Cricket-Match-Special ... A forum for discussion

A first innings 183 from Bjorn Fortuin saw the Lions beat the Warriors and overtake the Cape Cobras to win the CSA 4-Day Franchise series. The Cape Cobras had led the league for months but a dip in form at the business end of the season, culminating in a drawn game to the Dolphins today, saw them pipped to the post.

There will be many who have a lot to say about this:

http://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id/ ... ssion=true

I make them right, you canthave a player picking and choosing, they planned without him for a reason, and yeah their dire performances cant be blamed on this

It's like KP all over again

No this is real arrogance from AB thinking he can just stroll back at the 11th hour....CSA completely right to say no, the team have played badly and that's not down to this decsiion

"There is no comeback. I’m very very happy with where I’m at in my life. I don’t want to confuse anybody, especially not the (Proteas) team, it will be very selfish and arrogant of me to throw statements around that I’m keen to play a World Cup." - AB de Villiers on 13-11-2018

Pretorius turned down an offer from a county to turn Kolpak, and committed himself to South Africa for the near future.

I find it distasteful the way some counties actively pursue South African Kolpak players, instead of investing in developing home grown players.

I have long bemoaned the confusing nature of SA domestic cricket....however have realised that is the road we are walking down.

SA have 4 domestic competitions running at this time a 3-day and 1-day Provincal tournament and a more popular and star studded 4-day and 1 day franchise series.

With The Hundred and The County Champ being the focus for many. The Blast and the ODC will become second fiddle - much like the provincal games in SA.

Confusing- yes.
Producing high quality players- no.
Increasingly popularity of the game - no.

It can be argued that the three day competition is of such low quality that its only purpose is to pad the averages of mediocre batsmen.

Case in point Pieter Malan.

Dane Piedt ends South Africa career to qualify for USA team

Just read a startling interview with Makhaya Ntini. Reallt interesting cricket life.

Had some scathing things to say about Ray Jennings (ex-South Africa coach and Keaton's Dad)

Smith's appointment got to be good for S.African cricket and cricket in general. He won't stand for any crap from either players or administrators.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/52322494

I always rated him highly as a captain and as a player. The captaincy alone would be hard enough, but he also had to juggle rotas, quotas and political shenanigans

Did anyone else know that Dale Steyn was in a critically panned Adam Sandler film in 2014?

https://youtu.be/HAwuV7vnMxI