Sedgars SWD Cricket League fixtures

Three crucial fixtures will be played in the Sedgars SWD Premier League competition on Saturday.  Western Hope, who are in third place (30 points after 11 matches) will travel to Rooirvierrift where they will take on George (29 points after 12 matches). 

With the ruling whereby the top team at the conclusion of the preliminary round automatically advances to the final and the second and third team will play in a qualifier this match is of the utmost importance.

Pirates United, the surprise package of the season, who is currently second (40 points after 12 matches) will take on Pacaltsdorp at Pacs Park.  Pacaltsdorp is in need for a victory to eliminate their chances to be relegated whilst a win will consolidate the position of Pirates.  Mossel Bay (7^th with 22 points after 12 matches) will host Sussex (6^th with 24 points after 11 matches) in the Mossel Bay derby at the Van Riebeeck Stadium.  Both teams are still in for a chance to qualify for the play-offs.

The fixtures for the weekend are:

Saturday

Premier League

George vs Western Hope, Pacaltsdorp vs Pirates United, Mossel Bay vs Sussex

Promotion League

Bongolethu vs Glen Roses, Dysselsdorp vs Beaufort West, Mayflower vs Ladismth, Riversdale vs Thembalethu, Melkhoutfontein vs Albertinia, Heidelberg vs Hartenbos, Blanco vs Kwanonqaba, Wilderness vs Pioneers, Kranshoek Cobras vs New Dawn Park

Reserve League

Ramblers B vs Sussex B, Union Stars B vs Ramblers C,

NMMU Madibaz George vs Bongolethu B

Women’s League

Harlequins Forces vs Riversdale, Beaufort west vs Thembalethu,

Mossel Bay vs Union Stars

Sunday 

Promotion League

Heidelberg vs Thembalethu,

Reserve League

Ramblers C vs Thembalethu B, NMMU Madibaz George B vs Harlequins Forces B,

Pirates United B vs George B, Mossel Bay B vs Hartenbos B

Women’s League

Riversdale vs Western Hope

Sedgars SWD Cricket League fixtures

Sedgars SWD Cricket League results

Union Stars (175/7), thanks to match-winning performances by Anver Venter (78 with the bat) and Merlin Masimela (5/12 with the ball) are still the log leaders in the Sedgars Premier League after a 120 victory over George (55 all out). 

Merlin Masimela

The match was delayed due to a wet pitch and reduced to 32 overs per team.

For Mossel Bay (167/4), Jaco Fourie (45) and Niel Ferreira (44), made significant contributions with the bat in their 16 runs victory against Ramblers (151 all out) in a match that was also reduced to 38 overs per team.  Shane Smith (3/22) and Jacques Budricks (2/28) were the bowling heroes for Mossel Bay.

In a low-scoring match at the Military Sport Club Sussex (110/8) recorded a bonus point victory of two wickets against Harlequins Forces (108 all out) thanks to a match winning bowling performance by Reavan Plaatjies (5/22).  

The match between Pacaltsdorp United and Western Hope was abandoned due to a wet wicket.

The summarised score cards are:

George vs Union Stars

UNION STARS 175/7 (32) (Anver Venter 78, Elridge Booysen 17, Raymond Terblanche 3/43, Divan Coetzer 2/32) GEORGE 55 (16) (Hannes van Niekerk 11*, Merlin Masimela 5/12, Marcello Piedt 2/1) Union Stars won by 120 runs

Reavan Plaatjies

Ramblers vs Mossel Bay

MOSSEL BAY 167/4 (38) (Jaco Fourie 45, Niel Ferreira 44, Christopher Bosch 27*, Gilroy Saaiman 2/34) RAMBLERS 151 (37.1) (Gert Swart 22, Shaun Pretorius 20, Shane Smith 3/22, Jacques Budricks 2/28) Mossel Bay won by 16 runs

Harlequins Forces vs Sussex

HARLEQUINS FORCES 108 (34.1) (Whallan Davids 27, Jermain Le Kay 25, Reavan Plaatjies 5/22, Earl van Aswegan 3/4, Godwin Plaatjies 3/4) SUSSEX 110/8 (36) (Nathan Murray 26, Earl van Aswegan 21, Enverino Swartz 4/33, Sydwell Williams 3/16)

Sussex won by 2 wickets 

Pacaltsdorp United vs Western Hope

Match abandoned 

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Vernon Visagie of Dysselsdorp, with bowling figures of 9/36 in 7.5 overs), was the hero in this weekend’s Promotion League fixtures as Dysselsdorp (129 all out) defeated Calitzdorp (63 all out) by 66 runs.

 

Vernon Visagie

Ladismith (162/7) got their campaign back on track with a 3 wickets victory against Beaufort West (161 all out) whilst Riversdale, who posted a massive 369/7, recorded an comprehensive 277 runs victory against Slangrivier (90 all out).

 

In the Reserve League Hanno Kotze scored a double century (224; 123 balls, 19×6, 16×4) for NMMU B (259/9) in their victory against Ramblers C (128 all out)

The result cards are:

Hanno Kotze

PROMOTION LEAGUE

Dysselsdorp vs Calitzdorp

DYSSELSDORP 129 (25.3); CALITZDORP 63 (14.5)

Dysselsdorp won by 66 runs

Albertinia vs Heidelberg

ALBERTINIA 99 (24.2); HEIDELBERG 100/2 (13.4)

Heidelberg won by 8 wickets

Melkhoutfontein vs Thembalethu

THEMBALETHU 196; MELKHOUTFONTEIN 106

Thembalethu won by 90 runs

Slangrivier vs Riversdale

RIVERSDALE 367/9 (50); SLANGRIVIER 90 (18.3)

Riversdale won by 277 runs 

Ladismith vs Beaufort West

BEAUFORT WEST 161 (32); LADISMITH 162/7 (38)

Ladismith won by 3 wickets

Wilderness vs Kwanonqaba

WILDENESS 158 (28.1); KWANONQABA 75 (25.1)

Wilderness won by 83 runs

RESERVE LEAGUE

Union Stars B vs Western Hope B

UNION STARS B 239/6 (50); WESTERN HOPE B 240/9 (48.4)

Western Hope B won by 1 wicket

NMMU Madibaz George B vs Ramblers C

NMMU MADIBAZ GEORGE B 356/9 (38.3) RAMBLERS C 128 (23.1)

NMMU Madibaz George B won 228 runs

Harlequins Forces B vs NMMU Madibaz George B

HARLEQUINS FORCES B 108 (27.2); NMMU MADIBAZ GEORGE B 109/2 (16.2)

NMMU Madibaz George B won by 8 wickets

Ramblers B vs Pacaltsdorp United B

PACALTSDORP UNITED B 110 (32); RAMBLERS B 111/2 (23.1)

Ramblers B won by 8 wickets

Sussex B vs Pirates United B

PIRATES UNITED B 75 (24.4); SUSSEX B 76/7 (15.3)

Sussex B won by 3 wickets

George B vs Mossel Bay B

MOSSEL BAY B 181/9 (35); GEORGE B 174 (31.1)

Mossel Bay B won by 7 runs

Thembalethu B vs Union Stars B

THEMBALETHU B 67 (20.1); UNION STARS B 68/3 (17.4)

Union Stars B won by 7 wickets

Western Hope B vs Union Stars C 

UNION STARS C 155 (31); WESTERN HOPE B 116 (39.5)

Union Stars C won by 39 runs

WOMEN’S LEAGUE

Thembalethu Harlequins Forces

HARLEQUINS FORCES 66 (19.1); THEMBALETHU 26 (11)

Harlequins Forces won by 40 runs

Sedgars SWD Cricket League results

SWD Cricket coaching courses

The SWD Cricket Coaching Department will be running two CSA accredited Level 1 Coaching Courses during February 2017 for coaches in the both the Mossel Bay and George regions.

All aspiring and currently unqualified coaches are invited to enrol for what will be an information and practical coaching skills-packed course, that will equip you with the latest developments in the game.

Interested coaches must complete the registration form (download from the SWD Website ) and submit to the coaching department by close of business, 30 January 2017. Candidates will be required to complete a short pre-course test prior to the course.

Schools and clubs are encouraged to facilitate and encourage their coaches to attend the course which will further elevate and benefit the quality of skills delivered at the individual institutions.

Contact Garry Hampson (SWDC Coaching Manager) on 044 2726604 or ghampo@swdcricket.co.za for further information.

MOSSEL BAY LEVEL 1 CRICKET COACHING COURSE DETAILS:

DATES:          7,8,10, 14,15 February 2017

TIMES:           17:15 – 20:30; 10^th Feb (from 14:30 – 18:30)

EXAMS:         22 February – 17:30 18:30 (Written theory), 6 – 9 March (Practical evaluations)

VENUE:         Point High School

GEORGE LEVEL 1 CRICKET COACHING COURSE DETAILS:

DATES:          6,10,13,17,20,24 February

TIMES:           Mondays (17:00 – 21:00), Fridays (15:30 – 18:30)

EXAMS:         1 March – 17:30 18:30 (Written), Practical evaluations during the week, 13-17 March VENUE:         Outeniqua Primary

SWD Cricket coaching courses

SWD Schools Cricket results

Oudtshoorn High (205 all out) pulled off a surprise victory against Outeniqua (166 all out) by 39 runs in the only u/19 Super League SWD Schools fixture that was played on Saturday.  Migeal Vermeulen (53) and Renaldo Swartz (52) were the batting heroes for Oudtshoorn while Jaylin Pretorius (4/29) excelled with the ball.

RENALDO SWARTZ

Oudtshoorn High U/19 vs Outeniqua High U/19

OUDTSHOORN HIGH 205 (49.4) (Migeal Vermeulen 53, Renaldo Swartz 52, Justin Olivier 19) OUTENIQUA HIGH 166 (38) (Matthew Thorne 37, Arminn Kade 20, Odin Le Roux 17, Jaylin Pretorius 4/29, JG Marais 2/23, Jaydin Louw 2/30)

Oudtshoorn High won by 39 runs

The fixtures for this weekend (Saturday) are:

Super League U/19

Oakhill vs Oudtshoorn High, Langenhoven Gymnasium vs Bridgton RPC

Super League U/15

Oudtshoorn High vs Oakhill, Bridgton RPC vs Langenhoven Gymnasium

SWD Schools Cricket results

SWD Schools Cricket results

Oudtshoorn High (205 all out) pulled off a surprise victory against Outeniqua (166 all out) by 39 runs in the only u/19 Super League SWD Schools fixture that was played on Saturday.  Migeal Vermeulen (53) and Renaldo Swartz (52) were the batting heroes for Oudtshoorn while Jaylin Pretorius (4/29) excelled with the ball.

RENALDO SWARTZ

Oudtshoorn High U/19 vs Outeniqua High U/19

OUDTSHOORN HIGH 205 (49.4) (Migeal Vermeulen 53, Renaldo Swartz 52, Justin Olivier 19) OUTENIQUA HIGH 166 (38) (Matthew Thorne 37, Arminn Kade 20, Odin Le Roux 17, Jaylin Pretorius 4/29, JG Marais 2/23, Jaydin Louw 2/30)

Oudtshoorn High won by 39 runs

The fixtures for this weekend (Saturday) are:

Super League U/19

Oakhill vs Oudtshoorn High, Langenhoven Gymnasium vs Bridgton RPC

Super League U/15

Oudtshoorn High vs Oakhill, Bridgton RPC vs Langenhoven Gymnasium

SWD Schools Cricket results

Tuesday Morning Edition

Good morning all,

This Edition is sponsored by the George Business Chamber.

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LATEST LOCAL NEWS

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Oakdale bars uit sy nate

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Katarina’s @ Kurland Hotel Re-Opens

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LATEST LOCAL SPORTS NEWS

Tickets for the SWD Eagles vs DHL Stormers game will be going on sale at the SWD Rugby Union offices from Wednesday, 18 January 2017 at 09:00. Tickets will be R100 Main Stand and R60 Open Stands, we hope to see all of our supporters come out in green as we will also be having an wonderful Curtain Raisers between Evergreens RFC and Barbarians. 
Please Note that it’s Cash only payments!

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INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Click here for the latest International News

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NATIONAL NEWS

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BUSINESS NEWS

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Ford SA: There are two phases to the Kuga recall

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Inequality still the curse of SA

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SPORTS NEWS

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It’s sunny in South Africa again. At least in Test cricket terms. Just 12 months after their worst season since readmission – South Africa lost five out of eight Tests in 2015-16 and tumbled from No.

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PRESS RELEASES

South African boat takes third at Cape2Rio

South African entrant Lion of Africa Vulcan has finished third in the 2017 Cape2Rio presented by Maserati. 

Another operator to phase out elephant rides

Safari Par Excellence and Zambezi Elephant Trails have decided to phase out elephant-back safaris.

Acsa tariff drops hardly affect fares

After two years of negotiations, Acsa has announced a 35.5% cut in tariffs. Whether this reduction will translate into cheaper airfares for travellers remains to be seen, according to industry experts.

Van Zyl set for final season of XTERRA Lite

Up-and-coming off-road triathlete, Ruan Van Zyl will be seen in action at all three Fedhealth XTERRA Lite races in 2017 (Buffelspoort, Nelson Mandela Bay and Grabouw) before moving on to the Fedhealth XTERRA (long course) in 2018.

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REGULAR COLUMNS & OPINION PIECES

Cartoon – Too much talking

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Until next time…

Bruce

Tuesday Morning Edition

South African boat takes third at Cape2Rio

South African entrant Lion of Africa Vulcan has finished third in the 2017 Cape2Rio presented by Maserati. 

2017 Cape2Rio Vulcan credit Alec Smith

Vulcan completed the Atlantic crossing on 16 January, and is the first South African boat to complete the 2017 edition of the prestigious and iconic event. The Cape Town-based yacht, co-owned and co-skippered by Hylton Hale, finished seven hours after second yacht over the line, Black Pearl. 

2017 Cape2Rio Vulcan credit Alec Smith

 “We are elated to see our local friends and heroes finishing third at the Cape2Rio,” said Vitor Medina, Commodore of the Royal Cape Yacht Club, hosts of the Cape2Rio and home base to the Lion of Africa Vulcan yacht. “Hylton and his crew have sailed impressively and we can’t wait to share in their triumph once they are back in Cape Town.”

 Lion of Africa Vulcan’s result is particularly impressive when you consider that the yacht is not designed for ocean crossings. Leading up to the Cape2Rio the yacht had to be fitted with numerous components to ensure its safety on the open ocean; these changes included new safety equipment, the installation of water makers and waterproofing the boat more extensively. That made the challenge of competing in the Cape2Rio all the more thrilling. 

“It was a great race,” said co-skipper, Francois Kuttel. “It was an epic sail from start to finish; better than some of the other Cape2Rio’s I have participated in. This year was 15 days of great sailing and great fun.”

Lion of Africa Vulcan’s meteorologist Shaun Pammenter – a former team member on South Africa’s America’s Cup yacht, Shosholoza – says that the key to their Cape2Rio success was working to the strengths of the yacht.

“We have a very quick downwind yacht, so right from the start we wanted to get into downwind conditions as quickly as possible,” said Pammenter. To achieve that, Lion of Africa Vulcan set out on a northerly course from Cape Town.

“Doing that got us into the best conditions; I think as a strategy it worked out really well. All in all, I think we did well to finish seven hours behind a very good boat in Black Pearl, one that is also sailed by a highly experienced crew. We are happy with the result and to be the first South African boat home.”

A make or break moment for the South African yacht came about 10 days into the race, when they hit a patch of light wind. “We slowed down quite a bit,” said co-owner Hylton Hale. “We didn’t really expect it; I think at one stage we were hitting 12 knots, maximum. This was where we fell off the back of the leading bunch.”

Because of the yacht’s design, the crew had to deal with a lot of water on board, but a bigger crisis came when crew names started washing off coffee cups. “It was tough,” said bowman, Sarah Niedzwiecki-Mecoy, “we couldn’t tell which cup belonged to who! Other than that, the experience was brilliant. Everyone worked well together. But then it’s easy to do well when you are all working towards the same goal.”

Co-skipper Hale echoed Niedzwiecki-Mecoy’s sentiments. “The crew work and team work was brilliant. There were no fights and everyone pulled together brilliantly to make the race a success.”

Earlier, the yacht’s progress in the race was slowed when Pammenter spotted a yellowish object falling quickly and directly down towards to sea on 5 January.

After reporting the incident to Falmouth Search and Rescue, Lion of Africa Vulcan was requested to complete a search of the area. The crew duly stopped racing and conducted a search, finding nothing, but losing 1 hour, 10 minutes and 4 seconds of race time in the process. The yacht has filed a report and request for redress, which has been granted by the race committee. 

FOLLOW THE EVENT

It’s very easy to follow the Cape2Rio Yacht race.

Each boat is fitted with a tracker provided by Xtra-link for regular updates. Find the links on http://ift.tt/2jOmfHB; www.rcyc.co.za or http://ift.tt/2jOhgqb

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<notes to editor>

Cape2Rio presented by Maserati

 

The Cape2Rio 2017 yacht race presented by Maserati is a 3500 nautical mile transatlantic race – the longest of its kind. It was first raced in 1971 and has attracted the world’s best sailors over the years. The 2017 edition has attracted entries from over 10 countries, once again ensuring that it is a truly global event. They come from as far afield as Germany, the USA, the UK, Australia, Angola, South Africa and more.

South African boat takes third at Cape2Rio

Another operator to phase out elephant rides

Safari Par Excellence and Zambezi Elephant Trails have decided to phase out elephant-back safaris. It is anticipated that by the end of December 2017, Zambezi Elephant Trails will no longer offer the safaris.

Safari Par Excellence will aim to end elephant rides by December 2017

“Our approach to animal welfare as well as the decline in support of elephant-back safaris has confirmed that we are on the right track,” said Graham Nel, Managing Director, Safari Par Excellence.

Starting this month, the number of rides on offer will be reduced, with the focus being on the morning rides. Mid-morning and afternoon rides will only be conducted by special arrangement.

“We shall actively encourage clients to interact with the elephants rather than ride them,” said Nel. Elephant rides will be replaced by a boat ride up the Zambezi River, or road transfer, followed by an introduction to the animals with a short interaction and a meal at The Elephant Café.

Incentive groups are also encouraged to spend time to learn about and from the habits and characteristics of the elephants.

Nel said the elephants’ well-being had always been at the forefront of operations within the Mosi-Oa-Tunya National Park in Zambia.

Tourism Update

Another operator to phase out elephant rides

Acsa tariff drops hardly affect fares

After two years of negotiations, Acsa has announced a 35.5% cut in tariffs. Whether this reduction will translate into cheaper airfares for travellers remains to be seen, according to industry experts.

From April 1, domestic travellers will pay a Passenger Service Charge of R82 (€5.68), instead of the previous R127 (€8.80), whereas international passengers will pay R223 (€15.46) instead of the current R346 (€23.98). Passengers departing from Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia or Swaziland will see a R94 (€6.52) reduction in charges and will pay R169 (€11.71).

Tlali Tlali, spokesperson for SAA, says the reductions will result in a drop on the total fare that passengers pay, and is therefore good news for the consumer.

Kirby Gordon, Head of Sales and Distribution of FlySafair, says the reduction in Passenger Service Charges are a 35.5% saving on a small portion of an airfare. “You’re looking at about a R45 fixed saving per ticket.”

Acsa also announced there would be 35.5% reductions to airlines’ landing and parking charges. Whether or not these savings will mean a further reduction in fares will be at the discretion of each airline, says CEO of Aasa, Chris Zweigenthal. He says airlines will look at the reduction of these charges in combination with the volatility of other cost elements, such as the cost of fuel and the fluctuation of the exchange rate.

Gordon says the Acsa reductions to parking and landing fees will reduce the direct cost of operating a flight, but says external elements will impact on these savings. “As a direct cost, fuel is about 40% of the price of a flight, so that will have a stronger influence on determining fares. For the time-being, we will see some savings but we don’t know how long that will last because it is dependent on the oil price.”

Spokesperson for Mango, Hein Kaiser, is optimistic about fuel prices for 2017. “Some economists have forecast a relatively stable oil price at around the US$50-60 range markers.”

Acsa has also said that tariffs will rise by 5.8% in the 2018/19 financial year and 7.4% in the 2019/20 financial year.

The airline industry agrees that, however small the savings (as a result of the tariff reductions) are, any saving is a step in the right direction. “Will it be a major benefit for the consumer: no, probably not. But the reduction in tariffs is still a good outcome for the airline industry and the consumer,” says June Crawford, CEO of Barsa.

Tourism Update

Acsa tariff drops hardly affect fares