***Official*** South African Domestic Season 2017/18

[SeamUp]

A 100 by Morris with the Titans in ****.

 

[StephenZA]

A 100 by Morris with the Titans in ****.

Sigh.....

 

[SeamUp]

Big win for the Warriors takes them top of the table after the 8th round of Sunfoil Series. Cobras also beat the Dolphins comfortably with a 8-wicket win.

WARRIORS 282
Cloete 83 , Vallie 69 , Harmer 46, Smuts 44 (Morris 4/42 , Dala 3/67 , Von Berg 3/75)
TITANS 213
Behardien 97 , Morris 39 ( Harmer 5/74, Bokako 3/20)
WARRIORS 256/5 decl
Ackermann 125* , Moore 76 (Shamsi 5/90)
TITANS 248
Morris 113 , Agathangelou 52 ( Bokako 4/43 , Smuts 3/54, Harmer 3/89)


DOLPHINS 285
Vilas 70, Frylinck 65 , van Jaarsveld 44 (Paterson 4/58)
COBRAS 350
Mgijima 107, Verreynne 88, van Zyl 63 (Engelbrecht 5/77)
DOLPHINS 291
Van Jaarsveld 57 , Frylinck 50*, van Wyk 45 (Dawood 3/74)
COBRAS 227/2
Hamza 109* , van Zyl 66*

LIONS 217
Pretorius 76, van der Dussen 42 (Budaza 3/40)
KNIGHTS 500/8 decl
Miller 103 , Kruger 102, Second 98, Mnyanda 81 , Coetsee 59 (Pongolo 5/105 , Phangiso 3/118)
LIONS 194/4
van der Dussen 64*

TABLE

WARRIORS 116.42
COBRAS 115.78
KNIGHTS 112.56
TITANS 110.76
DOLPHINS 99.4
LIONS 82.82


Leading run-scoerers

van Jaarsveld 792 @ 56.57
van der Dussen 774 @ 77.40
Malan 704 @ 54.15
Second 688 @ 114.66
Ackermann 628 @ 69.77
Hamza 626 @ 69.55
Vallie 603 @ 50.25
de Bruyn 568 @ 81.14
Erwee 538 @ 44.83
Vilas 536 @ 67.00
Elgar 524 @ 74.85
Moore 501 @ 35.78
Mgijima 494 @ 49.40
K.Petersen 490 @ 61.25
Cook 463 @ 35.61
Smuts 455 @ 37.91
Verreynne 448 @ 44.80
Markram 439 @ 109.75
(Others of interest Muthusamy 422 @ 30.14 & van Zyl 420 @ 105.00)


Leading spinners

Harmer 38 @ 22.44
von Berg 29 @ 36.03
Muthusamy 22 @ 32.04
Piedt 21 @ 47.76
Smuts 19 @ 23.05
Phangiso 15 @ 28.73
Maharaj 14 @ 30.92
Shamsi 13 @ 40.53


Leading seamers

Bokako 19 @ 24.52
Siboto 19 @ 32.00
de Lange 17 @ 35.88
Nortje 17 @ 41.41
Williams 16 @ 45.18
Mulder 15 @ 28.66
B.Hendricks 15 @ 30.66
Paterson 12 @ 33.50
Olivier 12 @ 38.08

 

[Bolo]

Why is the bat dominating this season when the reverse has been true at the national level?

 

[SeamUp]

Why is the bat dominating this season when the reverse has been true at the national level?

Combination of factors.

Poor wicket preparation (lifeless and tired squares)
Quality and depth of attacks weak

This season has been a massive disappointment domestically. I don't think we've found out much.

I suppose Mulder is developing. Hamza and Verreynne have stepped up to 4-day cricket for the Cobras with consistency.

I think the spinner domination also doesn't tell us much about the actual quality of the spinner or maybe it's the batsmen's lack of quality.

Big believer that good cricket wickets develop good cricketers. Runs if you work hard and wickets for seamers/spinners if they work hard.

 

[Bolo]

Have the wickets tended to have less life than the test wickets?

Isn't quality and depth of the attack a criticism that could be applied to the batting lineups?

 

[SeamUp]

Have the wickets tended to have less life than the test wickets?

Isn't quality and depth of the attack a criticism that could be applied to the batting lineups?

About 3 seasons ago the pitches were a joke the other way. Too sporty and batsman couldn't score runs at all. Generally domestic wickets were quite sporty but this was all new levels and no real answers were found with players that season.

This season has been the worst the other way. I would say lifeless wickets would have helped less talented batsman. You aren't being challenged by a moving ball and wickets lack pace which means spinners are having to bowl earlier than normal. Besides Harmer/Smuts at Warriors and Phangiso/Fortuin at Lions all other spinners are in the 30s and 40s which suggests it isn't spinning much either.

Also if you get through the sides key bowler run scoring becomes easier so batsman aren't being challenged enough.

 

[Rasimione]

Verrynne has stepped up at every level he's played for. Good to see young players getting meaningful performances. Morris getting a ton at domestic level is interesting. Reminds me of Parnell his struggles. Dreadful at international level but decent enough when he plays for his franchise.

By the way what's happened to Dayyan Galiem?

 

[GoodAreasShane]

I have always had Morris and Parnell in more or less the same boat. Plenty of talent there, occasional quality performances, but simply far too inconsistent to make themselves a regular threat at international level. From a distance it seems like Phehlukwayo and especially Mulder are better options looking forward.

 

[Bahseph]

I rate Morris way more than Parnell. Parnell was always said to have the 'X-Factor' but I don't remember ever seeing it. Morris has the potential to be a very good Test bowler and a decent number 8. Just needs to work on his consistency.

 

[Bolo]

Parnell looked like the real deal, and he was very good on occasion with the ball in ODIs, but they were few and far between. And he could bowl some real rubbish. It's extremely rare that you can say a single player managed to lose a game for a side, but Parnell seemed to do it often.

Morris doesn't look the part with the ball to me at test level. Looking the part with the ball doesn't necessarily mean you have what it takes, but not looking the part pretty much means you don't. I was expecting more from him with both ball and bat in ODIs though.

 

[Dendarii]

Parnell looked like the real deal, and he was very good on occasion with the ball in ODIs, but they were few and far between. And he could bowl some real rubbish. It's extremely rare that you can say a single player managed to lose a game for a side, but Parnell seemed to do it often.

If memory serves, he got injured not that long after he made his debut for South Africa, and he was never quite the same after that. As a result he turned into a very frustrating cricketer - every so often he looked like he'd recaptured what he had in those early days, but then he'd go back to serving up dross.

 

[StephenZA]

When Parnell started and played in the U19 world cup he was a left arm swing bowler, genuinely swung the ball, and he could hold a bat. It looked exciting. But he lost his swing and became this back of length bowler that could not control his line. Why that happened i`m unsure, he was injured but I also wonder if people tried to fiddle with his action... anyway another big disappointment along with some others.

 

[Dendarii]

Why that happened i`m unsure, he was injured but I also wonder if people tried to fiddle with his action...

It could have been that whole thing of trying to alter his action to prevent a recurrence of the injury, but has that ever worked to a bowler's benefit?

 

[SeamUp]

Yeah remember being really excited about Parnell. Not only for his talents, being left arm and early promise but we lacked bowling depth at the time too.

Agree that injury changed things. I remember years ago a respected commentator picking outhis flaws but yet nothing was changed or in actual bowling changed if they tried to change. Which to me has to be questioned. Think it was Pollock.

Saying that, you are your own self and that garbage length and lack of accuracy ended him really. When you think he s greatest strength was getting it full and swinging.

At least should have had a Southee type career and was his contemporary too.

 

[Bolo]

I'm going to believe it was Pollock. He's so good at his technical deconstructions of bowling from the commentary box.

 

[StephenZA]

Silver lining... if Parnell had done better then Philander probably would never had a career! So thank goodness Philander got his shot.

 

[Stefan9]

I rate Morris way more than Parnell. Parnell was always said to have the 'X-Factor' but I don't remember ever seeing it. Morris has the potential to be a very good Test bowler and a decent number 8. Just needs to work on his consistency.

Can we really be talking about potential for a pace bowler who is already 30?

 

[Bahseph]

That is an excellent point. I didn't know be was already 30. I would be pretty happy if he gets it together for 2-3 years though.

 

[SeamUp]

Besides Kuhn joining Kent on Kolpak - young Boland wicket-keeper batsman has joined Northants. A few players like Pothas, Aganthangelou, ten Doeschate, Dieter Klein, Ackermann, vd Merwe went this route I think.

SA talent Vasconcelos signs for Northants

Warning bells will be ringing once more in South Africa after Northamptonshire signed Ricardo Vasconcelos as a wicketkeeper batsman.

While the 20-year-old was born in Johannesburg and has represented Boland and South Africa Under-19s, he will not be considered an overseas player as he has a Portuguese passport. It is understood that he had been of interest to other counties.

He will arrive ahead of the start of the Championship season and offers reinforcement for a squad that lost wicketkeeper David Murphy at the end of last season - Murphy has decided to concentrate on a career in law - and is likely to be without Ben Duckett for the first few weeks of the season as he recovers from surgery on an injured finger. It may also be relevant that Northants could face quite a fight to retain the services of Duckett beyond the 2018 season.

Northants will also be without Rory Kleinveldt, the former South Africa seamer who has been their overseas player since 2015, for the start of the season, though they expect him to return ahead of the Royal London Cup campaign.

While the signing of Vasconcelos could reignite talk about the success (or otherwise) of county development systems, there may be more disquiet in South Africa. With several players on the fringes of selection for the national side having already chosen a future in county cricket - notably Kyle Abbott, Rilee Rossouw and Simon Harmer, with Morne Morkel expected to follow shortly - there will be concern that a young man good enough to represent a CSA Invitational XI as recently as December has committed himself to England for the foreseeable future. He has been obliged to renounce his right to represent South Africa as part of the deal, though such actions are reversible.

The statistics from Vasconcelos' early career are compelling. While South African domestic cricket is not as strong as it once was, the fact that he has scored two centuries and three half-centuries in his first 10 first-class games suggests he is a highly promising cricketer.

"I am very excited to have the opportunity to represent Northants, it is a massive opportunity that I hope to grab with both hands," Vasconcelos said. "I am looking forward to work with and learn from some of the more experienced players so that I can accelerate my growth as a player as quickly as possible. I am also eager to try and contribute as much as I can to the team's success."

Northamptonshire's head coach, David Ripley, added: "He's a young, hungry cricketer who's able to provide wicket-keeper cover and push the guys for batting spots. It's great to have him on board."