Sports News 12:30

BULLETIN SPORTS NEWS 13 February 12:30 pm

Good day, let’s look at the latest sports news and scores:

# We start with cricket: Proteas captain Temba Bavuma says there are aspects of their game they need to improve on heading into the Champions Trophy. Pakistan defeated South Africa by six wickets in their Tri-Series match in Karachi yesterday, setting up a showdown with New Zealand in tomorrow’s final. The Proteas begin their Champions Trophy campaign against Afghanistan next Friday. Bavuma says they will need to put on an all-round performance in tough batting conditions in Pakistan:

Meanwhile, five players from champions MI Cape Town were named in the SA20 team of Season 3, captained by Aiden Markram of Sunrisers Eastern Cape. The Cape Town players are Ryan Rickelton, Dewald Brevis, George Linde, Kagiso Rabada and Trent Boult. Paarl Royals is represented by Lhuan-dré Pretorius, David Miller and Joe Root. The rest of the team consists of the player of the tournament, Marco Jansen, and his Sunrisers teammate, Richard Gleeson. Joburg Super Kings’ Donovan Ferreira is the twelfth man.

This super popular format won’t add more teams for at least the next two seasons. Calls for another team, centrally situated in Bloemfontein or Kimberley, or up north in Limpopo, increased after the success of the first three seasons. SA20 commissioner Graeme Smith says they are contractually locked on six teams for the first five seasons. He says they want the current teams to find their roots, establish themselves and grow. The fourth season starts on the 26th of December this year.

# Rugby: Springbok stalwart Frans Malherbe is set to become the most capped Stormers player when they take on the Lions in a United Rugby Championship match at Ellis Park this weekend. The 33-year-old prop will run out for the Cape Town team for the 150th time after making his debut in 2011. He is also one of very few players who had played for the same team from school level. The two-time World Cup winning Springbok also played 76 Tests for South Africa.

# And finally, tennis: Five-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek’s quest for a fourth straight Qatar Open title is still on track, as she is through to the quarterfinals in Doha. The world number two from Poland battled past Czech Linda Noskova to record her 14th consecutive match win in the tournament. Swiatek will face Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan, who defeated Slovakia’s Rebecca Sramkova. Latvian Jelena Ostapenko and American Jessica Pegula also won their respective matches.

Stay tuned for more news………….