Ken Borland

Ken Borland

Sports Writer

17 Articles

What are your hobbies?

One of my hobbies is Conchology (you may have to Google that)

Do you have a nickname?

My nickname during my cricket-playing career was Radders – after former England paceman Neal Radford, who used to take very small steps when running in to bowl

What do you like to do in your spare time?

I love camping and I am a qualified scuba diver, having dived in countries like the Seychelles, Comoros and Malawi.

Ken Borland is a freelance sports journalist and commentator based in Johannesburg, South Africa. His specialities are cricket, rugby, golf and hockey (he’s the winner of an SA Hockey Association Merit Award), but he has occasionally ventured further afield from these main sports!

Although sport is his job and something he loves, he is also passionate about the outdoors, wildlife and birding; conchology; music and collecting charts; movies; and his faith.

latestArticlesBy Ken Borland

IPL 2023: Qualifier 1 - Gujarat Titans v Chennai Super Kings

Cricket

Exclusive: Devon Conway Returns to Wanderers as Joburg Super Kings’ Key Weapon for SA20

Devon Conway, former South African now international star for New Zealand, returns to the Wanderers Stadium as part of the Joburg Super Kings team in SA20. With a strong team and aspirations for the final, Conway is excited to face off against Trent Boult from MI Cape Town.

Ken Borland

2025-01-12

A portrait of Fanie De Villiers

Cricket

Exclusive: Corbin Bosch Following in His Father’s Footsteps in Emotional Debut

Former Proteas fast bowler Fanie de Villiers reflects on the emotional debut of Corbin Bosch, son of his late new-ball partner Tertius Bosch. Despite mediocre first-class stats, Corbin impressed with a great all-round showing in his Test debut for South Africa against Pakistan. De Villiers highlights the challenges faced by young bowlers in developing their skills and praises Corbin and sibling Eathan for overcoming adversity to achieve success in cricket.

Ken Borland

2025-01-09

Alfred Dunhill Championship 2025 - Day Four

Golf

Exclusive: Shaun Norris Stuns at Leopard Creek to Claim Alfred Dunhill Championship

Shaun Norris won the Alfred Dunhill Championship with an inspiring final round comeback, surprising many. Despite being underrated in South Africa, Norris has multiple wins in Japan and plans to focus more on European events in the future. Grace aims to save his LIV Tour spot after narrowly missing out in Riyadh.

Ken Borland

2024-12-18

Nedbank Golf Challenge 2025 - Day Four

Golf

Exclusive: American Veerman's Inspired NGC Win Takes Him a Step Closer to Home

American golfer Johannes Veerman defied odds to win Nedbank Golf Challenge. His journey from global childhood to medical aspirations to professional golf success culminated in his triumph. Veerman's win propels him closer to his goal of playing on the U.S. PGA Tour.

Ken Borland

2024-12-10

France v South Africa

Rugby

Springboks in rugby Elysium & Naas says they rank with the best ever

Former Springbok great Naas Botha believes the current South African rugby team deserves to be ranked among the greatest in history. With an impressive record in 2024, including wins in the Rugby Championship and Autumn International Series, the Springboks continue to lead as the number one ranked team. Famed for his own achievements in the 1980s, Botha commends coach Rassie Erasmus and the squad for their remarkable success, highlighting the team's dominance in current rugby landscape.

Ken Borland

2024-12-06

England v South Africa - Rugby World Cup 2019 Final

Rugby

Exclusive: Schalk Brits on How Rassie Erasmus and the Springboks Inspired a Nation Through Rugby

Schalk Brits, a former Saracens legend and key player in the 2019 Rugby World Cup-winning Springbok team, reflects on the team's success and the importance of unity in South Africa. Coach Rassie Erasmus's innovative approach has propelled the team to back-to-back World Cup victories, with Brits emphasizing the transformative power of rugby in the country.

Ken Borland

2024-12-10

Exclusive: Graeme Smith on SA20’s Rise to Tier-One Tournaments and Its Role in Revitalising South African Cricket

Cricket

Exclusive: Graeme Smith on SA20’s Rise to Tier-One Tournaments and Its Role in Revitalising South African Cricket

Graeme Smith, Betway SA20 Commissioner, aims to revitalize South Africa's franchise T20 tournament. With many players being picked up by the IPL, the SA20 continues to grow in stature. Developing talent and fostering international connections are key goals, alongside commercial success like the new partnership with DP World.

Ken Borland

2024-11-26

Kagiso Rabada of South Africa celebrates the wicket of Phil Salt of England

Cricket

Rabada's Ultimate Prize: Why the ODI World Cup Means More Than the World Test Championship

Kagiso Rabada, South Africa's star bowler, shares why winning the ODI World Cup is his ultimate goal, despite his passion for Test cricket and the World Test Championship.

Ken Borland

2024-11-07

 Assistant coach Allan Donald of Kent poses

Cricket

Allan Donald Applauds Afghanistan’s Rise Under Jonathan Trott While Easing Concerns Over South Africa’s ODI Struggles

Allan Donald praises Afghanistan's rise under Jonathan Trott after a dominant ODI series win over South Africa in Sharjah, while addressing concerns about the Proteas’ performance and future prospects.

Ken Borland

2024-09-27

A dejected Keshav Maharaj of South Africa

Cricket

Keshav Maharaj: Leading with Wisdom and Passion Amid South Africa's Cricket Transition

Keshav Maharaj leads South Africa's cricket team with wisdom and passion during a time of transition. His blend of experience and dedication motivates both senior players and young talent.

Ken Borland

2024-09-18

South Africa's double Olympic champion Caster Semenya

Olympics

Exclusive: Caster Semenya Calls for IOC Consistency Amid Gender Controversy at Paris Olympics

Caster Semenya urges the IOC for consistent policies amid gender controversies at the Paris Olympics. She challenges the current rules affecting athletes with differences in sex development, while reflecting on her transition to coaching and family life.

Ken Borland

2024-08-06

Tristan Stubbs Named South Africa’s New Number Three Batsman: Proteas’ Rising Star Set for Key Role

Cricket

Tristan Stubbs Named South Africa’s New Number Three Batsman: Proteas’ Rising Star Set for Key Role

Amla scored 7993 runs at an average of 49.95 batting at number three for South Africa, the record, while Kallis, who scored the most runs overall for the Proteas, made the number four slot his own but established his career at first wicket down from 1997 to 2009, playing 49 Tests there and averaging 49.

Ken Borland

2024-07-19

South Africa’s Willie le Roux: Still Learning, Still Loving, and Far from Retirement

Rugby

South Africa’s Willie le Roux: Still Learning, Still Loving, and Far from Retirement

Willie le Roux, the 34-year-old Springbok fullback and double World Cup winner, remains passionate about rugby with no plans to retire soon. After returning to South Africa, he's committed to high performance and mentoring young players.

Ken Borland

2024-07-07

Cricket World Cup 2023: South Africa coach Rob Walter's journey to semi-final

Cricket

South Africa's Resilience and Optimism Shine Through T20 World Cup Heartbreak: Insights from Coach Rob Walter

South Africa's cricketers showed maturity and optimism despite a narrow T20 World Cup final defeat to India, says coach Rob Walter. He praised their resilience and highlighted the team's progress and bright future.

Ken Borland

2024-07-05

Exclusive: Proteas Poised for Historic T20 World Cup Triumph, say Legends Donald and Gibbs

Cricket

Exclusive: Proteas Poised for Historic T20 World Cup Triumph, say Legends Donald and Gibbs

After a commanding semi-final victory, the Proteas aim to secure their first major ICC title. Discover insights from Donald and Gibbs on past heartbreaks, the team's momentum, and strategies for success in challenging conditions.

Ken Borland

2024-06-28

Temba Bavuma

Cricket

Exclusive: Proteas Captain Aiden Markram’s Tactical Genuis Has Guided South Africa to T20 World Cup Semi-Finals, says Temba Bavuma

South Africa's Temba Bavuma praises Aiden Markram's captaincy, leading the unbeaten Proteas to the T20 World Cup semi-finals against Afghanistan.

Ken Borland

2024-06-25

Ken Borland

Having studied at Pietermaritzburg University, Ken began his sports journalism career in 1992 at the Natal Witness, before moving to Johannesburg in 2004 to work for the MWP Media freelance agency until 2012. He wrote for The Citizen, a national daily newspaper, from 2015 to 2023 – (https://www.citizen.co.za/author/ken-borland/page/7/).

He has covered rugby and cricket world cups, numerous European Tour golf events, and toured to the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Bangladesh and India for work.

Ken has had work published in numerous magazines and newspapers, was a cricket correspondent for the Pretoria News, has written for leading South African websites such as Daily Maverick and supersport.com, and has worked for both the Reuters and AFP news agencies as well as France’s leading rugby publication, Midi Olympique. He has been a contributor to the Wisden Cricketers Almanack and the SA Cricket and Rugby Annuals.

He has also freelanced for several corporate clients.

As a broadcaster, Ken has contributed to the BBC and various other SA and overseas radio stations.