
Gary Lemke looks ahead to an action-filled sporting weekend as the Hollywoodbets Sharks welcome the Stormers to Hollywoodbets Kings Park Stadium in URC action, while the Proteas dominate Sri Lanka.
BLIZBOKS ABOUT TO GET PARTY STARTED
You know Dezember is here when we start talking about Rugby Sevens coming to Cape Town and the Nedbank Golf Challenge at Sun City. Well, we’re almost there. That’s next weekend.
To close out November we have the opening leg of the Sevens series in Dubai, where the Blitzboks are chasing an incredible sixth successive title at the event. They actually have a tough pool to navigate – first up against Australia, followed by Kenya and then Olympic champions France. The South African women didn’t qualify for the series.
BLACK FRIDAY 🤝 HSBC SVNS CPT
— HSBC SVNS Cape Town (@CapeTown7s) November 27, 2024
Buy one #HSBCSVNS ticket, get another FREE! 🎟️
🔗 https://t.co/Su7uW2X14N
This deal is here for a good time, not a long time, while stocks last. 🎉
ℹ️ Disclaimer: Offer only valid for the Alcohol-free Family Stand.#HSBCSVNSCPT | #ItsAWholeVibe pic.twitter.com/J6o90Bq8k1
PROTEAS PILE ON THE PAIN IN DURBAN
The rain in the Durban area gave way to clear skies but Hollywoodbets Kingsmead always looked like it was going to be a good place for the bowlers to be. With the water table saturated and the famous “tide coming in”, batting was always going to be tough in the first two days of the opening Test between South Africa and Sri Lanka.
And so it proved. The men’s Proteas stumbled to 191 all out, before Marco Jansen’s 7 for 13 helped bowl out the tourists for 42. South Africa went to stumps after two days on 120-3 and well in control. The first two days’ 103 overs had seen 23 wickets fall, an average of a wicket every 27 balls. It might be safe to book that game of golf for Saturday afternoon, especially with the weather set fair.

URC PICKS UP WHERE IT LEFT OFF
We’re back to action in the United Rugby Championship following a month’s break, so it’s pertinent to take stock of where we left off. We’re into round seven of 18 and Leinster are the only team out of the 16 who have a 100 percent win record.
At the other end of the table, the Welsh Dragons and Zebre have lost five of their opening six. The Bulls are third, the Lions fourth, the Sharks ninth and the Stormers 13th. That gives us a lie of the land. Oh yes, the first third of the competition has proved how hard it is for teams to win away from home – unless they’re playing a Welsh franchise. This weekend sees the Sharks host the Stormers and the Bulls and the Lions in away action, at Connacht and Munster, respectively.

SUMMER CUP A STERN TEST FOR PUNTERS
Africa’s richest horse race, the R6-million Betway Summer Cup, takes place at Turffontein on Saturday and is the jewel in the Gauteng equine crown. If you’re a punter looking for a big payout, try the quarter (the first four past the post). Traditionally it’s a race that pays bombs for that bet. Actually, every exotic bet tends to lead to a big dividend.
Horse of the Year Dave The King is favourite for the third race, while races two and four have the favourite at odds of 9-2 and 11-2, which means throwing a dart at a board might be the best way to select. For the main race, it’s with no degree of confidence that I’m going with Frances Ethel (8-1), and I’ll throw Atticus Finch (20-1) and See It Again (3-1) into the exotics.
𝑺𝒎𝒂𝒔𝒉 𝑺𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒔 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔 𝑩𝒆𝒕𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝑺𝒖𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒓 𝑪𝒖𝒑 𝑺𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑺𝒆𝒂𝒏 𝑻𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒚 🐎#ThePeoplesRace #Betway #BetwaySummerCup pic.twitter.com/rfYcV0CWBa
— SmashSports (@SmashSportinc) November 22, 2024
PEP IN SPOTLIGHT IN ANFIELD DUGOUT
Those behind the camera will be instructed to keep an eye on Pep Guardiola in the dugout as Man City visit Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday. It’s a potential explosive English Premier League showdown between a team *Liverpool) who are going for four straight League wins and a team (City) trying to stave off a fourth straight League defeat.
And in the middle of the action, on the sidelines, will be Guardiola. After last week’s 4-0 defeat to Tottenham, he arrived for the post-match presser with gouge marks on his bald head and face. “It’s from scratches, I want to harm myself,” he said. He has subsequently issued an apology, saying he didn’t “intend to make light of self-harm”.
I was caught off guard with a question at the end of a press conference last night about a scratch which had appeared on my face and explained that a sharp fingernail had accidentally caused this. (1/3)
— PepTeam (@PepTeam) November 27, 2024
STING OUT OF VERSTAPPEN, NORRIS FIGHT
You can expect Max Verstappen to take his foot off the pedal, in every sense of the expression, at this weekend’s Qatar Grand Prix. The Dutchman secured his fourth straight world championship in Las Vegas last weekend, but he will be feeling the effects of a physically and mentally draining campaign.
It’s only understandable should he, and Lando Norris, not duel it out given the emotional comedown following last weekend’s season-defining race. Which is why a bet on either Oscar Piastri or George Russell might be the way to go in Qatar.

