by Abhai Sawkar
South Africa’s provincial circuit is the ideal platform for young and experienced cricketers to further their cases for franchise cricket and beyond. Every season, we get a chance to see new faces adjust and face the tests at professional level. Easterns is one of two teams in the catchment area for the Centurion-based franchise team, the Momentum Multiply Titans. For most of the last decade as well as the late 2000s, they were the understudies for Northerns, the second provincial team feeding to the Titans. The search for silverware hadn’t borne fruit until former domestic cricketer Richard das Neves ultimately took over as head coach. His first task was to pick up the pieces and rebuild, and the duration of that process wasn’t going to be short. However, with the wealth of experience as a player, he brought vigor and more importantly, the ruthless determination to succeed. “I have completed 3 seasons as the head coach of Easterns cricket since I took over in June 2017. It was obviously a massive privilege to coach a first class team, however I had a real challenge on my hands at Easterns,” says das Neves. “I have always been a winner. From school, through club, provincial, and franchise cricket I have always been a part of winning teams as a player and had no intention of that stopping in my coaching career. Easterns was a union that hadn’t tasted any sort of success since the 2002 season when Ray Jennings led the team to 4 day success. The team had never won a limited overs trophy and was in many eyes ‘the little brother’ in the Titans franchise, where Northerns had just completed the double and for many years been the main feeder to the franchise side. My initial goal was to analyse from top to bottom and look at the structures in place and then develop a team to compete at first class level, in doing that, we would produce players for the franchise side. A clear change in culture was needed and we spent the first season focusing on the culture and changing mindsets within the squad.” First things first, effective captains are skilled communicators and guides. For starters, Das Neves has always embraced leadership opportunities. During the early stage of his career, he was often in charge of the teams he played for. His first coaching stint was for the main cricket academy based in King Edward VII High School (KES), which has produced former greats such as Graeme Smith and Ray Jennings as well as modern-day phenoms like the current Proteas limited-over skipper, Quinton de Kock. “I had always been involved in coaching, even throughout my playing and studying days, coaching always happened in the background. I started coaching for the Jimmy Cook Cricket Academy when I was 18 years old. Throughout my playing days, I captained quite a few of the teams I played in, and a captain in many ways is the coach of the team on the field, so my coaching career was groomed from quite an early age. Prior to taking up the Easterns job, I coached my alma mater, The University of Johannesburg for 3 years, which is a great breeding university for many, many cricketers that have gone on to play for Gauteng, Lions and South Africa. The 3 years that I spent at UJ were great for my development as a coach. It was a good place to start.” Compared to most of the coaches in South Africa, das Neves is on the younger side, which makes the task relatively more demanding. An integral part of coaching is developing a strong rapport with the players. Especially when coaching a relatively higher-level team for the first time, there will be multiple testing situations to encounter. For das Neves, coaching isn’t limited to improving the cricketing repertoire, but it also applies very much to character and personality as well. It requires patience, passion, investment, and more importantly, the strong will to nurture and elicit the best out of all. As cliché as it sounds, success revolves more around attitude than it does on aptitude. And that was the mantra for das Neves when he first set out on his task to transform the Easterns team to the juggernaut they became in the most recent season. “As a relatively younger coach, it could be quite challenging, there were a couple of players in the Eastern team who were actually older than me or the same age as me and a few players who I played with and against so I needed to make sure there was a good balance between player and coach and that the relationship boundaries were set out early doors. The early days were tough, we lost our first few games quite heavily and it was a rude awakening as to the challenge that lies ahead. I never ever questioned the players for skill, however they initially didn’t have the understanding of how to win games and the desire to push themselves and get out of their comfort zone. They lacked the killer instinct and had a ‘small team’ mentality. There were also a few players that were in a comfort zone and played for themselves rather than the team. So I dropped the so called “undroppable” players and challenged them to drive the culture and change the way everyone thinks towards playing for the Rose and representing Easterns. It was a matter of fitting in to what is happening or looking for a new home. We set the stall of working on creating good human beings off the field to make good cricketers on the field. Not everyone survived this task but 3 years into the job, I think the proof is in the pudding.” Upon arrival, das Neves realized that there were plenty of matters to address. The team at the time wasn’t at its best and the few players available were struggling to meet the standards and rigor of three-day cricket. The next step was to branch out and widen the roster of prospects, and that was perfect motivation for the incumbents to step up as soon as opportunities were presented. This process was also the pivotal filtration unit - some were able to progress to the next level, while others fell behind. Every now and then stricter measures had to be imposed, but those who rose to the occasion and took the initiative duly merited more openings. “In assessing the squad, when I joined, we realistically had 12 or 13 players that could play for Easterns. Some of these players were not even up to scratch for first class cricket. A big challenge for myself was to build a bigger player pool. I remember one week, 2 days out from a game, I had 34 players down at nets. This put pressure on the side to perform as they knew I was looking for their replacement. Some survived the long haul and others didn’t make it. But that’s the nature of professional sport.” Looking back at how it all began, das Neves emphasizes that any sort of progress requires a dedicated level of commitment to physical fitness, and there are no shortcuts whatsoever. Raising the bar increases self-discipline and self-motivation. He also noticed that the quality of fielding could have been considerably better. Plus there’s no need to overcomplicate the situation - it’s the basics that have to be addressed and rectified before anything else. In addition, he stresses the core values and team culture; every player should look to leave a positive impression when it comes to both game and persona. “For me, coaching a team is about a few fundamentals that need to fall into place. First and foremost, is hard work. There is nothing that replaces the hard yards that you put in off the field to prepare yourself for success. This is not only about your skill, whether it be bowling or batting, don’t get me wrong, there is a lot of work that goes into these skills but two big areas in my side have always been fielding and fitness. Players must reach their individual targets we have, and we will leave out players if they don’t meet their targets in terms of fitness. Fielding is the skill we work the hardest at. This was an evident area that was extremely poor when I first joined Easterns. The levels were not up to scratch and we needed to change the mentality towards fielding. The final fundamental is what do you bring to the team besides your skill? What do you bring to the changeroom that the team can’t survive without? What is going to give you a few extra games when you are struggling with your batting and bowling form? And this comes down to the culture the team has and the development of good human beings based on solid core values and principles.” The audition interval was met with negativity from some of the players, but amid the mild turbulence, there was lots of incentive to perform. Das Neves has put in a splendid effort to ensure that the team concentrates on improvement from one game to the next. His inaugural season as head coach was for the most part a learning process, and by the time the next season began, the confidence level was much higher. Grant Thomson, the then-skipper of Easterns, would eventually graduate to franchise level and take charge of the Titans. “There were a lot of uncomfortable conversations and some grumpy players during this time, but a lot of those players turned it around and won lots of games for Easterns since. As in all professional cricket teams, there is also a lot of external noise and this is no different at Easterns. My job was to deflect this noise away from the team and to ensure they focused on what is important and that is performing on the field and improving their games everyday. This was and still is a massive challenge, but one that we as the coaching staff take in our stride. In my second season, I could sense we had turned the corner, the team was settled and the senior players led the culture and standards that we set. Grant Thomson had been my captain from the start and he led this with distinction. He now leads the franchise side, the Multiply Titans which is credited to how he developed as a leader at Easterns.” Enforcing a proactive approach is another of das Neves’ strengths. With Thomson now a mainstay in the Titans setup, it was time to groom a few others to take the reins of the Easterns side. Middle-order batsman Wesley Coulentianos captained the team for most of the rest of the 2019-20 season, and he spearheaded an undefeated campaign in the CSA Provincial 3-Day Cup. While the tournament didn’t continue to completion, Easterns were one of the joint winners. “What was particularly pleasing was to see other leaders such as allrounder Matthew Arnold, wicketkeeper-batsman Sizwe Masondo and Wesley Coulentianos lead the team in Thomson's absence. The team towards the end of the 2019/2020 campaign changed an incredible amount and it was great to see that the results didn’t take a massive dip, in fact we ended up jointly winning the 3 day campaign, despite having 6 or 7 players out regularly with the Titans.” Reflecting on the past two seasons, das Neves is very grateful to witness the best season to date. In the 2019-2020 season, Easterns would also win the Provincial T20 Cup in addition to the Three-Day Cup. During the previous season, they won the Provincial One-Day Cup title. In just two seasons, they completed the much-coveted triple. While his efforts have been rewarded, he couldn’t be more appreciative of the contributions from every single member involved. The strength and conditioning coach helped increase the overall intensity, and the team did more than prove their tenacity across formats. ‘The last 12 to 18 months has been a dream come true for me as a coach and for Easterns as a union on the field. To win all 3 trophies we compete for in 12 months is unheard of amongst any province in the country, nevermind the so-called ‘small team’ from the East. So many of the games that led to the one day cup victory at the backend of the 2018-2019 campaign went to the final over. I think out of the 11 games including the final, 7 went to the last over and some to the last ball. We ended on top in 6 of those games. I put that down to the fitness and hard work put in off the field and an unearthly desire to win for your teammates. I must mention, Zane Webster who was a breath of fresh air in the union when he joined 2 years ago. His expertise and level of knowledge is up there with the best I have ever seen and there are big things to come from him as a strength and conditioning coach. Over and above his skill that he brings, he is an absolute legend of a human being and brings so much to the team off the field.” “These tight games helped us deal with pressure and this was evident during the Provincial T20 victory. We had a few nail biters in a group of death where we beat KZN in a super over and beat Northerns in the final pool game to qualify for the semi finals. We felt we had unfinished business with Border, who beat us the year before in the semi final in East London, and on the day, we played with an intensity that Border couldn’t keep up with us.” A recurring motif in das Neves’ stint is having a point to prove. After all these years there’s been a stratospheric resurgence that has well propped up his side. Pressure is part and parcel of any competitive sport, and coming out ahead in crunch games was second nature in recent times. The hallmark of this season was the T20 Cup final against KwaZulu-Natal Inland. An enterprising opening stand drove Easterns to a strong total of 178, and KZN needed 15 from the final over of the chase. Despite being hit for six on the second ball, Matthew Arnold held his nerve and conceded 3 runs in the next 4 balls, setting up a tense victory. Not only was this a victory to savor, but it was a mutualistic accomplishment. Several players from the side have been catapulted to the franchise setup for next season. Some have signed up for the Titans, while others accepted offers from other franchise teams in the country. “The final was another tight affair, we scored a big total, but we should have actually made far more after the start we had. And then as with all finals, it was tense and nail biting. I kept my stats and did my normal routines for T20 cricket in the changeroom, tried to give my captain as much critical info as possible and when Arnold finished off the last over, I remember feeling a massive sense of relief. A lot of planning, effort and hard work went into that campaign and it was massively satisfying to get over the line. A tournament like that has changed a few players lives as lots of our regular performers have moved onto Franchise cricket. Grant Thomson, Matthew Arnold, Ryan Cartwright, Wesley Marshall, Imraan Manack, Dyllan Matthews, Khwezi Gumede and Kabelo Sekhukhune to name a few.” Prior to taking up coaching full-time, das Neves was a talented offspinner who had the distinction of representing South Africa in the 2006 Under-19 World Cup. Before making his professional debut for Gauteng, he played for the University of Johannesburg and enjoyed a productive stint. A few seasons later, he played franchise cricket for his home team, the Highveld Lions. “I was very fortunate in my playing career to play in some successful teams, with and against some excellent players. I had many highlights, but some include representing South Africa at U19 at a World Cup in Sri Lanka, attending the National academy and captaining SA university on a tour to the UK. At University of Johannesburg, we won 3 national club championships in a row to go with numerous premier league titles. Captaining the Gauteng Strikers to 3 day and 1 day campaign victories and playing franchise cricket for the Lions to name a few.” Things appeared to be going quite smoothly for das Neves - he made significant headway throughout his career. His main skill was bowling, but his lower-order batting was steadily improving season by season. He might have been at his prime at 27, but the tight competition for a spinner’s spot in the Lions setup deprived him of more opportunities in franchise cricket. As a result, he was playing provincial cricket more frequently than expected. Fortunately, he had an array of alternate options to choose from. He had completed a degree in biokinetics and sports medicine, and received an offer to coach at the University of Johannesburg. Relocating for more playing opportunities was something to mull over, but he felt well-established in his hometown and opted to remain there. He rounded off his playing career at the end of the 2013-14 season but was still very invested in the domestic pathways. All in all, he believes everything happens for a reason and cherishes his moments on the field. “I did call it a day fairly early. I had already played 8 or 9 seasons of first class cricket so I had been around for a while. I was also probably playing my best cricket at the time, my bowling had always been my strength and I was always pretty sharp in the field but in my last year or two, I started to really contribute with the bat as well. My game was really starting to click. However, opportunity with the Lions was limited as there were two quality spinners in front of me and moving province or franchise wasn’t really on the cards as I had set up a life in Johannesburg. There were a few opportunities that excited me, one being the impending position to coach the University of Johannesburg, where I spent many, many successful years as a player and captain. The other was to open up a private biokinetics practice at the Wanderers Sports Medical Centre. These opportunities both came at a similar time to me calling it a day on my career. I have absolutely no regrets with my playing days, it was a great time to be playing and I enjoyed every minute of it.” Since the end of the 2019-2020 season, several players in both franchise and semi-professional cricket have changed teams. Three weeks ago, Easterns announced a new contracted list of 11 players, and among them are quite a few promising young guns as well as experienced campaigners. With former skipper Wesley Coulentianos signing for Border, the first task on the to-do list will be finding a new leader. Subject to availability, the players from the Titans squad may play from time to time. Das Neves has expressed his readiness to work with a new-look team and encourage newcomers to push for franchise cricket. Winning two trophies has provided a profound positive trend, and the focus for the 2020-21 season will be preserving the consistency. “We have a new squad together with some new players coming in and some of the old stalwarts of Easterns cricket that have been through the dark days and through the good days of the last 2 years or so that have got opportunity in other franchises. This comes with a few challenges as trying to develop a new dynamic within our ever growing culture. This will take some time, the COVID-19 brings new challenges and will decrease the time we spend together ahead of the new campaign. My goals are always to compete and to win. It's in my nature as a person. I believe we have a good balance of youth and experience and we have some really exciting players who are looking to make a name for themselves in South African cricket. Players like Sinehlanhla Zwane, Kgaudise Molefe, Aron Visser and Donovan Ferreira will be looking to have a breakthrough season and then we have some old campaigners who need to step up to the plate. Jurie Snyman, Sizwe Masondo, Lwandiswa Zuma and Malcolm Nofal will look to fill their boots. We are also still fortunate to have our Titans contracted players around whenever possible and our job as staff is to create an environment that they want to play for when they are not selected for the Titans. I am quietly confident that we can have another successful season. CSA has a few innovative competitions so we hope to compete well in these competitions. We also want to get a few new faces into the Titans and push for places through great performances.” It might be a new challenge to start afresh following a bit of a shakeup during the transfer period, but das Neves is thrilled about the new signings and what each newly contracted player brings to the table. Seamers Lance Humphrey and Sinenhlanhla Zwane as well as the 21-year-old rookie middle-order batsman Aron Visser have all had a sprinkling of past experience with Easterns and will look to solidify their game. While the previously mentioned trio have made it through the academy, the Easterns team for the upcoming season has been boosted with a few inter-team transfer signings. Pacer Lwandiswa Zuma has had a taste of franchise cricket for the Dolphins in the 2018-19 season, and he’s been rated highly. Left-arm spinner Kgaudise Molefe took part in the 2018 U19 World Cup and Donovan Ferreira was part of the Tshwane Spartans squad after a few games for Northerns. Finally, left-arm spinning all-rounder Malcolm Nofal is back in South Africa after playing nearly four seasons of top-level domestic cricket in New Zealand - Nofal’s wide spectrum of experiences as well as the growing potential of the youngsters will inject the much-needed balance to the side. “We have been fortunate enough to have a lot of our players progress to franchise cricket in the past transfer window. Both at the Titans and at other franchises around the country. We needed to get the balance right between promotion from our academy setup and with some signings for experience and expertise in areas we have lost. We promoted three players from our academy - Lance Humphrey, Aron Visser and Sinenhlanhla Zwane. Visser is the one to watch out for this season. We feel he has massive potential and we are hoping it clicks for him this season with the bat. We made four signings from outside. Lwandiswa Zuma who came from the Dolphins is a really exciting fast bowler that we feel we can develop further. Kgaudisa Molefe is a left arm spinner who we want to give opportunity in all formats. Donovan Ferreira is a hard hitting batter who has specialised in the shorter formats, but we are looking to use him in all formats and then from an experience point of view, we are delighted to have Malcolm Nofal return to South Africa and look forward to him on board.” Despite the fact that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought outdoor activities to a standstill, das Neves has more family time. Without a doubt these times are grueling, but it’s provided him more time for relaxation. His fitness advice is quite straightforward - address the shortcomings and be resourceful. “The nationwide lockdown has been tough on all of us. I have used the time to spend some quality time with my 3-year-old son Luke and doing loads of things around the house that often get neglected when you are in the rat race of everyday life. In terms of staying healthy and fit, it is important to be creative, use things around the house for strength training, and make use of body weight exercises. It is also a good time to try to improve areas of weakness or areas that often get neglected, such as flexibility, mobility and agility. These are areas that don’t need much space or equipment.” Finally, the proactivity, confidence, and fighting spirit that das Neves has brought about in a relatively shorter space of time has transformed Easterns into a powerhouse side across formats. While it seems like a whirlwind success, the trophies won in the two recent seasons are a product of tireless endeavors and perseverance. Taking up coaching as a relatively younger candidate has been instrumental - with boundless knowledge on some of the brightest talents around in the domestic circuit, das Neves is well-prepared and organized to sustain the early momentum.
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AuthorsAkseli Pitkänen Archives
September 2020
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