pressure built on the College batsmen. A key phase of the match saw College’s total of 144 for 3 descend to 152 for 6 and ultimately to 188 all out in the 50th over. Bryn Brokensha (34) was the other College batsman to get more than 30. Saints’ T. Khonat again picked up 3 wickets (3 for 48) to add to his 3-34 against Glenwood the previous Saturday.
1st Team in brief: St Charles College 216/6 (J Muirhead 88 N Zuma 54, C Hohls 2-36, M Ponter 2-43) Maritzburg College 188 all out (C Smith 36, C Thomas 44, B Brokensha 34, T Khonat 3-48). SCC won by 28 runs.
Maritzburg College’s Summary of Cricket Results
| Team | Opposition | Summary |
| 1st | SCC | SCC 216 for 6.
College 188 all out. College lost by 28 runs |
| 2nd | SCC | SCC 165 all out; Armstrong 4/51 in 9, Nkabinde 3/26
College 166 for 7 in 38.2; Currie 73, Khumalo 27, Thomson 23 College won by 3 wickets |
| 3rd | SCC | College 102 all out.
SCC 123/7. College lost by 21 runs |
| 4th | SCC | Match abandoned |
| 5th | SCC | SCC 68 all out;
College 71/5 in 17.3 overs. College won by 5 wickets |
| U16A | SCC | SCC 90 all out; Gibson 4/11
College 91 for 5, College won by 5 wickets |
| U16B | SCC | SCC 124 all out; Armstrong 4/14
College 125/3; Erasmus 32, Warren 33 n/o College won by 7 wickets |
| U16C | Howick | Howick 16A 95/6;
College 96/8. College won by 2 wickets |
| U15C | Howick | College & Howick 73 all out.
Tie |
| U15D | SCC | SCC 161 all out, College 85 all out
College lost by 76 runs |
| U14A | SCC | College 219 all out. De Bruyn 60, Fabre 29
SCC 195/10; Gasa 4/28, Naidoo 2/19 College won by 24 runs |
| U14B | SCC | SCC 145 all out; Francis 2/12
College 149/6; Thompson 37, Cook 36 College won by 4 wickets |
| U14C | SCC | SCC 50 all out;
College 55/1; College won by 9 wickets |
| U14D | HUB | HUB 148 for 5
College 77 all out College lost by 71 runs |
| U14F | Merchiston
U14 8th |
College 132/3; Dickason 46
Merchiston 82/4 College won by 48 runs |
Michaelhouse away at DHS
The Michaelhouse first XI travel to the Berea in Durban where they take on the DHS first XI in a 50-over match on School’s Theobalds Oval come the 9am start Saturday.
Michaelhouse first XI vs DHS: Joshua Heath, James Kennedy, Robbie Lawrence, Luke Jankowitz, Michael Thornton, Jeremy Foss (capt), Duncan Davies-Webb, Murray Baker, Josh Kirsten (vice-capt), Kamo Rathepe, Tom McCall. Coaching staff: Ian Crawford and Darryn Mortimer.
The 2pm first team basketball match at DHS sees the following
Michaelhouse first team line-up: Luke Farndell, Matt de Villiers, Diego Fernandes, Lucky Mabuza (capt), Chris Masefield, Nathi Kumalo, Dwayne Mlaba, Abongile Xulu, Jordan Baxter, Dalitso Simwinwa, Sentso Tlelai. Coach: N Ngcobo
Derby Day in PMB between Maritzburg College and St Charles College
The two Pietermaritzburg boys’ high schools dating back to 1863 and 1875 respectively meet on the cricket fields and basketball courts plus the water polo pool Saturday, 29 January.
Maritzburg College (1863) and St Charles College (1875) have a longstanding association in the KZN capital and those ties are sure to be strengthened on the playing fields tomorrow.
The first XI cricket match at Maritzburg College’s premier Goldstones ground starts at 9am. The 50-over format is the order of play. Derby matches can throw up the unexpected and it may well be that cometh the hour cometh the cricketer to tilt the odds one way or another.
The longstanding basketball rivalry continues unabated and the 1.30pm first team clash in Maritzburg College’s cavernous Alan Paton Hall will provoke much interest.
The 2021 fourth term “stayers” match at St Charles went College’s way but St Charles will reflect on many a points-scoring basket that went astray.
The first team water polo match is at 10.30 in the Maritzburg College pool.
The Maritzburg College website has all the fixture details.
Durban north cricket derby: Clifton vs Northwood
The Clifton School first XI under the leadership of captain Ross Montgomery and coach Brandon Scullard are at the Robin Smith Oval this Saturday 29 January for the 9am starting time 50-over match against hosts Northwood.
Clifton vs Northwood: Ben McElligott, Camden Riley, Mitchell Tillard, Keaton Murray, Matthew Gore, Mohamed Taqvi, Ross Montgomery (capt), Tristan Naicker, Ryan Jairaj, Dario Reddy, Nathan Armitage-Graves. Coach: Brandon Scullard
Photo caption: The Captain’s Blazer tradition at Clifton has been updated and handed on with Ross Montgomery the new incumbent.
In the last 7 first XI matches between the near-neighbours Clifton have won 4 and Northwood 2 with 1 match abandoned.
Northwood first XI to play Clifton: Evan Fouche, Muhammad Karodia, James Nielsen, Bradley Bumberry, Adam Chislett (capt), Matthew Anderssen, Ethan Grace, Jason Pearce, Reinhardt Nel, plus 2 players still to be confirmed. Coach: Khalipha Cele
So far this year Clifton have played 6 matches won 3 lost 2 and had one match abandoned. And the matches have either been decisively won or lost, a trend that seems prevalent among the schools this year.
For info on the Northwood first XI year so far go to
Clifton: at the Kearsney festival earlier this month:
10 Jan vs Futura Academy: no play possible due to weather.
11 Jan vs Michaelhouse: Clifton 253/8 and Michaelhouse 109 all out leaving Clifton 144-run winners.
12 Jan vs KZN Coastal Invitational XI: Clifton 270 all out beat Coastal 140 all out by 130 runs.
13 Jan vs Kearsney: lost by 5 wickets in Kearsney reaching 130 for 5 chasing Clifton’s 129 all out.
At Durban High School on 22 Jan:
Clifton 235 for 8 in 50 overs (McElligott 31, Montgomery 30, Riley 35, Naicker 39, Jairaj 39) DHS 59 all out (Jairaj 3-22, Armitage-Graves 4 for 1 (including a memorable hat-trick))
Clifton won by 176 runs.
Michaelhouse first XI in convincing win
It was certainly a feather in the cap for the Michaelhouse first XI on the Roy Gathorne Oval in Balgowan last Saturday (22 January) after earning a meritorious victory over Northwood.
Michaelhouse compiled a match-winning 305 for the loss of 7 wickets in their allotted 50 overs. Northwood’s reply of 174 all out left the Men of House 131-run winners.
Northwood put Michaelhouse in to bat and a measured start by openers Murray Baker (57) and James Kennedy set the ideal platform for House, the first wicket falling in the 16th of the allotted 50 overs with the total at 96.
And that ideal platform was not undone as House captain Jeremy Foss (71), Thomas McCall (48) plus the contributions of Joshua Heath (25) and Robbie Lawrence (27) took the home side to a formidable 305.
When it was Northwood’s turn to bat the Michaelhouse bowlers were backed by excellent support in the field. The spin of Joshua Heath (3 for 14 in 5 overs) and the seam of Michael Thornton (2 for 14 in 6 overs) did much of the damage.
In the last 8 matches between the two schools’ premier cricket sides, House have won 5 and Northwood 1 while 2 matches had to be abandoned.
In the festival at Kearsney during the second week of this month, the Michaelhouse first XI’s opening match of the year was against the host school, which was abandoned due to the adverse weather conditions.
Michaelhouse had been bowled out for 226 and in reply Kearsney were handily placed at 145 for 2 before the curtains came down.
The Michaelhouse first XI coaching staff of Ian Crawford and Darryn Mortimer and the team captained by Jeremy Foss took on Clifton the next day and it was another tough encounter, House all out for 106 in pursuit of the excellent 253 for 7 compiled by the Clifton lads.
A 147-run loss is not easy to recover from but this Michaelhouse duly did, winning their next three matches, including the abovementioned defeat of Northwood this past Saturday.
Chasing the Futura Academy’s impressive 303 all out the Men of House contributed 304 for the loss of 8 wickets to record a heartening 2-wicket win.
A seven-wicket victory over Maritzburg College in the T20 match the following day, the last outing of the Kearsney festival, added further value to the Michaelhouse cause. In reply to Maritzburg College’s 121 for 7 in their 20 overs, Michaelhouse went past the winning post at 123 for 3.
This Saturday (29 January) the Michaelhouse first XI are scheduled to visit Durban High School (DHS) and will no doubt be looking to maintain their momentum.
After the DHS trip the Men of House are scheduled to host Clifton on the Roy Gathorne on February 5 before facing Glenwood (away) on February 12.
According to the fixtures I have seen, the first round of the Michaelhouse cricket year ends with the first XI taking on St Charles College on February 26 before the much-anticipated visit to the Hart-Davis Oval at Hilton College on Saturday, March 5.
The Northwood Knights’ 2022 cricket journey
The trip to Balgowan and the Roy Gathorne Oval last Saturday (22 January) turned out to be a tough one for the Northwood first XI.
Michaelhouse compiled a match-winning 305 for the loss of 7 wickets in their allotted 50 overs and Northwood’s reply was a modest 174 all out, which left the Men of House 131-run winners.
Northwood put Michaelhouse in and a measured start by openers Murray Baker (57) and James Kennedy set the ideal platform for House, the first wicket falling in the 16th of the allotted 50 overs with the total at 96.
And that ideal platform was not undone as House captain Jeremy Foss (71), Thomas McCall (48) plus the contributions of Joshua Heath (25) and Robbie Lawrence (27) took the home side to a formidable 305.
When it was Northwood’s turn to bat the Michaelhouse bowlers were backed by excellent support in the field with the spin of Joshua Heath (3 for 14 in 5 overs) and seam of Michael Thornton (2 for 14 in 6 overs) doing much of the damage.
In the last 8 matches between the two schools’ premier cricket sides, House have won 5 and Northwood 1 while 2 matches had to be abandoned.
After action satisfaction: The Northwood Knights reflect on a meritorious win over one of SA’s cricketing heavyweights, KES.
I have no information on yesterday’s 100-balls per innings contest between Northwood and hosts Glenwood. Evidence suggests that Northwood coach Khalipha Cele’s boys have demonstrated that they are able to bounce back.
Feature photo: Best wishes to the Northwood coaches for the 2022 year. Former Proteas pace bowler Mornantau (Nantie) Hayward has been in the director of cricket position since October 1 and is also the U16A coach. Nantie obviously also works with first XI coach Khalipa Cele while the second XI (the Brown caps) are piloted by Vaughn van Jaarsveld and Brian Gow, with Alex van der Merwe (U15A) and Sam Mofokeng (U14A) completing the group.
Northwood had put together a good set of results going into the Michaelhouse fixture, having won 4 and lost 1 of their matches at the Grey High School festival in Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth).
First up was a T20 match against the hosts, Grey High, and the outcome did not favour the Knights, as the Northwood first XI is known. Despite getting off to a brisk start with James Nielsen’s 32 off 18 balls leading the way, Grey managed to pin the Northwood batsmen in their creases.
Not being allowed to rotate the strike put the Northwood batsmen under pressure and it took a 24 off 15 balls from captain Adam Chislett – the skipper came in with 3 overs to go – to push the Durban north lads to a total of 159.
The Grey opening batsmen took their time in establishing the platform for what would be a winning partnership and duly hauled in the run target with three overs in hand.
The Knights bounced back from the 10-wicket loss to earn an emphatic 92-run win over local side and match hosts Framesby High the next day before reeling off three closely-fought wins on the trot in their remaining festival games.
Northwood director of cricket Nantie Hayward in his Proteas fast bowler heyday.
The Framesby match had to be reduced to a 45-over match due to rain. Having been put in, Northwood compiled a solid total of 199 with the main contributors being James Nielsen (40 off 70 balls), Ethan Grace (71 off 80) and captain Adam Chislett (29 off 29).
Chislett and Grace then opened the bowling and were able to contain the Framesby run chase. The pressure reaped its due reward with leg-spinner Saurav Matai taking 3 wickets in 4 balls in his eventual 3 for 18 from his maximum 9 overs. Ethan Grace completed a productive match in returning bowling figures of 2 for 15 in his 9 overs.
Adam Chislett opened the bowling with Ethan Grace restricting Framesby in the first 10 overs. Saurav Matai channelled his inner Shane Warne as the leg-spinner took 3 wickets in 4 balls. Matai finished with figures of 3/18 in 9 overs. Ethan Grace also contributed with the ball taking 2/15 in his 9 overs. Framesby all out for 107 to leave Northwood 92-run winners.
The 2022 Northwood first XI after beating noted cricket nursery St Andrews School of Bloemfontein.
Next up for the Northwood Knights was a 50-over match against St Andrews School of Bloemfontein. Saints won the toss and got off to a good start, earning 54 runs before the opening batsmen were separated.
The Knights bowlers were then able to get wickets in clusters, which stymied Saints’ goal of building partnerships. With Adam Chislett picking up 4 wickets for 44 in 9.3 overs and Jason Pearce 3 for 29 in 7 it was a commendable effort to keep the run target below 200 as Saints’ innings folded to 189 all out from 46.3 overs.
Chasing 190 off 300 balls, Bradley Bumberry and the aggressive Jason Pearce added a 73-run partnership (Pearce getting 57 of the 73-run partnership) but it was touch and go at the end with 50 still needed to win and just three wickets in hand.
Under pressure, Northwood kept their heads and Evan Fouche alongside Ethan Grace got the Durban lads past the winning post with 1 wicket still intact.
On the same day at the Lance Klusener U15 festival hosted by his alma mater Durban High School (DHS) the Northwood U15A side beat Jeppe by 11 runs.
Northwood U15A made 144 all out in 44.5 overs with Jed Mun-Gavin 34 (43), Kyle White 25 (44) and Connor Leclezio 23 (53) standing out, to which Jeppe responded with 133 all out in 46.5 overs, the chief Northwood U15A wicket protagonists being Ben Cilliers (5/35 from 9.5 overs) and Matthew Norton (2/16 from 7 overs).
Nantie Hayward will be hoping his hard work as director of cricket at Northwood will bring the same reward as his wicket-taking process back in the day.
Next up for the Northwood Knights at the Grey festival was the premier team of one of South Africa’s greatest cricket nurseries, King Edward VII School (KES) of Johannesburg.
The gist of it is that in reply to KES’s 180 all out, Northwood reached 181 for 6 and a four-wicket victory.
Northwood skipper Adam Chislett (2 for 30), Ethan Grace (2 for 15) and Jason Pearce (2 for 26) restricted the KES batsmen to 180 all out before Grace (44), Pearce (32) and Evan Fouche (32) did the bulk of the business in piloting the Northwood ship home.
Just 96 days earlier, at Maritzburg College’s Oppenheimer Michaelmas Cricket Week, the KES first XI had beaten Northwood by 7 wickets.
Not exactly the same player personnel without doubt. But I would venture that a fair number of the same players played in both matches, so a Northwood turnaround of great merit.
This especially notable day for Northwood cricket also included the U15A side beating the Maritzburg College U15A team by 4 wickets. Northwood U15A’s successfully chased down the Maritzburg College U15A total of 212 for 7 to end on 213 for 6 with the main batting contributors being Aiden Potgieter (57), Ryan Fisher (46 not out) and Ross McGlashan (38*).
Earlier, two of the Northwood U15A bowlers to do make notable inroads into the Maritzburg College U15A batting attack were Ben Cilliers (2 for 30) and Matthew Norton (2 for 43).
Northwood’s first XI Knights then rounded off a successful festival in the Eastern Cape with a 9-run win over locally-based Pearson High. This high-scoring game saw the Knights compile 288 for 6 in their 50 overs, to which Pearson replied with 279 all out.
Three years prior, almost to the day, when the two schools had last met, Northwood edged home by 2 runs, and this time round the winning margin was also in single figures.
This Saturday, 29 January, Northwood host Clifton School first XI on the Smith Oval.
Kearsney College first XI dig deep at Hilton
Kearsney lost the toss and were asked to field in a 60/50 declaration game on the Hart-Davis Oval at Hilton College on Saturday, 22 January 2022.
In this format, as I understand it, the team batting first are allotted 60 overs in their innings with the team batting second allotted 50 overs. If the team batting first do not utilise all 60 overs the balance is transferred to the team batting second.
The feedback received from Kearsney hereunder: Information on the outstanding Hilton players in the match would be much appreciated.
“The Hilton track, which was flooded a week ago, was surprisingly batting friendly and the bowlers had to toil for any joy. The strong Hilton side, who bat deep, amassed 259/9 in their allotted 60 overs despite being 120/5 at one stage.
Pick of the Kearsney bowlers were Bryce Wiggett with 3/43 and Hayden Bishop with 3/95. Kearsney’s batting response started disastrously, with the openers back in the hut in the first over, with a solitary run on the board.
However, Hayden Bishop and Ross Coetzee knuckled down and soon utilised the batting conditions to their advantage, despite hostile bowling from the Hilton quicks, and bounce and turn from their very competent spinners.
Bishop (52) and Coetzee (82) ensured the draw with their stoicism and patience, despite a small hiccup in the latter stages where Kearsney lost three quick wickets for 13 runs. Kearsney finished on 160/7 in their allotted 50 overs – an excellent result considering the quality of the opposition on home turf.
Photo caption: Kearsney College’s number 3 batsman Hayden Bishop looks to play the ball through the off-side at Hilton.
It was a treat to see the return of competitive schoolboy cricket in KZN.
1st X1 Hilton 259/9 (B Wiggett 3/43, Bishop 3/95)
1st X1 Kearsney 160/7 (Coetzee 82, Bishop 52)
Match drawn
* The Kearsney College first XI host Durban High School first XI in a 100-ball match on the AH Smith Oval come 3pm this afternoon, 26 January 2022:
Kearsney first XI vs DHS today (3pm)
1 Ross Coetzee
2 Adam Zeller
3 Hayden Bishop
4 Michael de Beer (wk)
5 Bryce Wiggett (capt)
6 Fritz Rheeder
7 Dylan Wiggett
8 Ross Phillips
9 Matthew Bergset
10 Nhlakanipho Ngubane (vice-capt)
11 Asande Nyawose
Coaches: Andre van Zyl and Matt Savage
Kearsney first XI matches so far this year:
* Festival matches at Kearsney
* 10 Jan: vs Michaelhouse
Match abandoned
* 11 Jan: Kearsney 137 all out
Dolphins Academy 141 for 5
Dolphins Academy won by 5 wickets
* 12 Jan: Kearsney 177 all out
Maritzburg College 178 for 7
Maritzburg College won by 3 wickets
* 13 Jan: Clifton 129 for 8
Kearsney 130 for 5
Kearsney won by 5 wickets
22 Jan: (Declaration match at Hart-Davis Oval, Hilton College)
Hilton 259 all out
Kearsney 160 for 7
Match drawn
Upcoming on 29 Jan: vs Glenwood first XI at Kearsney
# Hilton College first XI vs Kearsney College: Jake Carstens (vice-capt), Charles Swart, Ivan Lockem, Matthew Stewart, Casey Nicholson, Kristofer Watt (capt), Jarryd Pike, Ross Boast, Matt Wilson (wk), Kieran Kilmartin (vice-capt), Christopher Roy
Coach: Dale Benkenstein
# Other Hilton first XI result: lost a T20 match by 4 wickets away to Bishops on 15 January.
Hilton 135 for 8
Bishops 137 for 6
Bishops won by 4 wickets
# Next up, Hilton play Westville first XI on Thursday in a T20 match at Eston Country Club (3.30pm start) before meeting the same team at Hilton’s Hart-Davis Oval in a declaration match on Saturday, 29 January (9am start).
Westville first XI notch win on Goldstones
Westville and Maritzburg College were involved in a heartening 15 cricket fixtures on Saturday and while College won 11 of those matches it was the Westville first XI who took the honours on Goldstones.
The visiting Westville skipper won the toss and put the College first team in to bat on their home turf in the KZN capital.
Feature pic: After their win on Goldstones the Westville first XI went to Snows to support their U14A team to victory.
“College were not able to put together any meaningful partnerships up front and the Westville bowling attack was able to restrict College to 52 for 4 at tea,” said College coach Robbie Coutts.
Westville were able to pin the College batsmen down and runs were scarce. The solitary substantial partnership was that between Luc Jacobs (61) and Bryn Brokensha (27). With wickets falling at crucial times College weren’t able to kick on and the outcome was a total of 151 for 9 wickets in their allotted 50 overs.
In contrast, Westville got off to a flier with 30 runs on the board after the first 3 overs and at the start of over 16 the opening batsmen were still together. Cayden Hohls then managed to break up the openers but at afternoon tea Westville were in a strong position at 105 for two.
Maritzburg College’s Luc Jacobs, running in from the Princess Margaret Drive End, launches into his delivery stride.
Credit: Justin Waldman Sports Photography
Westville navigated the home stretch well and reached their winning target for the loss of 3 wickets and with more than 50 balls to spare.
There was an outstanding 77-run win for the Maritzburg College U16A team against the strong Westville side at Collegians Club while College won the U15A match by 7 seven runs and Westville U14A were comprehensive 90-run winners.
SCORES IN BRIEF
First XI: Maritzburg College 151/9 (Jacobs 59; Ngugi 3-28, Mahomed 3-31) Westville 152/3 (Gopalan 52, Pillay 48*, Simpson 33) Westville won by 7 wickets.
Second XI: Westville 217/9 (Thandar 60, Maxwell 37) Maritzburg College 218/6 (Quin 52, Woolridge 40, Currie 34, Armstrong 30) College won by 4 wkts.
Thirds: Westville 131/8 (Young 38) MC 134/3 (Thompson 50) College won by 7 wkts.
Fourths: Westville 75 (Stead 4-14, McIlrath 3-7, Lawrence 3-12) MC 76/8 won by 2 wkts.
U16A: College 223/7 (De Costa 60, Miller 50, Hosking 37) Westville 146 (Robertson 32, Jordaan 30, De Costa 3-17) MC won by 77 runs.
U16B: College 69 (Hughes 5-17, Bremer 3-23) Westville 70/1 won by 9 wickets.
U16C: Westville 146/6 (Madison 31, Paverd 31; Samuel 3-30) MC 147/6 (Bernstein 80*; Maseko 3-27) MC won by 4 wkts.
U15A: College 155 (Bester 38; Pillay 3-26) Westville 148. MC won by 7 runs.
U15B: College 122 (Mitchell 3-9) Westville 91 (Sutcliffe 33; Van der Vliet 4-15, Clark 3-3). MC won by 31 runs.
U15C: Westville 128/6 and MC 122/7. Westville won by 6 runs.
U14A: Westville 261 (McGough 56, Delvin 33, Baudach 48; Gasa 3-47) College 171 (De Bruyn 39, Du Toit 34; McGough 4-25). Westville won by 90 runs.
U14B: Westville 85 and MC 90/3 for MC to win by 7 wkts.
U14C: Westville 35 and MC 36/3 for MC to win by 7 wkts.
U14D: Westville 86/9 (Ncula 4-14) MC 89/2 (Maud 42) MC won by 8 wkts.
U14E: MC 118/5 and Westville 101/5 (Lee 46) MC won by 17 runs.
New Shane Warne documentary sure to entertain and inform
It seems a long time ago that we had Test cricketers with the personality and sheer entertainment value of Shane Warne.
I may be wrong, but it is almost as if players have, for the most part, been herded into a regulated “sameness” that discourages overt displays of originality. Perhaps that is due to the intense media scrutiny they find themselves under.
A new documentary on Australian leg-spin legend Shane Warne looks set to remind us of what we have lost, but at the same time it leaves us appreciating the true-blue characters of the game. Let us hope we will see more of his like sometime soon.
I don’t personally know Shane, so my observations come from the “outside”, and are purely based on what I have read and seen. He has always fascinated me and is certainly someone that I would love to know.
Straight and to the point, the full-length film is simply titled Shane, and was released on digital download in the UK recently. And the reviews of it suggest it is a must-see for every sports enthusiast. I am not sure if it is available in South Africa yet and something that I am looking forward to.
“I liked loud music, I smoked, I drank and bowled a bit of leg-spin,” Warney says in characteristic fashion. “I don’t have any regrets.”
Well, there were plenty of things – as more comprehensively highlighted in his compelling autobiography – No Spin, written with the assistance of Mark Nicholas – that I am sure Shane Warne would manage differently if he could go back in time. But, just like every single one of us, he is a fallible human being who makes mistakes.
One thing is certain: Shane Keith Warne has packed a lot of “life” into his life. Perhaps he could best be characterised as someone who wasn’t afraid to “have a go” – at just about everything and anything. And, most of the time, his innate self-confidence has served him well.
The film also offers insights into what his peers thought of him; greats of the game like (Lord) Ian Botham share their views, while his friendship with fellow celebs, like superstar singer Ed Sheeran, is an example of how well Shane has fitted into the celebrity world.
There are also closer-to-home interviews with his ex-wife Simone Callahan (a 10-year marriage) and their three children – Jackson (22), Summer (24) and Brooke (20).
Shane’s relationship with actress and model Elizabeth Hurley was plagued by unrelenting media attention; the demands of different career paths meant much time apart – and was probably the primary cause of their eventual break-up.
English actress and model Elizabeth Hurley and Shane Warne were the subject of unrelenting media scrutiny during their relationship.
It’s interesting that despite all the hurt his indiscretions caused, the 52-year-old Shane has still managed to maintain a pretty good relationship with all those closest to him – and just about everyone else who has crossed his path in what has been an action-packed life.
Born in the Melbourne suburb of Upper Ferntree Gully on 13 September 1969 – Shane is certainly a fascinating person. A natural storyteller, Warney was a certainty for a media role after his playing days were over.
The insights he offers on his own life, his thoughts on his evolution as a cricketer, reveal a man who is perceptive when it comes to the subjects he knows so well – and who has a caring side to him that may not be readily apparent to the casual onlooker.
Warney was a hugely competitive, evolving cricketer who explored, developed and employed every weapon he could in his bowling armoury. He certainly had an early appreciation of how body language could be used as an additional advantage in the leg-spinner’s bag of tricks.
Something that came as a complete surprise to me was the revelation that, at just six years of age, both his legs were broken in a playground accident. His dad made a trolley for him, and the determined way Shane propelled himself around, using just his hands and wrists (which became immensely strong), for six long months suggest – in hindsight – perhaps an early indication of the person, and type of cricketer, he was destined to become.
With Shane it has been, at times, a constant battle between his “up for anything” persona and his more thoughtful side.
In the early days.
It would serve us well to understand that nothing prepares a person for the all-encompassing attention that celebrity brings.
As Shane says in another interview: “People meet the headline and not the person. It’s confusing and potentially derailing. My personal life has been played out on the front pages, back pages, the women’s magazines.
“Sitting on my balcony, and I get papped (photographed by a member of the paparazzi) with my shirt off… I said, ‘Are you serious? I’ve got my big fat guts out on the balcony’.
It’s time for the batsman to concentrate on that ball like never before.
“I resented it (the constant attention) for a while. I understand it now, but to try and deal with it every single day might be hard to understand.
“When you grow up you think fame could be pretty cool. When I was 21, 22 years of age I had my first exposure to it. There’s no school you can go to, to learn about it. You’ve just got to try and do your best to learn and deal with it.”
Always up for a bit of fun, part of his enduring appeal is that he is able to laugh at himself. And he is honest, admitting, that he was selfish in his pursuit of cricketing immortality – and family did take a back seat at times.
A magical spin bowler, yes. As a dad and partner? Quite a handful but, one suspects, well worth the “extra effort” in the end.
Never boring, that’s for sure.
Shane Warne with 2 of his 3 children, Brooke and Jackson, in 2019.
VACANCY: KZN INLAND CRICKET U16 BOYS HEAD COACH
KZN Inland Cricket is looking for a likely candidate to fill the position of Head Coach of the KZN Inland U16 boys age-group squads.
The role of the Head Coach is to develop and implement a high-performance coaching programme with the support of the Provincial Coach Education Manager for the Under 16 Age Group squads.
The primary purpose for the position is to have a positive impact in the preparation and coaching of both squad cricketers with the intent of enhancing the individual performance of the identified players.
KEY JOB OUTPUTS – PURPOSE OF THE JOB
The incumbent will be responsible amongst other things for the following key delivery areas:
•To develop the cricket specific components of the Player Performance Plan for identified cricketers.
•To Coordinate the interventions for the identified players as part of the Personal Development Plans of a cricketer.
•To guide the selection panel in the selection of the Provincial Under 16 training squad.
•To lead the identification of talent within National, Provincial or Franchise pipeline structures.
Shane Burger is one of KZN Inland Cricket’s favourite sons. Shane captained the senior team and went on to establish himself as a highly regarded international coach.
KEY DELIVERY AREA 1
To develop the cricket specific components of the Player Performance Plan (PPP) for identified cricketers.
•Manage the planning process and ensuring that each identified cricketer has a plan aligned to the deliverables of the PPP.
•Work closely with the Provincial Coach Education Manager to establish and approve the planned outcomes of the PPP for each identified cricketer.
•Ensuring that support systems and structures for the identified cricketers are enhanced to sustain adequate individual performance standards.
•Outline performance expectations to the identified cricketers as well as his coach (i.e. school, club, Hub, etc.).
•Establish regular performance reviews and assessment of the identified cricketers.
Former Hilton College all-rounder Michael Booth captained his school first XI as well as KZN Inland U19 in his grade 12 year, which also included impressive performances for the KZN Inland senior team. Photo Martin Ashworth.
KEY DELIVERY AREA 2
To Coordinate the interventions for the identified players as part of the Personal Development Plans of a cricketer.
•Ensure that an adequate needs analysis is conducted on each identified cricketer covering the following developmental aspects:
▪Physical (Physiological conditioning and Nutritional status).
▪Cricket Skills (Technical, Tactical and playing exposure).
▪Medical (Injury or illness).
▪Psychological (Socio-Psychological health and Mental Performance).
▪Socio-Culture (School Education, Post School Activities, Support networks, Socio-Economic status and Team Environment).
•Ensuring that adequate specialists are available to be assigned for the intervention measures with the support of the Provincial Coach Education Manager.
•Ensuring that regular communication and reporting with relevant stakeholders takes place (i.e. pipeline and other coaches, parents, specialists, etc.).
Mondli Khumalo and Jayden Gengan are both products of the Maritzburg College and KZN Inland pipeline.
KEY DELIVERY AREA 3
To guide the selection panel in the selection of the Provincial Under 16 squad.
•To develop and implement structures within the province that can sustain talent identification aligned to the provincial pipeline structural requirements.
•To ensure that there is support and understanding of the programme undertaken by the key role players within the Provincial Schools’ cricket system through the assistance of Youth Cricket Coordinator/Cricket Services Manager.
•To work closely with the coaches of the identified cricketers within the squad by ensuring that the individual deliverable plans are supported and actioned.
•Introducing benchmark performance required to be attained by identified cricketers for each cricket discipline.
Former Westville Boys’ High star Luke Schlemmer is now an integral part of the KZN Inland senior team.
KEY DELIVERY AREA 4
To lead the identification of talent within the National, Provincial or Franchise pipeline structures.
•To play a key role in the preparation and coaching of the selected Provincial Under 19 squad.
•To conduct off-season coaching programmes and camps.
•Prepare player reviews for implementation as per the PPP.
•To manage the identifying of talent for the franchise region talent camps and potential cricketers for the Cubs XI.
KEY JOB KNOWLEDGE REQUIREMENTS
•Understanding the Player Performance Plan.
•Be able to Coach and Identify talent.
•Be able to evaluate and prepare training programmes to meet the needs of the identified cricketer.
•Be able to evaluate and monitor progress.
•Understanding the various coaching styles.
•Understanding of the CSA Long Term Player Development process.
•Knowledge of the domestic cricket systems.
•Understanding of the challenges of BA players within the CSA pipeline.
•Basic Mentoring principles.
Former Maritzburg College first XI captain Jacques van der Walt is one of many talented cricketers to have represented KZN Inland at age-group level.
KEY ATTRIBUTES
•Development & nurturing focus.
•Conscientious
•Results focused.
•Integrity.
*Self-motivated & high work ethic.
•Deadline Driven (Critical).
•Confidentiality.
•Persuasive.
•Resilient.
QUALIFICATIONS
•Minimum Level 3 Coaching Qualification, plus:
•Played Cricket at First Class Level will be an advantage.
•Driver’s Licence with own vehicle.
EXPERIENCE
•More than 3-years’ credible coaching experience of elite cricketers.
REPORTING TO
•The Cricket Services Manager.
KZN10.com website and social media thanks the outstanding #HalfwayToyota Howick dealership and its general manager, Maritzburg College Old Boy Brandon Brokensha, for their support. I cannot do this alone. Contact me at joncookroy@gmail.com for info on the various advertising options and more. Together we are more. And why not give Brandon a call at 083 514 1089.
APPLICATIONS
Suitably qualified candidates are invited to apply for the position by submitting an application together with a comprehensive CV, certified copies of applicant’s South African ID, Valid RSA Driver’s Licence, Valid CSA Level III Coaching Accreditation qualification, Valid Police Clearance and other appropriate qualifications relating to the post, and at least two contactable references, to: Jason Sathiaseelan: jasons@cricket.co.za by the close of business on Monday, 28th June 2021.
In making the final selection
*Consideration will be given to the employment equity objectives of KZN Cricket.
*A performance agreement shall be entered into with the successful applicant.
*The right not to make an appointment is reserved.
*Should you not be contacted within 30 days of the closing date, you may consider that your application is unsuccessful.
Jonathan Cook of KZN10.com website and social media thanks Hilton College Old Boy Rory Smith of Absolute Containers for sponsoring these 2 wonderful Powerbanks to ensure that Jono and his smartphone remain fully charged when it really matters!!! Thank you, dear Absolute Containers! No wonder you are the trendsetters in customised containers and modular solutions! Take a look https://absolutecontainers.co.za/