Rivals go head-to-head for flyweight title
DALE Steyn is the ace and Shaun von Berg the joker in the pack of players South Africa will send to Sri Lanka for next month’s Test series.
Steyn‚ 34‚ has played in only five of South Arica’s past 29 Tests‚ and bowled just 101.3 overs‚ because of shoulder and heel injuries.
But he is three scalps from surpassing Shaun Pollock as South Africa’s leading Test wicket-taker – a milestone that‚ at 34 and with his body not what it was‚ is unlikely to remain within his reach for long.
Steyn took 1/80 from 10 overs in a one-day game for Hampshire last week‚ his first outing for five months‚ and at the weekend he got through 26 overs in the first innings of a championship match against Surrey and claimed 2/91.
“It is very welcome news to have Dale back in our pack of world-class seamers‚ particularly in view of the retirement of Morne Morkel [in April‚ after the series against Australia]‚” a Cricket South Africa release quoted selection convener Linda Zondi as saying.
Zondi confirmed that Kagiso Rabada‚ who missed the Indian Premier League because of a stress reaction in his spine‚ was also good to go.
Steyn’s return was always on the cards but there wouldn’t have been many bets on Von Berg cracking the nod.
Left-armer Keshav Maharaj is South Africa’s first-choice slow bowler and the selection of left-arm wrist-spinner Tabraiz Shamsi‚ who hasn’t played a Test since making his debut in the third match of the series in Australia in November 2015‚ has some kind of logic behind it.
That said‚ six spinners‚ among them off-spinner Dane Piedt‚ took more wickets than Shamsi in last season’s franchise first-class cometition.
But Titans leg-spinner Von Berg – at 31 a veteran of 96 first-class games but never capped at international level – is a bolt from the blue.
Off-spinner Simon Harmer‚ the country’s leading wicket-taker with 47 first-class successes last summer‚ has taken himself out of the selectorial mix by signing a Kolpak contract.
But the second-best bowler in South African domestic cricket in 2017-18 was Senuran Muthusamy‚ the Dolphins left-armer who took 33 wickets at 26.54. Von Berg was next on the list with 29 at 41.75.
The release quoted him as saying: “A key factor in our selection process was to cover all our bases and all possible conditions that we may encounter in Sri Lanka.
“The two additional spinners to back up Keshav Maharaj have both had excellent records in recent times in our domestic cricket.
“Von Berg also gives us additional batting strength in the lower order.”
Less surprising was the selection of Heinrich Klaasen‚ who made an impressive start to his international career in the white-ball formats last season.
“He provides wicketkeeping cover for Quinton de Kock and is also a contender for a specialist batting position‚” Zondi was quoted as saying.
The latter is a reference to the fact that a vacancy in South Africa’s batting order opened last month when A B de Villiers retired from the international arena. Theunis de Bruyn seems likely to replace him. Fixtures:
July 12 to 16: 1st Test‚ Galle July 20 to 24: 2nd Test‚ Colombo — BOXING SA has revealed that the SA flyweight title will be at stake in the highly anticipated clash between rivals Thembelani Nxoshe and Nhlanhla Ngamntwini on Sunday.
Nxoshe and Ngamntwini face each other again after their previous clash was downgraded to a non-title bout in December last year.
This when Ngamntwini was said to be not qualifying to challenge for the title as he had not fought in the flyweight divisions three times.
The decision was taken even though Ngamntwini was rated as the top contender in the division.
Ngamntwini from Duncan Village, proved his superior boxing prowess when he beat Nxoshe but could not walk away with the title due to the red tape.
There were fears that Ngamntwini still does not qualify for the title as his bout against Nxoshe was his second in the division.
But BSA sanctioning committee chairman Khulile Radu allayed fears by giving the fight the green light. “Yes Nxoshe’s fight against Ngamntwini will be for the SA title,” said Radu.
Asked how that was possible, Radu argued the regulation was misinterpreted and was not meant to discriminate against boxers seeking for a national title shot.
“The bottom line is that the regulation stipulates that every boxer rated in the top ten is elegible to challenge for the SA crown. Anything else is secondary.”
Indeed the regulation has been frowned upon in boxing circles as being discriminatory and outdated.
Another argument is that it further lowers the standard of fighting for the national titles.
The proof is that of Ngamntwini’s win over Nxoshe yet the latter remains the SA champion.
While Nxoshe fell short of beating Ngamtwini last December in the storied Duncan Village versus Mdantsane rivalry, he has vowed to leave no stone unturned in the rematch.
He has even reshuffled his technical team to maximise his preparations.
Nxoshe will come to the fight with a modest fight record of seven losses against 19 wins while Ngamntwini has a singe loss in 15 bouts.
The fight promoted by newly crowned IBF Intercontinental promoter of the year, Xaba Promotions and Events (XPE) will form part of the June 16 commemorations.
It was originally scheduled to be held at the beginning of the month as the promotional debut of former two-time SA champion Macbute Sinyabi.
But due to technicalities arising in Sinyabi’s promotion, XPE has taken it over to include it as part of the show which will be dominated by several bouts in the flyweight, junior-flyweight and mini-flyweight divisions.
The show will also serve as a platform to former amateur starts such as Ntlantla Tyirha and Sibusiso Bandla to introduce themselves to the paid ranks.
In the same bill, Bongani Silila will also engage in grudge match against Luyanda Nkwankwa for his SA junior-flyweight belt after having fought to a draw in their last bout in December 2016.