ACS Overseas FIrst-Class Annual 2012

Titans’ win came despite constant changes in personnel, the captain M.van Jaarsveld being one of only three players present in every match. Yet they always had the man for the moment, for instance with outstanding all-round form shown by J.A.Morkel in the crucial wins against Warriors and Cobras in January, and the batting of H.G.Kuhn and F.du Plessis and bowling of N.E.Mbhalati in the demolition of the Dolphins. The Test batsman J.A.Rudolph was Titans’ leading scorer with 616 runs at 56.00 in his six matches, but F.du Plessis was close behind with 599 at 85.57 in only four games. Titans’ most successful bowler was the left-armer R.R.Richards, who took 26 at 20.07 in six matches. In the SuperSport Series as a whole, the most prolific batsman were A.N.Petersen (816 at 62.76) and N.D.McKenzie (790 at 56.42), both of Lions. The leading wicket-taker was the young off-spinner S.R.Harmer of Warriors, but his 44 victims cost 31.75 each. Although the SuperSport Series between regional franchises is the principal first-class domestic competition, the second-tier tournament between provincial sides also enjoys first-class status. In 2011/12 it resulted in an exceptionally close finish, with Griqualand West, having completed their programme, able to sit out the last round of matches in which their two closest rivals, Gauteng and South Western Districts, were deprived by rain of any chance of achieving the wins they needed. All three teams finished with six wins, and although Griquas could fairly point out that they suffered fewer defeats than their main rivals, it was not altogether satisfactory that no team won even half of its matches. Poor weather, which caused the complete abandonment of three matches and ruined many others, was a factor in this; possibly also the removal this season of the former 85-over restriction on the first innings. J.P.Bothma of Western Province was the leading wicket-taker in the Provincial competition, with 56 at an impressive 18.82; another fast bowler, G.R.Rabie of South Western Districts, was in second place with 54 at an even better average of 14.83. The batting aggregates were easily headed by C.Jonker, also of South Western Districts, with 1,189 runs at 59.45. Although essentially a South African tournament, the Provincial Competition includes Namibia, whose home matches will be found in the Rest of the World section. The other 13 provincial teams go to make up the SuperSport franchises as follows. Cape Cobras = Western Province and Boland; Dolphins = KwaZulu-Natal and KwaZulu-Natal Inland; Knights (‘Eagles’ until 2009/10) = Free State and Griqualand West; Lions = Gauteng and North West; Titans = Northerns and Easterns; Warriors = Eastern Province, Border and South Western Districts. SuperSport Series 2011/12: Final table P W L D A BatBP BowBP Adj Pts 10 0 0 0 1 Titans 10 5 3 1 1 40.28 34 0 129.28 2 Cape Cobras 10 4 2 4 0 44.90 32 0 116.90 3 Knights 10 4 1 5 0 39.52 36 -3 112.52 4 Lions 10 3 2 5 0 39.20 32 0 101.20 5 Warriors 10 2 7 0 1 28.80 28 0 81.8 6 Dolphins 10 1 4 5 0 31.50 31 0 72.5 376 South Africa in 2011/12