Cricket
Glamorgan eye Levi, Langers
2011-02-03 07:46
Rob Houwing, Sport24 chief writer
Cape Town – Welsh county Glamorgan have
their sights set this year on recruiting a Cape Cobras pair separated in age by
some 13 years – veteran seam bowler Charl Langeveldt and promising batsman
Richard Levi.
UK reports this week suggest that the club
will approach Langeveldt, the 36-year-old specialist “death” bowler who missed
the World Cup cut for the Proteas, to represent them in the domestic Twenty20
competition only.
But they have season-long plans,
apparently, for Newlands team-mate Levi, the 23-year-old batsman who does not
always crack the Cobras’ first-team nod but remains a highly promising talent –
he opened his Standard Bank Pro20 campaign majestically last Friday by scoring
68 off 45 balls in a last-ball victory over the Titans.
Should he agree to go, it would be the
former Wynberg BHS and SA U19 star’s first full season at County Championship
level, and potentially an enriching experience for him: he has some prior
experience of playing for the Glamorgan second XI in 2009, and played local
league cricket for Abergavenny.
The South African influence in Cardiff in
2011 may be a strong one, considering that Proteas opening batsman Alviro
Petersen has already been confirmed as Glamorgan’s captain.
Langeveldt is an old county hand, boasting
previous service to all of Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Somerset.
Sport24 reported earlier this week that
Warriors paceman Wayne Parnell, who did make the South African World Cup squad,
will join Sussex as their designated overseas player at the end of June,
replacing Pakistan’s Rana Naved.
Here is some news of other South
African-born players in terms of county cricket this summer, as reported by BBC
Sport and other sources in England:
Makhaya
Ntini: The veteran former Proteas strike bowler is
“desperate” to return to Kent for another season, possibly as a Kolpak player,
according to coach Paul Farbrace.
Martin van Jaarsveld: The experienced former Titans and South Africa batsman may end an
illustrious five-year career with Kent, where he routinely topped the 1000-run
mark, as he has been linked with a move to Lancashire.
Friedel
de Wet and Johann Myburgh: Both will be Kolpak
players for Hampshire, where Imran Tahir is the overseas player. Ex-Titans
batsman Myburgh no longer plays in South Africa as he is now based in New
Zealand for southern hemisphere summers.
Dale
Benkenstein: The long-serving Durham and former
Dolphins and South Africa batsman has agreed to lead the county in limited-overs
action this season, but not the four-day Championship, where Phil Mustard will
call the moves.
Tyron
Henderson: The 36-year-old former Warriors and
Cobras all-rounder, a one-cap wonder for the Proteas at Pro20 level, has been
released by Middlesex after playing in the domestic T20 competition only last
year.
Zander
de Bruyn: The Lions and ex-Proteas all-rounder has
shifted from a long-time base at Taunton, with Somerset, to London and a new
Kolpak deal with Surrey at the Oval.