South African police arrest 20-year-old son accused of trying to send hit man after his momOctober 6th, 2009 SAfrican son accused of ordering mom's killingJOHANNESBURG — South African authorities say police have arrested a man accused of trying to hire a hit man to kill his mother. The spokesman for a special crime-fighting unit called the Hawks said Tuesday that police have arrested 20-year-old Zander Botha and are holding him on a 1,000 rand ($135) bail in Free State province.
Proteas spinner calls IPL an unfair advantageMay 9th, 2009 CAPE TOWN - South African left arm spinner Roelof van der Merwe calls the Indian Premier League an "unfair advantage" but is happy for the role it has played in his call-up to the national squad for the ICC World Twenty20 in England next month. The "Roelfie" phenomenon that has been well known around SuperSport Park for the last two seasons has now roared on to the international stage, but he was not considered a dead-cert for the 15-man South African squad that was chosen this week for the Twenty20 World Cup.
Cameras clear Proteas spinner Botha to board Twenty20 planeMay 5th, 2009 CAPE TOWN - The assistant coach of the South African cricket team, Vincent Barnes, has said that controversial off spinner Johan Botha has been technically cleared to join the national squad for next month's Twenty20 World Cup in England. Botha returned to South Africa from Perth on Saturday after his bowling action was tested for a second time at the University of Western Australia.
IPL scoreboard: Rajasthan Royals vs Kolkata Knight RidersApril 24th, 2009 DURBAN - Scoreboard of the Indian Premier League match between Rajasthan Royals and Kolkata Knight Riders at Kingsmead here Wednesday. Rajasthan Royals:
Naman Ojha c Shaikh b Langeveldt 22 (12)
Rob Quiney c Shaikh b Langeveldt 1 (2)
Swapnil Asnodkar run out (Dinda) 4 (6)
Niraj Patel c Ganguly b Langeveldt 14( 22)
Johan Botha b Agarkar 8 (6)
Yusuf Pathan run out (Shukla) 9 (15)
Ravindra Jadeja b Sarkar 14 (19)
Tyron Henderson run out (Hussey) 0 (1)
Shane Warne b Agarkar 18 (29)
Munaf Patel not out 5 (6)
Amit Singh not out 1 (2)
Extras: (lb 2, w 3) 5
Total: (For nine wickets in 20 overs) 101
Fall of wickets: 1-22 (Quiney, 1.1 overs), 2-28 (Asnodkar, 2.5), 3-28 (Ojha, 3.3), 4-42 (Botha, 5.3), 5-59 (Niraj, 9.2), 6-62 (Pathan, 10.5), 7-62 (Henderson, 11.2), 8-92 (Jadeja, 17.2), 9-99 (Warne, 19.3)
Bowling:
Brad Hodge 1 0 22 0
Charl Langeveldt 4 0 15 3 (1w)
Ashok Dinda 4 0 12 0 (1w)
Ajit Agarkar 4 0 15 2
Sourav Sarkar 3 0 15 1
Laxmi Shukla 4 0 20 0 (1w)
Kolkata Knight Riders:
Brendon McCullum lbw b Singh 9 (4)
Sourav Ganguly c Jadeja b Munaf 0 (3)
Brad Hodge st Ojha b Botha 6 (8)
Yashpal Singh c Quiney b Munaf 6 (20)
David Hussey c Niraj b Botha 9 (13)
Laxmi Shukla not out 48 (46)
Shoaib Shaikh run out (Botha/Pathan) 6 (7)
Ajit Agarkar not out 13 (17)
Extras: (b 2, lb 1, w 1, nb 1) 5
Total: (For six wickets in 19.3 overs) 102
Fall of wickets: 1-9 (Ganguly, 0.6 overs), 2-9 (McCullum, 1.1), 3-21 (Yashpal Singh, 4.6), 4-30 (Hodge, 7.1), 5-37 (Hussey, 9.1), 6-45 (Shaikh, 11.3)
Bowling:
Munaf Patel 4 0 14 2 (1nb)
Amit Singh 3.3 0 19 1
Johan Botha 4 0 19 2
Shane Warne 4 0 24 0 (1w)
Ravindra Jadeja 2 0 13 0
Tyron Henderson 2 0 10 0 5.00
Toss: Kolkata Knight Riders, who chose to field first
Man of the match: Laxmi Shukla (Kolkata Knight Riders)
Umpires: Bryan Jerling and Simon Taufel (Australia)
TV umpire: Sanjay Hazare (India)
Match referee: D.
Kallis likely to be included in team for 20-20 World CupApril 16th, 2009 CAPE TOWN - South African vice-captain Jacques Kallis, who was omitted from the first Twenty20 World Cup on home soil nearly two years ago, may be a shock inclusion in the South African squad for the second Twenty20 World Cup to be held in England in June. There are now strong rumours that he may make the Proteas' squad of 15 for the tournament in England, reports the Die Burger newspaper.
Ponting believes Australia would effect a turnaround in ODIsMarch 31st, 2009 JOHANNESBURG - Ricky Ponting insists Australia's South African tour hasn't run off the rails despite three successive losses to the Proteas. Ponting's men must regroup for the opening one-day international in Durban on April 3 after losing the third Test by an innings and 20 runs, Friday's first Twenty20 International by four wickets in the final over and Sunday's second Twenty20 game by 17 runs.
Proteas spinners effect a 20-20 series win against AussiesMarch 30th, 2009 CAPE TOWN - A battery of South African spinners-acting captain Johan Botha, seasoned Robin Peterson and debutant Roelof van der Merwe played a crucial, luminary role in South Africa bagging the Standard Bank Pro20 highveld mini-series 2-0 against Australia. The series sweep was a complete reversal of what happened Down Under several weeks back, and the weekend's successive wins before ecstatic, capacity crowds at the Wanderers and Centurion respectively stand the Proteas in pretty good stead for the second World Twenty20 jamboree in England not too long up the drag.
Ponting wants Ashes specialist spinnerMarch 23rd, 2009 CAPE TOWN - Australian cricket captain Ricky Ponting has appealed to the national selectors to provide him with a specialist spinner for the Ashes series. The appeal has gone out following the disastrous debut of Bryce McGain in Cape Town, reports The Age.
36-year-old McGain to debut for Oz, replaces sick Marcus North for Cape Town TestMarch 19th, 2009 CAPE TOWN - Thirty-six-year-old Victorian leg spinner Bryce McGain achieved a cherished dream on Thursday, when he was told that he would be making his Test debut for Australia in the third and final Test against South Africa. The match starts from today.
Oz to push for series whitewash, Ponting targets Proteas skipper KallisMarch 19th, 2009 CAPE TOWN - Australia have made clear their intentions to push hard for a 3-0 sweep of their Test series against South Africa by suggesting that stand-in Proteas skipper Jacques Kallis has "enough on his plate". Kallis quit as vice-captain in 2007 after being left out of Proteas' squad for the ICC Twenty20 World Cup.
Prince clashes with de Villiers, Harris before Cape Town TestMarch 18th, 2009 CAPE TOWN - Tensions in the South Africa team remain high ahead of the third Test on Thursday after reports that Ashwell Prince clashed heatedly with teammates in a domestic match. Prince, who has been brought back into the side after five Tests on the sidelines, is said to have been involved in an ongoing verbal slanging match with Test batsman AB de Villiers and spinner Paul Harris this week.
Spinners McGain, Hauritz could play Cape Town Test: HusseyMarch 18th, 2009 CAPE TOWN - Australia batsman Mike Hussey says spinners Nathan Hauritz and Bryce McGain are under consideration for Thursday's third Test against South Africa in Cape Town. Leg-spinner McGain, 36, was set to make his Test debut in India last October but was sent home for shoulder surgery and has been overlooked for the Johannesburg and Durban Tests on the South African tour because of pitches that favoured the fast bowlers.
Oz spinner McGain ready to bide his timeMarch 16th, 2009 CAPE TOWN - After having his path blocked to Test cricket by part-time spinners, many believe the time has arrived for Bryce McGain to try out his leggies on the big stage. Australia has searched unsuccessfully for a spinner since Shane Warne's retirement, and many believe McGain's wrist spin is the best option.
Ponting describes opener Hughes as a joy to watchMarch 12th, 2009 DURBAN - Australian skipper Ricky Ponting has described talented young opener Phil Hughes as a joy to watch. Hughes, 20, has scored 326 runs already in Australia's Test tour of South Africa, and became the youngest player in history to score a century in each innings of a Test in Durban overnight.
Hauritz may not be played in Melbourne TestDecember 22nd, 2008 MELBOURNE - Australian spinner Nathan Hauritz who was included in the squad for the Boxing Day Test against South Africa might not get a place in the playing eleven. Coach Tim Nielsen said he favoured the idea of playing a spinner, but would not guarantee Hauritz a start until the Australians had assessed the conditions closer to the game.