Australia whipped the Proteas last season and little has changed six months down the line. The Australian A team have simply picked up the pace where their senior counterparts left off.
The Aussies strolled through the first three games of the one-day series between the national A teams and left the South Africans panting in their dust. The South Africans simply didn’t compete in the first three games and were demolished by a talented and polished side on top of their game.
South Africans have become used to looking at Justin Langer, the Australian A captain, for long periods. The brilliant batsman and his constant companion Matthew Hayden haunted their opponents in the Test series.
Langer sets up camp in front of the stumps whenever he is in South Africa and boasts an average of 63 for this series. The Australian skipper scored 90 on Wednesday before he was brilliantly run out by Ashwell Prince.
South Africa’s up-and-comers had an opportunity to show they could handle Australian bowling, but instead soon trampled a footpath to the changerooms. Most didn’t even stay long enough to get to know the Aussie fielders.
Players such as Neil McKenzie and Gary Kirsten have proven track records on international level, but that counted for nothing in this series. Kirsten was sent to the A team to regain form and confidence. Instead he lost some more form and his confidence took a massive dip. He has now been demoted to provincial level.
McKenzie, who strangely lost his place in the senior side earlier this season, didn’t do himself any favours by going out for low scores, including two ducks.
One of the rare players to shine is Martin van Jaarsveld. He scored an impressive 108 on Wednesday at the Wanderers. From the first game, Van Jaarsveld’s batting was a cut above everything else the A side had to offer. \
} Cup fit for a king
‘ Ntuthuko Maphumulo
^ ”The sky is the limit” is Sundowns’ slogan, but on Saturday Santos will be trying to ensure that the semis were the limit for the Pretoria-based club. The stage for the final of the BP Top 8 is the Royal Bafokeng sports palace stadium, where royal family members will be in attendance — including the king.
The athletics track surrounding the field will be a red carpet for players to walk on before they entertain the crowd to what is expected to be a majestic game of football. But players from both camps will have to raise their standards in their quest to become the kings of this cup — and win the R1-million first prize.
Santos will be looking to be the first Cape Town team to win the Top 8 and at the same time recoup the money it cost them to get to the North West province. Coach Boebie Solomons said: ”I am confident the squad I have can deliver good results but am wary that the travelling and the altitude will affect the guys.”
Sundowns are more experienced cup campaigners — but when Santos have made a final they have generally won it.
A measure of revenge adds spice to the occasion. Sundowns has a score to settle with Santos after they were defeated by the Cape side in the now-defunct Bobsave Super Bowl final two seasons ago. But this time it is a different competition, which has pitted the league’s best against the best.
Santos are the reigning league champions but Sundowns are resurgent under new coach Victor Bondarenko. Bondarenko has at his disposal an abundance of talented players who, when they are on song, play brilliant football.
The Sundowns coach said: ”It will be a difficult game for both teams. Santos are the champions of the country and we respect them but will be fighting for a win on Saturday.”
The team will look to captain Isaac Shai to steer them to victory, with talented strikers Ishmael Maluleke and Daniel Mudau (back from a three-game suspension) set to provide the goals. Bondarenko is hedging his bets, though: ”I have good material for the future here at Sundowns, I just need one or two defenders for future cup competitions.”
The inspirational Shai scored two golden goals on the way to the final — one against Jomo Cosmos in the quarterfinal and another against city rivals Supersport United in the sems.
This will be Sundowns’s sixth Top 8 final, but they have won only two of their previous five appearances. Bondarenko said he will not be thinking about past results but will be looking to write a new history for his team.
The underdog tag given to the People’s Team, Santos, seems unjustified as they crushed the dreams of Black Leopards (3-2) and Orlando Pirates (2-1) on the road to get to the final. Santos seem more motivated to win away from home to prove to the rest of the country that they deserve not only respect but also the right to host important games in the Cape.
Solomons said: ”We treat every game like a cup final. Winning the cup will a good achievement for the club bearing in mind that we have no sponsor and it will prove that money is important, but certain things can be achieved without money.”
The Santos team play a brand of football not liked by many South African supporters but which yields good results. Veteran strikers Jean Sebastian Bax and Jean Marc Ithier have a knack of scoring goals, while their goalkeeper André Arendse keeps the ball out of their net.