Many of the staff on the 2009 South African Cricket Sixes team for the 2009 Karp Group/PC Jeweler Hong Kong Cricket Sixes have gone on to bigger and better things following their dramatic win over Hong Kong at last year’s tournament.
Coach Corrie Van Zyl was called up to coach the South African national cricket side while SA Sixes skipper Davy Jacobs recently led his Warriors side to the runners-up position in the Champions League.
SA Sixes skipper Davy Jacobs in Hong Kong last year (Pic: Mike Jansen)
South Africa will return with a new-look team to the Karp Group/PC Jeweller Hong Kong Cricket Sixes at the Kowloon Cricket Club on November 6-7 intent on successfully defending their title for another year.
South Africa broke the hearts of the partisan local fans last year when they won the Cup final by beating the home team in a thriller with the winning runs coming off the last ball to lift their third Hong Kong Sixes title. Now they want more with manager Lawrence Mahatlane confident that his side can repeat.
“Our aim is to win the Cup once again. We are coming over to compete, and although we don’t play this format back home, I believe we have the side to lift the trophy again,” Mahatlane said.
Only one player, the big-hitting Dave Wiese, returns from last year’s victorious squad but Mahatlane was convinced his squad had the firepower in both the batting and bowling departments to be a threat to all comers.
“Our domestic competition has resulted in most of the players from last being unavailable,” Mahatlane said. “But this will be a good opportunity for the younger players to prove themselves in the heat of action in an international tournament.”
Hong Kong’s dreams was crushed last year when South Africa’s Farhaan Behardien lofted Mark Wright for a last-ball six with five runs needed for victory. He won’t be back, but Mahatlane thinks he has players of similar calibre in this Class of 2010.
Farhaan Behardien in the players’ enclosure at last year’s Sixes (Pic: Mike Jansen)
The player to watch out for from the new crop will be Shane Burger who starred for the Lions at the Champions League Twenty20 tournament last month in South Africa. Burger will be a handful with his right-arm fast medium bowling bound to trouble the batsmen.
Andrew Birch and Godfrey Stevens, who both played for South Africa at the Under-19 World Cup in 2004, will also be key figures in the Springbok set-up according to Mahatlane.
Adrian McLaren, 30, is the oldest member of the group. A dangerous striker of the ball, he will be key in the batting department. While the bowling department is top-heavy with fast men, Keshav Maharaj and Stevens will provide guile in the form of left-arm spin.
“This is an exciting group of players. If we hit the ground running, I expect we can go all the way,” Mahatlane said.
South Africa are pooled in the preliminary round of the US$150,000 tournament with England, Australia and Hong Kong in the Bradman Group. The Sobers Group comprises India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and New Zealand.
China will also make a debut appearance when they take on a Hong Kong Development team in an exhibition match on the Sunday of the tournament.
The South African side for the Sixes is:
Andrew Birch, Shane Burger, Shaheen Khan, Keshav Maharaj, Adrian McLaren, Godfrey Stevens, Dave Wiese. Lawrence Mahatlane (Manager).
Here is some of last year’s action:
