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Hennie Otto November's Star?

Cape Town - After much debate and head scratching, the Sport24 team have announced their Performers, Plonkers and Pictures of the month for November 2011.

Click HERE to cast your vote - and WIN!

Every month the Sport24 editorial team will announce nominations for a sportsperson or team (people who stole the limelight with a specific performance that month), a plonker (a team or person who has not covered themselves in glory) and a sports photo of the month (the one that makes you go "Ahhh"). You then get a chance to vote for the person, team and picture that best deserves the award...

So without further ado, then, the November nominations are...

PERFORMANCE:

Narrowing down the nominations for the November star of the month proved tricky with several candidates returning performances worthy of recognition.

HENNIE OTTO

The Boksburg-born golfer earned his maiden South African Open title late in the month when he grabbed the spoils by one stroke at Serengeti. Famous for once hurling his clubs into a river in a fit of pique, there was no need this time as the now-mellower, 35-year-old smilingly lifted the trophy.

VERNON PHILANDER
If anyone doubted the Test credentials of the all-rounder who hails from Ravensmead in Cape Town’s northern suburbs, he put them to bed emphatically with his man-of-the-series performance in his two maiden outings against Australia – he grabbed “five-fors” at both Newlands and the Wanderers for a series haul of 14 wickets at 13.92. 

CHAD LE CLOS
Ever more strongly tipped as a premier South African medal hope at next year’s London Olympics, the 19-year-old pride of Durban won the Swimming World Cup series this month with a series haul of 23 golds, including prolific success in the Tokyo, Beijing, Dubai and Singapore legs.

VARSITY CUP
The far-sighted reputation of the Varsity Cup gained further credibility this month when it was revealed that the 2012 rugby event will, with the blessing of the IRB, feature an experimental  new points-scoring system: three points for a conversion and only two for penalties and dropped goals – clearly placing a very healthy emphasis on try-scoring.

CAPE COBRAS
The domestic franchise went records-crazy in their 1-Day Cup victory over the Lions at the Wanderers this month, rattling up a landmark 379 for seven from their 50 overs. And the feat included burly top-order batting sensation Richard Levi reaching his century off only 53 balls, a domestic limited-overs record.

PLONKERS:

And in the not so serious plonker category... Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the biggest plonker of them all?

BLITZBOKKE KIT
The South African Sevens team must have quietly thought “what have we done to deserve this?” when their latest training kit was unveiled ... featuring shorts which look as if they have Pampers nappies attached to them. They may play a fast game, but here’s hoping it’s not really that loose ...

PETER DE VILLIERS
Daft move, Div. After telling the world, to all intents and purposes, that he was “out of there” as Bok coach after the World Cup, De Villiers suddenly twitched his considerable moustache and signalled renewed interest in fighting to keep his post. There’s nothing to stop him procedurally, and he certainly had his moments in the hot seat, but most of us will be seriously gobsmacked if he actually hangs on ...

LUYANDA SOMI
The PSL referee was banned for life this month after allegations of sexual misconduct with a female SAFA employee – he reportedly sexually assaulted her twice last year in Polokwane. Someone, as they say, must have blown a whistle?

CAPE TOWN STADIUM SAGA
Nobody won, in the final analysis, when it was revealed by Saracens that they had called off their quest to stage a Heineken Cup rugby match with Biarritz at under-utilised Cape Town Stadium in the New Year. The decision followed an unseemly scrap between the Western Province Rugby Football Union – who insisted the game should be played at Newlands - and the City of Cape Town custodians of the World Cup soccer venue.

BAFANA BAFANA
Typically of the national soccer team, they followed up a gritty draw with Ivory Coast with a morale-deflating 2-1 away friendly reverse to neighbours Zimbabwe at Rufaro Stadium in Harare. Even worse, they bleated pathetically afterwards about the artificial pitch, saying it inhibited their tackling ability in the second half after some of the players had got burns on it. The words “ag shame“ do come to mind ...

PHOTOS:

In a bid to deservedly salute the photographers doing the hard graft on the sidelines. Sport24 have put together a gallery of the "Best of the Best" pictures of the month of November. They're guaranteed to leave you speechless. Click HERE to view our selection of the: Best of the best pictures

Reader voting

Readers monthly votes will decide the 12 finalists in each category, and it is from those 12 finalists that Sport24 will decide their Star, Plonker and Picture of the Year in December.
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