Titans cricket announces new coach

Shaun Custers | August 10, 2009

The Board of Easterns Titans has pleasure in announcing the appointment of Chris van Noordwyk as the new Titans coach with effect from 1 August 2009. Chris is a stalwart of Northerns and Titans cricket and in his most recent role as Titans Cricket Co-ordinator; he was responsible for overseeing the identification and development of talent within the Titans structure.
The Easterns Titans Board is confident that with the strong team and management system currently in place, Chris, Pierre Joubert the captain, and the players will continue the success story that is Titans Cricket. Richard Pybus has also agreed to assist Chris in a hand-over and consultancy role as he settles in to the new position.
Chris van Noordwyk says: “What an honour to be appointed as the head coach of the Titans. It is a long life dream come true. I am so blessed to inherit a fantastic franchise with fantastic players and management”
In a further development, former captain Gerald Dros has been appointed on to the Playing Affairs Committee of the franchise board. Gerald brings a wealth of experience and leadership skills and will no doubt add significant value to the committee.

Nashua Titans Victory Can they do the same against the warriors!

Roelof bowls Titans to victory

Roelof van der Merwe (Gallo Images)

Pretoria - Spinner Roelof van der Merwe showed that he is still firmly in contention for the national team as he bowled the Nashua Titans to victory by 11 runs against the KZN Dolphins in their MTN40 cross-pool match at SuperSport Park in Centurion on Friday.

The Titans scored 202 for seven in 27 overs in their rain-interrupted innings, and then bowled the Dolphins out for 200, opening batsman Blake Snijman (68) and Van der Merwe, with three for 32 in five overs, playing the starring roles.

The Dolphins run-chase, needing a Duckworth/Lewis-adjusted total of 212, was a dour affair after openers Loots Bosman (24) and Imraan Khan (22) put on 49 in 5.5 overs, with just Ahmed Amla (48 off 38 balls) keeping them in with a shout.

Ethy Mbhalati struck first for the Titans, having Bosman caught at deep mid-off in an over in which he had already conceded 12 runs.

Two balls later, CJ de Villiers removed Khan with his first delivery, the batsman just not being able to lower his gloves as a vicious bouncer was fended to wicketkeeper Heino Kuhn, who took a fine catch diving high to his right.

Van der Merwe then ripped through the middle-order in a spell that won him the man of the match award, removing Ravi Bopara (9), Vaughn van Jaarsveld (7) and Amla.

Bopara fell thanks to a near-impossible catch by Faf du Plessis, a scorching drive actually going past him at extra cover before he stuck out a hand to snatch the ball.

Once Van Jaarsveld and Amla were deceived by arm-balls, there was a sense of numb surrender by the Dolphins, although Glen Addicott scored a defiant 30 off 21 balls.

Andre Nel, making his return to top-class cricket, claimed a couple of wickets in an expensive five overs that featured the usual amount of cussing and falling over by the fiery pace bowler.

Du Plessis picked up two for 33 in five overs as he gave the ball good air and enjoyed bowling in the closing overs, where Kyle Abbott's 21 not out off 12 balls could not mend the earlier damage.

The Titans had earlier overcome a costly rain delay as they finished with 202 for seven in 27 overs.

The Titans, having been sent in to bat, were in full command as Snijman (68) and Jacques Rudolph (32) took them to 105 for two after 14 overs, but the two batsmen fell in quick succession just before the rain arrived in Centurion.

Snijman, who looked in fine form in his 51-ball innings, fell the ball before the players left the field, looping a chinaman from Tabraiz Shamsi off the leading edge and into the hands of Bopara in the covers.

Snijman's clean ball-striking had brought him six fours and three sixes and his hitting straight down the ground was particularly impressive.

Rudolph, who had faced 26 balls and hit three fours and two sixes, looked set to tear into the Dolphins bowling, but the captain was silenced by a thunderous yorker from Quinton Friend that whistled past his bat and into off stump.

Play was then held up by thundershowers for an hour-and-fifty minutes, which was tough on the Titans as they returned on 127 for three with just 9.1 overs remaining in their innings and one relatively new (Du Plessis) and one totally new (Behardien) batsman at the crease.

Du Plessis (29) and Behardien (38), reading the tricky spin of Shamsi and Imran Tahir well, added 41 off 35 balls, but both fell to the dibbly-dobbly medium-pace of Englishman Bopara.

Henry Davids (2) and Kuhn (3) both came in at that time the batsmen hate, with just a handful of overs left, as Friend and Abbott each took a wicket in the closing overs.

Bopara was the best of the Dolphins bowlers with two for 26 in his four overs, while Abbott, who conceded just six runs in the last over, finished with two for 32 in five and Friend claimed two for 46 in six.
 

Mongoose Cricket SA: Mongoose Cricket and their revolutionary technolog...

Mongoose Cricket SA: Mongoose Cricket and their revolutionary technolog...: "How to use itWith a Mongoose bat you’re packing unprecedented power that will give you the edge in Twenty20: more fours, more sixes, more ba..."

Mongoose Cricket and their revolutionary technology

How to use it

With a Mongoose bat you’re packing unprecedented power that will give you the edge in Twenty20: more fours, more sixes, more balls out of the ground. But how do you make the best use of its innovations and which is the best Mongoose for you?
Thanks to its elongated handle and shortened blade, the Mongoose’s bat-speed is faster than any of its rivals. Working like a golf club, the head of the bat catches up with the hands at the point of impact, resulting in a whip effect through the ball. This allows you to select your shot later, or change it in a split second, putting you at a crucial advantage over the bowler.

This extra bat-speed also means players can choose a Mongoose that is a couple of ounces heavier than the conventional bat they will have used. For example, players who use a 2lb 8oz traditional bat will probably feel comfortable using a 2lb 10/11oz Mongoose.
Considering its striking appearance, you may be surprised how similar the Mongoose feels to a conventional bat. Close your eyes and the chances are you won’t feel any difference.

As Michael Brown, the Surrey opening batsman says, “The Mongoose helps players to keep their shape for longer in a stroke”. As a result, the Mongoose encourages classical stroke play. More technical, more accurate. So, players don’t need to slog across the line to hit the ball hard, they just need to keep their head down and hit through the ball.
This is reassuring given the trajectory of Twenty20 scores. The totals are climbing all the time – and not as a result of slogging. It’s the skilled batsmen who are hitting harder for longer – witness AB de Villiers’ recent 105 not out from 54 balls in the IPL, with his second 50 coming from just 16 deliveries.
We can’t promise you will ascend to these heights. But if you have the skills, the Mongoose will maximise your runs better than any other bat.

How to get the most out of a Mongoose

Hold the bat in the same way you would hold any bat. Play shots you would play with any bat. Hit the nets with your new Mongoose (ideally against a bowling machine) and just get used to the extra power that allows you to hit balls harder, later in the shot.
Concentrate on timing the ball. Don’t just watch the ball, watch the seam of the ball. Play your favourite shots and witness the improvement in performance that the Mongoose provides. The Mongoose has a sweet spot 120 per cent bigger than a conventional bat. So back yourself to hit the ball and the bat will take care of the rest.
Don’t try and hit the ball too hard. Practice any shot you might usually play, especially defensive shots. You probably won’t notice any difference in the bat’s abilities to defend balls on the front foot or on the back foot.
In match situations, the same applies. The bat is approved by the MCC to be used in every level of the game, worldwide. So just enjoy the added power, the bigger sweet spot. Stuart Law, the Australian legend, says that with a Mongoose he mostly doesn’t even feel the ball on the bat such is sweetness of the middle.
Despite its vaunted properties, don’t imagine simply turning up at the crease with a Mongoose will let you hit every ball into the car park – unless you’re Viv

Mongoose MMi3

• Evolutionary step that gives unparalleled attacking advantage
• Revolutionary design hits faster, harder, further

• The shot that got you four now gets you six
• Conforms to MCC Laws
• 20% more power than a conventional bat
• 15% more bat speed
• Sweet spot more than twice the size of a conventional bat
• Massive edges from shoulder to toe