RSA: Hansie/Donald Club final plans scuppered (22 Sep 1998)

22 September 1998

RSA: Hansie/Donald Club final plans scuppered

Trevor Chesterfield

Pretoria - Hansie Cronje and Allan Donald playing in the national club championship? It sounds like a sponsor's dream.

But any thought Free State University may had entertained of bringing two "guests" to the Jacaranda city for today's game against Claremont in what amounts to a Section 1 semi-final have been scuppered by the competition's playing conditions.

Grumbling and discontent in the Kovsie ranks over Gary Kirsten playing for Claremont which ended with a suggestion that the South African captain and fast bowler be roped in for "a showdown" have been quietly buried.

Under the tournament conditions the final 13-strong squads have to be declared on the first day of the competition. Kirsten, who was not available for the first two days, was a decal red member of the Claremont squad.

Cronje and Donald, however, are not part of the Free Stat University team and cannot, therefore, play in the tournament.

It may have been a nice idea, but the conditions of the tournament would not allow it.

Source :: Trevor Chesterfield, Pretoria News