@Denny re Markram and Mulder ... and the next prediction

Thought I'd just bump this back up to the top...

From 6 years ago.

From 6 years ago.

It took an awful long time for the billy to boil but hey it is what it is......I've always liked Markram, he's a class act but also his own worst enemy. Think lapses in concentration cost him. Wiaam, lets wait and see if it turns out to be the catalyst to propel him to consistent high achievements. Bill Lawry would always remind us that cricket is a funny game. Not convinced about Zubayr Hamza, think he might have been but his best years are behind him and that there's possibly better around....time will tell.

Also believe that Shukri Conrad deserves a lot more credit for what he's achieving with the Proteas.

DbD did you ever see Barry Richards playing?

Not disputing Smith's class.

"DbD did you ever see Barry Richards playing?"

No doubt we was on another level....

but through no fault of his own, having only played 4 tests its hard to call him the best opener we have ever had. I'd say that a player needs to play at least 30 - 40 tests to even be considered.

Had it not been for apartheid, i reckon we'd be looking at 4 or 5 more SA players in the top echelon of international legends.

It's so cricket for the most overrated opener we've ever had to win us our first trophy.

I musta dmit that I rgarded Markram as a serie failure 90% of the time and was ndee surprised that he made a century in the final. After all his batting averages are as follows:-

1. Tests - 36,5
2. ODI;s - 37,04
3. T20's - 30,37

That remains below par - which in tests should be 40+ - and the same apply to ODI's. I cannto see he can improve on the above averages and as you say he out of the blue made a test cnetury in the final. I stopped watchingcriket matches years ago - the SA sides really were just not up to standard - with the younger players like Pretorius around it is another thing altogether.

No Arthur, unfortunately not...a bit before my time...I saw the curtain of Graham Polock's career as a boy when he was still playing as a 40yo IIRC...our and everyone's hero...

WRT Graeme Smith...he wasn't the most gifted player ever, IMO he was the most dedicated and most determined...his fourth innings hundreds and average tells a unique story...

Such a pity so many player's potential were unrealized due to stupid politics...we should have learned by now, but unfortunately the same thing is happening under a different guise...cry the beloved...

Draad

You remind me of Paton - I had dinner with him and his wife at the home of Pat Poovalingum/ Both belong to a small Liberal Party in the 1970's. He was indeed a Liberal and could not dtand ywo eole Rajbansi and P W Botha. Before The latter was appointed in 1936 as Organizer of the National Party with his Headquarters in George/ He apparently always stayed on my Grandfather's farm Zeekoegat near Riversdale when working in the Riversdale area, My father was one of a very gew people who those days owned cars in the District and he carted around Botha to meetings. His first wife was a Miss Rossouw, whose father was a missionary in Albertinia. My mopther was a liberal herself and my parents generally moved away from the National Party

In the 1980's I had to attend a meeting in Durban - instructed by my boss - to attend a close door meetin g where a variety of people were present - and every attendee was introduced to both Mrs Botha and him. I was very reluctant to do that and rried to avoud it - but as one of the last people involved I eventually ended up to go and be intriduced, Botha as talking to he Mayor - who I also knew well at the time - and I was first introduced to his wife. My dialect of Afrikaans was very much like the Coloreds in the area speak and Mrs Botha hen she heard m name asked me where I came from and when I said Riversdale she asked me who my parents were. When I mentioned Zeekoegat PW Bitha stopped talking to the Mayor and said "I know your parents well - I want you to tell your apretns they must lease come and vist him when in Caoe Town My moter would not have anything to do with such na invitation and the visit never happened,

My younger brother guke un the military was a giard at the Presidents home and he was a favorite of the Botha family. Botha by then had a house in Wilderness. In the 1970's he was tranferred to George and he decided to byuy a home in Wilderness - here he beacme a deacon in te DRC. When my brither died in 2004 his funeral was in the DRC Church and the Church Minister had tos tart the funeral service there was a delay and then sme people walked in and sat in the sear firthest away from where the family sat and loking back it was PW Botha and his guards who entered,

By the way Zeekoegat is one fo the most historic farms in the Southern Cape - the first permanent building on the farm was constructed in 1768 and the first real home in 1795. A third much larger home was constructed in 1803 over a period of time - but was completed on 1817. On the ground level were the slave chambers in both - my mother - when she saw the chains in the walls of the rooms she had the chains removed and thrown away. Ske could not bear the idea to live in a home where people were treated like that and was in real trouble with the National Historic Comission - nearly ending up with a huge fine. That is why I was always interested in history - growing up in a home with a long list of references in historic books.

. . , ,

Mike

Such a lovely story.

what are the origins of Zeekoegat?