The Premier League is set to have a match take place on Christmas Eve for the first time in 28 years this year, according to reports.
Article continues below
Article continues below
Article continues below
Batting strength down the order will be West Indies’ trump card, but they will be coming into the tournament cold. By Andrew McGlashan
Andrew McGlashan04-Sep-2007
|
|
|
The shorter the game the more competitive West Indies are; and by that reckoning they should be real contenders in Twenty20.Ramnaresh Sarwan is back at the helm after injury and the selectors have largely stuck with the players who took the one-day series against England. Pedro Collins – earning a recall not before time – and Narsingh Deonarine are the two new faces but neither has been called up because of particular success in Twenty20.West Indies showed they can adapt to the format, piling up 208 in the first game at The Oval and sharing the series 1-1. There was a new verve about their play during the latter part of the England tour as the team responded to Chris Gayle’s captaincy. However, they are one of the teams coming into the tournament cold, and will have to hit the ground running in a tough group that includes South Africa and Bangladesh.Home truths
There is no Twenty20 competition in the proper domestic season in the West Indies, but the game has taken the Caribbean by storm thanks to Allen Stanford. His multi-million dollar Stanford 20-20 has breathed new life into cricket in the region, although most of the players in the West Indies World Championship squad haven’t participated to any great level. Stanford, though, has big plans to go with his big pockets. He wants to take his game international. Last year he tried to entice South Africa for a big-money showdown with an all-star XI, while Australia have also been approached.Strengths
The depth of their batting means they will be able to go hard throughout the 20 overs. There is no shortage of powerful strikers and the boundaries won’t be big enough for Chris Gayle, Marlon Samuels (Twenty20 strike-rate: 190) and Dwayne Smith if they get going.Those three and Dwayne Bravo are all capable of bowling their four-over spells, which allows West Indies to pick a top-heavy team. Potentially they could have Denesh Ramdin down at No. 8 or No. 9, and there is a great flexibility about the order.Even in Twenty20, having wicket-taking bowlers is vital, and Collins will form a potent attack with Daren Powell and Fidel Edwards.
|
Unless Gayle has a monster tournament, and Shivnarine Chanderpaul’s golden string of scores continues, West Indies will be short of runs to trouble the top sides |
Weaknesses
A couple of poor overs in either innings can lose a side a match. Twenty20 is a game where it is imperative for a team to keep their focus, and West Indian sides have been known to let their minds wander, especially when on tour. If they enter the tournament with an attitude that it is just a hit-about and a bit of fun, they could rapidly come unstuck.Although they ended the England tour in fine spirit under Gayle’s captaincy, now they must readjust to having Sarwan back in charge. Rumours of unrest between players and the coach, David Moore, have the potential to undermine the squad. And though it’s a young side, fielding can also be an issue; the teams that go the furthest will be those that save the most runs.Players to watch
He might be a limpet in Test matches, but stick him in coloured clothing and he finds a new gear. In his one Twenty20 outing against England he went from blocker to basher, hitting 41 off 26 balls. Although 20 overs doesn’t sound very long, there is value in having someone who can anchor the innings at the top. Chanderpaul’s flexibility lends itself perfectly to that role, especially if the ball zips around in early-season South Africa. If West Indies are performing well, Bravo is usually at the centre of it. He provides a constant heartbeat to the team, even when others appear disinterested and distant. In all three areas of the game he can be a match-winner. His fielding is inspirational, he strikes the ball cleanly, and his bowling at the death has won one-day matches.Dark horse
Sammy burst onto the Test scene with 7 for 66 at Old Trafford before picking up an untimely hamstring injury, but he – like Bravo – is another multi-dimensional cricketer who gives his all and always appears to be enjoying the battle. While not express pace, his hit-the-deck seam bowling could be well-suited to South African conditions, and his presence in the side will enhance the fielding.
|
|
|
Ian Chappell’s take
West Indies didn’t perform well in the World Cup, playing at home and
led by Brian Lara, and they’re unlikely to do well in unfamiliar conditions and
without their star batsman as captain.However the West Indies players have an advantage over all but their English counterparts in that they have
performed, under pressure and on a regular basis, in their domestic Twenty20
tournaments. The Stanford competition is a big-money affair, and West
Indies are more used to serious Twenty20 cricket than most other countries
where the game was treated more as entertainment until the announcement of
this high-profile ICC tournament.On paper West Indies have most of the ingredients for a strong Twenty20
side. They have a big-hitting opener to take advantage of the fielding
restrictions in the first six overs; they have a couple of very talented
allrounders in Dwayne Bravo and Marlon Samuels to add depth in batting and
bowling; and they have a pacy new-ball
bowler who can strike early.However Chris Gayle’s poor footwork has made
him highly inconsistent of late, and Samuels has flattered to deceive for a long
time. As for Dwayne Smith, he no longer deceives – he always hits a six over
midwicket and then promptly gets out.Fidel Edwards, on the other hand, seems
to have come of age in England, where he bowled with pace and fire. If
Daren Powell and Pedro Collins give him good support, West Indies might at
last have something resembling a potent attack.However, unless Gayle has a
monster tournament, and Shivnarine Chanderpaul’s golden string of scores
continues, West Indies will be short of runs to trouble the top
sides.West Indies will need to be at their best to get past Bangladesh in the
preliminary round, but even if they do get past that hurdle, I don’t expect
them to reach the semi-finals. Rating: 6/10
A career-best unbeaten 79 from Harvey Hosein rescued Derbyshire on the opening day of the Division Two match against Leicestershire at Derby
ECB Reporters Network12-Sep-2016
ScorecardCharlie Shreck claimed three wickets on the opening day•Getty Images
A career-best unbeaten 79 from Harvey Hosein rescued Derbyshire on the opening day of the Division Two match against Leicestershire at Derby.The home side had slipped to 151 for 5, despite a half century from Alex Hughes, with Charlie Shreck taking three wickets but Hosein took advantage of a bad miss by Rob Sayer to steer his side to a respectable 282 for 8 when bad light ended play early.Derbyshire were trying to avoid becoming the first team in the county’s history since 1924 to go through a season without winning a Championship game but they started badly after Leicestershire decided to bowl first.There was certainly some early movement for Clint McKay who nipped one back to trap Billy Godleman in front in the seventh over of the morning and he should have had Ben Slater in his next over but Richard Jones spilled a simple catch at point.It was not an expensive miss because Slater completely mistimed a drive at Shreck’s first ball and chipped a gently catch to mid-off but that was Leicestershire’s last success before lunch as Hughes and Wayne Madsen played carefully to put the innings back on track.Madsen had bagged a pair in the previous game but he was looking set when Jones moved one away just enough to draw him into playing and give Ned Eckersley his first of four catches.Hughes was less convinced he got a touch against Shreck three overs later and he had Neil Broom taken at first slip in his next over to leave Derbyshire facing another first innings failure.Tom Wood was stuck on 8 for 40 balls on his first-class debut before Neil Dexter bowled the 22-year-old but Hosein played positively from the start although he should have been dismissed on 32 but Sayer fumbled a straight-forward return catch.With help from Tom Milnes and Tony Palladino, Hosein guided Derbyshire to a second batting point as Leicestershire began to unravel in the closing stages of the day.Hosein was given another life on 78 when he drove at McKay and Harry Dearden on his senior debut dropped the catch at second slip before the umpires decided that even with the floodlights on, the light was not good enough for play to continue shortly before 5pm.
Lahore lost five wickets for one run to stumble in their chase of 167 and fell short by 17 runs in their PSL clash against Peshawar in Dubai
The Report by Danyal Rasool24-Feb-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details3:31
Highlights – Peshawar’s impressive win
In a nutshellThere must be something about Peshawar that sends jitters right through Lahore Qalandars. It wasn’t quite as spectacular as 59 all out, but Lahore lost five wickets for one run as they collapsed around the spin of Shakib Al Hasan and Mohammad Hafeez in the Powerplay. They never quite recovered from 43 for 6, and though gritty partnerships between Aamer Yamin and Sunil Narine, and then Yasir Shah and Sohail Tanvir, ensured they wouldn’t fold for two figures, Lahore’s race was run well before the final lap.It didn’t always look this way. McCullum and Cameron Delport got off to a blazing start, Delport being the destroyer-in-chief as he hammered 22 off the young Mohammad Asghar’s first over to take Lahore to 33 for no loss in two overs. But the innings unravelled thereafter, with five wickets falling in eight balls, including a catastrophic mix-up between McCullum and Umar Akmal that wouldn’t have endeared the Pakistan batsman to the Lahore captain. The intensity fizzled out thereafter, and the jogging pace at which Peshawar played the rest of the contest was enough to secure them a 17-run win.Peshawar weren’t completely convincing when they batted, the first time the winners of a toss this tournament had elected to do so. While they had wickets in hand through the early parts of the innings, they never quite got going, thanks in part to a superb spell of legspin bowling from Yasir Shah that sucked the momentum out of their innings. But after a 16-run final over, Peshawar had 166 on the board.Where the match was wonWell, it’s fairly obvious. Lahore’s amazing meltdown came at a time when their position was the strongest it had been at any point during the contest. After restricting Peshawar to under 170, they had gotten off to a flyer, and with Delport going great guns, it had looked like McCullum might find the time to play himself into some form too. But from the moment the South African skied a short ball from Hasan Ali for a caught and bowled, panic and confusion reigned supreme, and Peshawar were canny enough to take full advantage.The men that won itThat Peshawar got to 166 was due in large part to Kamran Akmal, who returned to form that had eluded him since the first match. Striking the ball sweetly down the ground, he anchored the first half of their innings, setting them up for what looked like a big total. He was helped by the indiscipline of Lahore’s pacers, but was sharp enough to punish them for it every time. So good was Kamran that he scored 58 at a strike rate of 145 without hitting a single six in a chanceless innings.Straying out of their creaseThe match saw two stumping dismissals, which doubled the number of batsmen falling in that fashion during the entire tournament. First, Kamran Akmal failed to drag his foot back in time during Peshawar’s innings in what was a soft dismissal. Then, Yasir perished when he was beaten by a quicker delivery from Afridi that he tried to hit for six in the last over of the chase. The match in general was marked by batsmen not being able to stay in their crease, with two run-outs as well, with Afridi and McCullum the victims.The moment of the matchThe manner in which the game went does not leave much opportunity to talk about Yasir, but that does not mean he was not splendid. The legspinner seems to have benefitted from McCullum’s attacking leadership, and looked to take a wicket with every ball he bowled. The pitch offered plenty of assistance too, with Hafeez’s dismissal a particularly memorable one. Yasir bowled what had looked like a poor delivery, a full ball pitching well outside leg stump. As Hafeez tried to sweep it for the boundary it seemingly deserved, it spun back in sharply, bowling a rather sheepish Hafeez around his legs.
In what will be his 20th Test match as captain, Virat Kohli is yet to field the same XI in consecutive games
Alagappan Muthu in Mohali25-Nov-20162:21
Span of eight days too short to analyse DRS – Kohli
Virat Kohli will captain his 20th Test match on Saturday and he is yet to field the same XI in consecutive games. Sometimes that choice has been taken away from him – Mohali being the latest example where India’s first-choice wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha will not be available due to injury.Other times the changes were tactical. The inclusion of Bhuvneshwar Kumar in St Lucia and Kolkata earlier this year on pitches that looked like they would seam is one such instance. There was also the Cheteshwar Pujara v Rohit Sharma debate that dominated the 2015-16 season. Both, India’s players and the management appear to be comfortable with such an environment, where a change in conditions could mean someone’s skills become surplus to the team’s cause.
On ball-tampering allegations: I think it’s just to take the focus away from the series. It happened in Australia when South Africa won the series. I’m surprised the issue came up in Rajkot but there was no mention of it until the Vizag game was over. To me a newspaper article doesn’t matter over the decision of ICC. We as cricketers respect that only. If I was doing something, ICC would have spoken to me.
On umpire’s call in DRS: A lot of people don’t understand it. If the on-field umpire has made the call, then obviously the benefit has to go to him, what his vision of the decision was and then DRS just confirms that particular decision. If it is really, really off, then DRS corrects it but if it is marginal, then you got to respect it.
India’s progress with DRS: We are going to get better with using it. We are going to understand it and actually figure out where the ball has hit the pad and sometimes you feel like you have less time to review, but you do actually have more time. So those are the sort of things we will be more aware of going forward but a span of two games is very little to judge how we have gone so far with DRS.
Kohli explained the horses-for-courses approach was a conscious decision. “This is something that we made pretty clear when we lost the game in Galle [against Sri Lanka in 2015]. After that we had a pretty clear chat that we are going to play people that we think are suitable for different venues.”Even the batting order changes; I have gone up and down the order as well and other batsmen are keen to do it as well. I think it sends the message across, that the eventual motive is for the team to win.”While he has always wanted to bat higher, R Ashwin’s success at No. 6 also falls into the category of India’s players taking up the challenge of unfamiliar batting positions.Pujara made a century as a makeshift opener in seamer-friendly conditions at the SSC in Colombo last year. Ajinkya Rahane made one at No. 3 on a different ground in the same city. Kohli did the same in the Caribbean, moving to one drop after making a double-century at No. 4. Each of them adjusted because India wanted Rohit in their XI.Still, there is an argument that players might prefer a little job security. Kohli appreciated that his men were willing to look past that.”Every player needs to buy into the idea and it makes it easier as captain and the management if players agree to it – and they have,” Kohli said. “They have been pretty good with it and that’s why if you see someone stepping in for a game or two, they take it as an opportunity and have actually given match-winning performances.”It’s not like they are taking the pressure off not knowing whether they will play the next game. It’s all about focussing on that particular game and staying in the present and it has been really wonderful to see it and we just want to carry that forward.”Parthiv Patel is in such a situation. Coming back into Test cricket for the first time in eight years, he may only play for India till Saha recovers from his thigh strain. At the moment, that is only one match.”Parthiv understands the situation he’s in,” Kohli said. “I’m pretty glad he respects that and he’s still looking forward to the opportunity and try to make a mark. He knows when we plan to take two wicketkeepers away. This is the opportunity.”
Leah Williamson is back in Arsenal’s starting XI, but the Lionesses star had little to celebrate after seeing the Gunners suffer defeat at West Ham.
Article continues below
Article continues below
Article continues below
An outstanding all-round performance led by Harry Gurney’s four wickets gave the Notts Outlaws a convincing seven wicket win over the Derbyshire Falcons who crashed to a third consecutive NatWest Blast defeat
ECB Reporters Network24-Jun-2016
ScorecardHarry Gurney’s four wickets left Notts with an easy target•Getty Images
An outstanding all-round performance gave the Notts Outlaws a convincing seven wicket win over the Derbyshire Falcons who crashed to a third consecutive NatWest Blast defeat.The Outlaws bowled superbly with Harry Gurney taking 4 for 20 and Andre Russell and Jake Ball both claiming two wickets to restrict the Falcons to 114 from 19.3 overs with only Chesney Hughes and Jimmy Neesham getting into the 20’s.That was never likely to be enough and an unbroken stand of 58 in seven overs between Riki Wessels and Dan Christian settled the North Group game with 33 balls to spare.The Falcons started badly when Russell had Hamish Rutherford caught behind for a duck off the second ball and Chesney Hughes should have gone in the same over but Jake Ball spilled the catch diving forward at long leg.That threatened to be expensive as Hughes pulled Russell through midwicket for four before a top edged hook at the West Indian sailed over fine leg for six.Ball produced a yorker to remove Neil Broom in the fourth over and in the next, Hughes played across Harry Gurney and was lbw for 26 from 21 balls to leave the Falcons on 29 for 3.Shiv Thakor drove Gurney for two fours but was bowled aiming a slog-sweep at Steve Mullaney and Russell returned to deceive Wayne Madsen with a slower ball.Neesham top-edged a hook at Russell for six but the Outlaws built up pressure with clever bowling and sharp fielding that restricted the Falcons to 29 in seven overs.Alex Hughes swung Samit Patel to deep midwicket, Neesham pulled Ball to wide midwicket and Tom Poynton also picked out a boundary fielder on the legside.When Matt Critchley cut Russell for four in the 19th over, it was the first boundary for 43 balls but there was no late flourish for the Falcons as Gurney bowled Ben Cotton and Andy Carter.Derbyshire needed early wickets and after Riki Wessels and Michael Lumb drove Neesham for boundaries in the second over, Madsen had Lumb lbw in the third.Greg Smith straight drove Carter for six and upper cut him for four but was run out for 12 off the next ball by a direct hit from Alex Hughes at mid off.The Falcons had a chance to put pressure on the Outlaws when Russell pulled Alex Hughes to midwicket on one but Chesney Hughes put down the chance and in the next over, the Jamaican pulled Cotton onto the pavilion roof before lifting him over backward square for another six.Cotton hit back by having Russell caught at third man for 15 off eight balls but the Outlaws went into the last 10 overs needing only 42 and Dan Christian drove Alex Hughes for consecutive sixes before finishing the contest with another maximum off Neesham.
Sri Lanka have been out-thought and then outplayed by India and the stats tell the tale
George Binoy13-Nov-2005
|
|
|
With a scoreline of 6-1, it’s pretty obvious that one team has received a shellacking. Sri Lanka have been out-thought and then outplayed by India and the stats tell the tale.For Sri Lanka, only Kumar Sangakkara averaged over 40 whereas Rahul Dravid and Mahendra Singh Dhoni had skyscraping averages of 156 and 115 and three other Indians scored more than 50 per innings. Among the regular bowlers, only Sreesanth went for more than six an over while the others conceded less than 5.5, but for Sri Lanka, only Muralitharan gave less than 5.5 and most of the fast bowlers went for over six.A look at the way the teams took advantage of the Powerplays further magnifies the gulf between the sides. Sri Lanka scored at more than a run a ball in just three of their 20 Powerplays while India managed it 11 times.
| Powerplay | Overs | Runs scored | Wickets lost | Run rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 70 | 357 | 11 | 5.10 |
| 2 | 35 | 142 | 11 | 4.06 |
| 3 | 30 | 134 | 4 | 4.47 |
| Powerplay | Overs | Runs scored | Wickets lost | Run rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 70 | 466 | 10 | 6.66 |
| 2 | 35 | 202 | 4 | 5.77 |
| 3 | 35 | 214 | 5 | 6.11 |
The crippling blow was the ineffectiveness of Sri Lanka’s key players. Before this series, Sanath Jayasuriya averaged 40.26 against India but he could only manage a paltry 14.16 this time around. Chaminda Vaas normally averages 26.03 while playing India at 4.45 per over but in seven matches Vaas could only eke out four wickets at 76.25 apiece while leaking runs at 6.03 per over. Even the wily Muttiah Muralitharan was below his high standard, taking just six wickets in five games. Sri Lanka’s spinners, who are experts at administering the slow death at home, were countered effectively, and after their fast bowlers were carted everywhere, this was the killer punch.
| Country | Overs | Runs | Wickets | Econ. rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sri Lanka | 169.3 | 1084 | 22 | 6.39 |
| India | 188 | 984 | 37 | 5.23 |
| Country | Overs | Runs | Wickets | Econ. rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sri Lanka | 117 | 656 | 11 | 5.60 |
| India | 123.4 | 594 | 16 | 4.80 |
Throughout the series, India have built their innings beautifully. In almost all the matches the top three batsmen got off to quick starts and the middle order set the innings up perfectly for the slog where India drove home the advantage. In Sri Lanka’s case, the top order failed repeatedly and it was left to the middle order to salvage the innings. India’s flexible batting order worked marvellously and their No. 3 contributed 342 runs at an average of 57 while his Sri Lankan counterpart could only manage a meagre 140 runs at 20 per innings.
| Wicket | India runs/avg | SL runs/avg |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 297/42.42 | 129/18.42 |
| 2 | 372/53.14 | 208/29.71 |
| 3 | 234/39 | 258/36.85 |
| 4 | 344/68.8 | 234/33.42 |
| 5 | 220/55 | 162/27 |
| 6 | 24/8 | 352/70.4 |
| 7 | 119/59.5 | 30/6 |
Responding to its allegations that he, along with other disqualified administrators, had “hijacked” the BCCI’s June 26 SGM, N Srinivasan has accused the CoA of projecting a picture of him that would “prejudice” him in the eyes of the Supreme Court
Nagraj Gollapudi24-Jul-2017In a stinging offensive against the committee of administrators (CoA), former BCCI president N Srinivasan has accused the panel of attempting to present “incomplete facts and circumstances” and projecting a picture of him that would “prejudice” him in the eyes of the Supreme Court.Srinivasan was responding to the CoA allegation (made in its status report) that he along with other disqualified administrators had “hijacked” the June 26 Special General Meeting (SGM) of the BCCI where the members – state associations – were supposed to adopt a new constitution as per the Lodha Committee recommendations.The CoA had said that Srinivasan and other disqualified administrators such as Niranjan Shah, who was attending the June SGM as a representative of the Saurashtra Cricket Association (SCA), had prevailed upon the other BCCI members, who were otherwise “willing” to support the reform process.According to Srinivasan the CoA had contradicted itself because its status report states that no “consensus” could be arrived at in its two meetings with the state associations, first on May 5 and then on June 25. “In this background the aforementioned allegation made against the answering respondent [Srinivasan] of hijacking the proceedings and prevailing upon the other attendees, who were otherwise willing to facilitate the reform process, is not only false but is a mala fide attempt to mislead this Hon’ble Court and prejudice this Hon’ble Court against the answering respondent,” Srinivasan noted in his affidavit which the court heard on Monday.Srinivasan pointed out that as many as 19 state associations had filed petitions challenging the July 18 court order from last year which he said had “partially” approved the recommendations. Srinivasan challenged the CoA’s assertion that it had arrived at a “mutual consensus” with a “majority” of the state associations on implementing the recommendations when many had challenged the same in the court. “The entire basis of the allegations made by the CoA is unsubstantiated, hypothetical and contrary to the facts on record.”Srinivasan accepted that he stood disqualified as an office bearer, but argued that he was not ineligible to attend the BCCI meetings as a representative of the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA). Srinivasan’s justification for making such a statement, he said, was that neither the Lodha Committee nor the July 18 court order from last year had barred disqualified office bearers from attending BCCI meetings or from being part of any committee of the BCCI.”The true intent and purport of the orders of this Hon’ble Court was to change the degree of control which the off(i)ce bearers of the BCCI and the State Associations wielded, as pointed out by the Justice Lodha committee, and to prescribe certain disqualifications to stand for such elected office. There was no reference in the [Lodha] Committee report nor in any of the orders of this Hon’ble Court in regard to the membership or participation of individuals in cricketing affairs, in representative capacities. Equally, there was no discussion in any part of the committee report nor any of the orders of this Hon’ble Court on the right of an individual to join and participate in the affairs of a local club or a District Association.”Indeed, it was never the intention of this Hon’ble Court to define the parameters of eligibility for a citizen to pursue his interest in sport of cricket by being a member of any sports body or managing committee of any sports body. It is evident that the CoA seeks to expand the orders of this Hon’ble Court which is not permissible in law.”According to Shah, who was also pulled up by the CoA, he has not committed any violation by attending the BCCI meeting as an SCA representative. In his affidavit, Shah told the court that he was not playing the role of an “obstructionist” by attending BCCI meetings. He disagreed completely with being cast as a “disruptive and subversive” element as alleged by the CoA in its status report. “This approach of the CoA is contrary to democracy and meritocracy,” Shah said in his affidavit.
A round-up of the Ram Slam T20 Challenge’s opening round of games, which included big wins for Knights and Titans, while the Cobras were beaten by Dolphins
Firdose Moonda13-Nov-2017Results summaryKnights opened the Ram Slam T20 Challenge with a straightforward win, chasing 154 against Warriors in Port Elizabeth. Warriors were left to rue their mid-innings collapse in which they lost five wickets for 30 runs between the 5th and 11th over, caused largely by pace off the ball from Shadley van Schalkwyk. Christiaan Jonker’s 61 off 38 balls kept them in the hunt but the quality of international batsmen in the Knights side meant the total, though slightly above par for the venue, was never enough. Theunis de Bruyn’s 78 off 48 balls and David Miller’s 62 off 47 balls took Knights home with two overs to spare.Rain affected double-header Sunday but Dolphins made a strong statement against Cape Cobras, putting on 231 for 2. Sarel Erwee became the first centurion of the competition with 103 off 58 balls while Khaya Zondo contributed 67 off 34 balls. Vernon Philander conceded 49 runs, while Dane Paterson went for 44 runs in their respective four-over quota. In response, Cobras’ superstars could not withstand the pressure. Richard Levi nicked off against Robbie Frylinck, Temba Bavuma scooped a catch to point off Keshav Maharaj and JP Duminy was run-out. Hashim Amla was on 52 not out when lightning stopped the chase after 8.3 overs. Cobras finished on 108 for 3 in 10 overs, 15 short on the DLS method.The lightning eventually turned into a storm and reduced the match between Lions and Titans to 15 overs-a-side. Albie Morkel took 3 for 12 to keep Lions to 127 for 6, with Reeza Hendricks’ 67 off 42 the only score over 20. Then, Morkel scored 41 off 16 balls and shared an 85-run third-wicket partnership with AB de Villiers, who blitzed a 19-ball 50, to give Titans victory with 22 balls left in their innings.International incidentsDe Villiers takes the honours for the most impressive performance by a national player, not least for the back-to-back sixes he hit off Kagiso Rabada to end Titans’ innings. He did not, however, score as many runs as either de Bruyn or Miller. De Bruyn’s contribution may be particularly noteworthy, considering his struggle to find a spot in the Test team. This innings showed he could start making a case for consideration in shorter formats.Among the bowlers, Maharaj, who opened the bowling for Dolphins and took 1 for 23 in three overs, would have caught the national selectors’ eyes. Maharaj started ahead of Imran Tahir, and showed the same control he has become known for in Tests.There will be concern over Duminy’s start as Cobras captain. He bowled three overs and cost his side 40 runs, and was then run-out for 1, at a time when Cobras desperately needed a partnership.Domestic dreamersLook no further than Erwee for a domestic player who has made an impact in the opening week. Erwee, a 28-year-old opening batsmen from Pietermaritzburg, has had a stunning summer so far. He was the leading run-scorer in the Africa T20 Cup for champions Kwa-Zulu Natal Inland.He also scored two hundreds for the Dolphins in the first-class competition, but was forced to miss two of the remaining three matches. Erwee could not play mid-way through the first half because he went to France for the wedding of England’s Jason Roy, a friend from his club cricket days in the UK, and then could not play the final round before the break because he was part of South Africa’s victorious Hong Kong Sixes squad.Beyond the boundaryBoth venues, St George’s Park and SuperSport Park, saw fairly good crowds attend the opening week, with the Port Elizabeth band in full voice and a Sunday afternoon crowd braving the Highveld storms to braai on Centurion’s grass embankments.Three members of the crowd took one-handed catches, in a competition for a share of R2 million (US$139,290) but only two of them are eligible to win. The third is an employee of the Gauteng Cricket Board, one-half of the Lions franchise, and so had to be disqualified.