T Chesterfield: South African Club System on trial (24 Sep 1998)

24 September 1998

South African Club System on trial

Trevor Chesterfield

As a barometer of the game at club level the national club championship have becomes be a useful guide of the strengths and imbalances at club level. Although some provinces, especially those where there are no tertiary institutions, are dominated by a couple of teams who return year after year. The sad reality is that they do not seem to benefit from either the competition or the exposure.

Which in turn shows a lack of identity in provinces such as Griqualand West, Easterns and to an extent Border. But as Rhodes University is shifted between provinces more often than they have "punch ups" in parliament, little wonder they have an identity crisis.

After all several seasons ago, Zimbabwe leg-spinner Adam Huckle, when studying at Rhodes was amused when asked for which province he would prefer to play: Border or Eastern Province. What a question ...

Seriously, though, the tertiary institutions, which have battled in recent seasons to re-establish themselves in transitory system are now showing impressive signs of re-emerging as a force. While Stellenbosch University and their Potchefstroom brethren are regulars at the week, younger sides from the lecture rooms of the nation are starting to flex their abilities. This year six of the sides are from tertiary institutions, or the highest representation since 1992/93. In some respects the emphasis on youth is one of the shifting balances of the game as older peer groups start to disappear.

What is worrying, however, is the standards of some open clubs is lower than it was five years ago. There is also a thought that to improve the strength of sides at the championship, there should be a preliminary tournament.

Only once in the 15 seasons the championship has been run has a side from one of the smaller provinces managed to win a final. Otherwise the majority of title-holders have come the Western or Eastern Cape.

Mike Rindel owes part of his re-emergence as an international limited-overs batsman to a fine run for Harlequins in the 1996 tournament in Johannesburg. And such that the mountain of runs he scored in the Standard Bank League he eventually forced the national selectors to wipe part of the collective egg off their face and accept the inevitable.

Not everyone has such talent as the attacking left-hander who played an important role in helping South Africa to the gold medal at the Commonwealth Games by beating Australia in Kuala Lumpur last Saturday. But there are those who have in the past used the tournament to further their provincial career.

Dirkie de Vos is one and Nic Pothas is another, while Michael Alexander, Mark Benfield have come through with Lloyd Ferreira and Wiaan Smit also running up impressive figures. And Murray Creed, a member of the South African under/19 World Cup side earlier this year, has displayed why is well thought of as a swing and seam bowler.

The tournament certainly has place on the South African calendar but what needs to investigated is a more equitable strength versus strength system. Until then, clubs from Easterns, Griquas, North West and Border are not going to shape.

Source :: Trevor Chesterfield, Pretoria News