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GARY LEMKE’S FIVER +1: Local derby headlines URC action, Proteas pile on Sri Lankan misery in Durban

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.

Marco Jansen of South Africa celebrates with teammates after taking a wicket of Dhananjaya de Silva of Sri Lanka during the International Test Series 2024/25 match between South Africa and Sri Lanka at the Kingsmead Stadium.

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.

Two women looking excitedly at cellphone

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.

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.

Temba Bavuma and Marco Jansen of South Africa during the 1st Test Cricket match between South Africa and India at Supersport Park in Centurion on the 26 December 2023

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.

Hollywoodbets Sharks

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.

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”.

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.

epa11700158 Red Bull's Max Verstappen (R) celebrates on the podium at the Formula One Sao Paulo Grand Prix in Sao Paulo, Brazil, 03 November 2024.
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