It’s a proudly Mzansi weekend, mense, and the Bones didn’t even know it!
But, thanks to the social media law queen of Mzansi – or the continent, if not the world – we are now fully on track. Dankie Miss Sadleir. Ngiyabonga!
There is cricket on the go, with both lasses and the buggers in action. The ladies have had a tough time after their shock defeat to the hosts West Indies in a World T20 match they were poised to win – but came up short.
The boytjies are playing a sole T20 match, which comes a whole week after the one-day series. Makes no sense, but anyway.
This weekend, the tipster says Mzansi will have an average to good weekend and these two teams will play a part, where one will win and one will lose.
Expect the ladies to bounce back in the next game against Bangladesh, but the semis are now a dream. On the other hand, the boys will be touch and go in the shorter format, but should just get over the line.
This will be a huge confidence booster for South African cricket in general.
The Mzansi Super League kicked off on Friday, so let’s see how the broadcasters handle this bad boy – with their Singaporean Tele crew.
A positive aspect is that we have got a lot further than that global league stuff-up from a year ago.
Chris Gayle and the Jozi Stars host Nelson Mandela Bay Giants on Saturday night... wow, what an essay of a name for the Bay.
It’s the long walk to franchise-dom. Back the Madiba boys to do the business on the road.
Then on Sunday, our beloved Durban Heat welcome the Cape Town Blitz.
These names are, er, different, ne? Back the Heat here, but don’t run away with it. A few stars are away, so the heat may be a diesel – and take a while to properly warm up.
Then on to something different, but still keeping it Mzansi. Kevin Anderson is in the knockouts in London, in the prestigious end-of-year tournament.
Welcome to the big league, big boy.
The Bones reckon he has a final in him, but it depends on the draw. If it’s against the Nole Djokovic, it will most likely go the way it has gone all year. So, according to the Maths of the ancestors, unfortunately Kev’s year in tennis is over.
Now, let us move on to our beloved footy.
Bafana Bafana and Banyana Banyana are also in action. Yoh, issa lot!
The Bones are of the opinion that the latter play with bigger balls (think about it), while the former are facing an incentivised and desperate Naija team. It is technically a home game for the Super Eagles – think about that one, too.
A draw should be good enough for Bafana to qualify for Afcon, but back the ladies to go one better and win.
This is national team weekend for our beloved SOUTH AFRICA. GOOD LUCK TO ALL OF US - cricket, football, rugby @OfficialCSA @Springboks @Banyana_Banyana @SAFA_net @BafanaBafana pic.twitter.com/SwMCwmtXA3
— Banyana_Banyana (@Banyana_Banyana) November 16, 2018
In oval-ball action, the Boks are in Murrayfield, which is potentially their toughest test of the trip. Some woggler named ‘Gerald and the Five Sneezes’ thinks it’s a Bok shoe-in on the handicap, but the Sangoma has his doubts.
I smell the unmistakable whiff of an upset in the Highlands.
Italy host Australia, in what should be a doddle for the canaries. I see the visitors getting up here by 20 points plus, to relieve the heart of Michael Cheika.
The other match-up is England at Twickenham against Japan. This is a young home-coming for coach Eddie Jones, who even had the Poms eating with chop sticks this week. Each to their own...
I would love the Japanese to topple England, but the home team will win by over 20 points. Expect plenty of low swinging chariots.
In-form Wales tackle Tonga, and the Welsh boys should do the business. The handicap should be overcome late in the second half.
Late tonight, France play Argentina in the mystery box game. It should be tightly contested, involving many players who work together at club level now on opposing sides.
Expect a card – or three. The home team was impressive last week against the Springboks, and I see them getting up here against the Argies.
Ireland and New Zealand is the bookies’ choice for game of the weekend, especially after the All Blacks lost to the Irish in the USA not so long ago.
The men in black never play two bad games on the trot, so expect a cracker. If it doesn’t rain, the pigskin should get chucked around by two excellent backlines, led by two potent pivots.
This is the Springbok side for Saturday's Test at Murrayfield. #boksontour #CastleLagerOutgoingTour #LoveRugby #SCOvRSA pic.twitter.com/Gb4hxgsh9s
— South African Rugby (@Springboks) November 16, 2018
Enjoy the Proudly Mzansi fare, fellows and fillies.
We will see how this weekend goes, and then we will make more educated calls for the next.
Touring Sangoma over and out!
THE BONES BAROMETER
As promised for this week, here is a barometer of the calls made last week. This allows us to tally up if I can even maintain this job – as I’m deemed useless if I can’t even tip a bucket out at sea.
To be brutally honest, I can’t bring myself to calling a draw in any format of sports – let alone football. They say a draw is like kissing your sister, while your brother watches.
Like the Americans, I am a strong believer in we must go home as either a winner or a loser – even as a 90s athlete myself. In most cases rather than not, the whole bloody lot of you might have been let down.
Americans also believe in overtime, to ensure someone comes up trump. It’s not a bad way to go about it!
So, let’s go.
Staring with ball and bat, where we had the call on Proteas to win the series at the score-line of 2-1 – that’s a go and puts us at 100% for cricket. So far.
On to rugby, where we will split the barometer between win/loss calls and exotic call. Starting with the rugby, we went five for five last weekend and called all the winners – even Wales!
As for the exotics or handicaps in this case, we came out with a two out of six score, which has us at 33%.
I can live with that, as I always adjust to what might have been deemed plausible back in high school. 33% sometimes snuck you into the final exam! But there is plenty of room for improvement.
When it comes to local football, I saw massive flames with no wins for any of the teams called. Pirates and AmaZulu drew (not lost), but Arrows got chowed.
With the exotics, I called both to score with the teams that drew.
This means we sit at 0% on wins and 0% on exotics for the PSL. Maybe that’s a sign...
FT : ARR 1-2 BAR | #ABSAPrem #BuildingTheBrand pic.twitter.com/Y3kOv1Dc40
— Golden Arrows FC (@goldenarrowsfc1) November 10, 2018
As for the English Premier League, of the seven games predicted, we got 33% ratio on wins and losses and 28% for exotics.
Only Man City and Spurs came through for me, with a win by two goals by the former and an away win for the latter.
Incredibly, the Chelsea and Gunners games both didn’t get over 2.5 goals, which we had called. However, they didn’t lose, but rather played to a stalemate.
Leicester, Liverpool and West Ham didn’t produce both teams scoring in their games, either.
As said above, there is plenty of room for improvement. But that is why we have this accountability chart. A man must be able to face up to his shortcomings. And commit to being better.
@shabsgunner