SA in Lanka

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Amla hits a hundred and anchors the inning....ABDV powers it in the middle and Miller packs a punch at the end to get them to a 300+

until lanka has batted we will not know if this is a good score or another "patta" sub-continental pitch

.malinga didn't do much and surpirsingly didnpüt finish his quota of 10.

interesting series with in the light of Lanka's new earned respect

lanka has recovered from a bad start......on the back of FTB jaya's another hundred....but aren't safe yet.

they could still crash to 320 all out from here which wouldn't be par for the course given that they won the toss and are batting first.

tahir yet again not making an impact...

Typical dead pitch at the SSC.

Yet another meaningless 100 for the flat track bully Mahela Jayawardene.

11 x 100s on this pathetic pitch, just shows what time talent he has.

The Mathews wicket has gien South Africa an opening.
Hope its a spinning track and not a horrible flat one. Lanka are playing 3 spinners, so if there is spin, it will be a major challenge to the likes of Elgar, Petersen, Faf and Duminy. Will be interesting to see how young de Kock would deal with the spin challenge.
AB and Amla are batsmen for all conditions, but they need to find form and if SL can post a decent first innings score and then get them early, it will be very challenging for SA.

A wicket or two before close of play, and I'd be very satisfied.

decent day for SL in the end, but SA are still in this if they can wrap things up before lunch tomorrow. If they can get SL out for 400 or less they've still got a chance at a win, 450+ makes it difficult.

There's a bit of turn there, and it's not completely lifeless, but it definitely looked like a good day for batting, so SA did reasonably well to pick up 5 wickets. The run-rate will be a bit of a concern, but that is the risk with Tahir. On a spinning pitch he can be a match-winner, but when it's not turning he'll generally be pretty expensive.

Finally, onto my usual rant about over-rates . I'm sorry but with 39 overs of spin being bowled there's absolutely no excuse to be 4 overs short at the end of the day...

I think Tahir is playing his final test for SA, he simply isn't an accurate enough or consistent enough bowler

Sri Lanka are 300+, and Mahela is still there. But with 5 down on the first day itself and no Mathews to guide the lower order, SA can still clean them up for around 400. So just about SL's day though SA aren't far behind.

On the back of Debutant Dickwella's ( what a name ) unbeaten 63 Lanka is nearly 400 at lunch aand surging ahead now...with CI reporting that the ball is turning a lot already.

SA are up and against it in this game.....having to bat 4th on a spinning pitch and failed to keep Lanka down to a moderate first inning total

Wickets. 409/8. 430ish, and it's still workable

415-9. Would be a great comeback from 390-5. It's still a good score, but they have not batted us out.

well 420 doesn't look astronomical.....and there is plenty of time left......but the pitch is spinning.....and SA already 2 down...Amla has to play a BIG hundred and others have to bat around him.

SA has to get equal to Lanka in first inning.... it's gonna be impossible to cover up in 2nd inning

98/3, Sri Lankas day, but we'll take it. we've gained a lot of ground from 390/5

At 98-3 and both of their best batsmen batting, SA are up against it but not out of it as yet. Amla already has 46 and AB spend some time at the wicket. QdK and JP aren't proven performers in spinning conditions though they both are in good batting form with a 50 and a hundred respectively in the last match. Sri Lanka has 3 spinners who can maximize the advantage from the conditions, so its pretty much down to these 2, and as KPF said, SA can't let SL get away with any major advantage in the first innings, should at least get to 400 to give themselves a chance.
They've batted more than 50 overs to make 98 so far, need to bat at a better tempo, otherwise you are letting the spinner settle into a good line and length.

And oh yes, Hashim Amla was dropped early in his innings, can only mean one thing!, ask England or Pakistan or Australia!.... He rarely let them get away with such a big mistake.
Apart from that miss, young Niroshan Dickwela
has had a good debut game with a crucial innings that took his side pass 400 and a good catch to get rid of Faf du Plessis. Dinesh Chandimal, who is send to the UK to join the A side, hopefully will take not and work hard on his focus and return a better batsman, he very much has a place in the side as a batsman only. From that point of view, it is an encouraging debut so far from Dickwela for the Sri Lankan management in more than one ways.

Hashim Amla has moved on to 77 but SA have lost AB and soon after Quinton de Kock and are in deep deep trouble at 165-5. A double strike from Dilruwan Perera who got AB LBW and then bowled QdK for a 2 ball duck.

Should we avoid the follow on (although it seems obvious that Lanka would want to bowl last on this pitch), time slowly becomes a problem.

Oops JPD is out as I typed that

JP Duminy after a very uncomfortable and unconvincing stay at the wickets, eventually goes for 3 to a sharp stumping by young Niroshan Dickwela. It took him 58 balls to get those 3 runs, and batted quite while without knowing where would his next run come from.
Amla on to 93 and SA 179-6.

We're so far up against it. There's just too much time for a result not to happen, and I think we played the series (going for a draw from D2) rather than the match. It's of course not over yet, Steyn could fire, and skittle Lanka for 49 (it's happened), but the odds aren't in our favour... Hanging by a thread really.

Hmm Saffers in a bit of a hole, but I fancy them to hold out for a draw...

Hashim Amla scored an inevitable ton after being dropped early in his innings. It might not be a match winning one, but the way he took time out of the game, he has given his side a decent chance of saving the game. Amla's knock and the support he received from Steyn and Tahir limited the lead to just about manageable proportions. If the SA bowlers can take a few early wickets, Sri Lanka will have to a bit slow to ensure they set a good 4th innings chase. So more time will be taken out of the game. But the way Mahela batted on day one, SL still hae a lot of time, and if the likes of Tharanga gets in, scoring would stay relatively quick, and then it will be very difficult for SA to protect the series lead.

SL 100-3, the lead 239. Its getting tougher and tougher for South Africa. They haven't been able to keep the tempo of the Lankan innings down, thus giving Sri Lanka more time to attack their batting in the 4th innings.

Raining at the moment, which might put Lanka in an awkward position

the game is gone for SA unless there are two miraculous efforts by SA.....one with the ball to wrap lanka out so that the chase is no more than 320ish.

and then one guy from SA needs to get a run a ball type 120+ and couple of batters score normal 50s

and that 120+ type brisk 100 can come from only either ABDV or QdC....and one of them should be promoted to open.
you can't just play normally 100 overs and score 320 runs or bat out 100 overs on the pitch as it is now.

Sri Lanka lead by over 300, with being behind in the series, its they who need to make the running for a series leveling win and so they need a declaration pretty soon. With their approach in the first innings, it seems South Africa will happily take the draw and with that the series, so it is unlikely they would go for a difficult 5th day chase against 3 frontline spinners on a track that has some life for the spinners.

Sri Lanka have just lost Vithanage at 174-5, but they are batting on. With a lead of 313 and rain around, what are they doing?

I hope SL enjoy this dud pitch...next time they tour South Africa we should dish up raging greentops to expose these FTBs.

SL 201-5 and lead by 340, and no declaration yet from Angelo.......

Gerry SA wrote:I hope SL enjoy this dud pitch...next time they tour South Africa we should dish up raging greentops to expose these FTBs.

Oh your bowlers need green tops to perform do they!!

36 Wickets taken in foreign conditions... not to mention being unbeaten in away Test series since 2006... no, they don't need greentops to perform. They do just fine everywhere else.

mystiroakey wrote:

Gerry SA wrote:I hope SL enjoy this dud pitch...next time they tour South Africa we should dish up raging greentops to expose these FTBs.

Oh your bowlers need green tops to perform do they!!

We won in Galle pal. No greentop.

Graf - the comment is only meant for gerry


doctored green tops is his favourite 3 words

Back on topic, I think Mathews has it in the back of his mind that south Africa chased down 414 vs Australia, and damn near chased 450 vs India. He absolutely does not want to give up a sniff.

Well they are gifting you the series

25 ball duck for Alviro Petersen, brutal

This Test series should be the final nails in both Alviro and Tahir's Test careers.

We have a one off Test vs Zimbabwe where Van Zyl and Piedt should debut.

You get the feeling that Alviro has used up pretty much all his credits. Problem for him is, unlike Tahir, he's got a gauntlet of potential replacements. Even ignoring van Zyl, who I'm not sure should open, Andrew Puttick has had a very good season, QdK of course, opens everywhere else, Andrew Cook wasn't in the greatest form this year, but he averaged 36, and had two or three good season before that.

Big worry is Vern though, he obvious still has like a million credits, but he's becoming a concern. Weight ballooning, hopefully something's done before he loses it completely, because there's a waiting list longer than my bloody arm for pace bowlers...
Abbot
De Lange
Gqamane
Morris
Kleinveldt
Morris
Rabada (if they choose the QdK method)
Hendricks was having a good FC season before he moved up

All down to Amla and AB, and that man for such situation Faf du Plessis.

Elgar bowled off a ripper that seemingly turned across his bat.....90 more overs to go....the big TWO have to play out of their skins

Rain at colombo.
Did Lanka delay the declaration by not factoring for rain ?
lunch taken...and although scorecard shows 91 overs left, i doubt even if there is no more rain if anything more than 60 overs can be bowled.

so SA needs to survive 60 overs.

lanka pay the price for not factoring for rain.
SA earn a good draw battling 115 over on a raging turner

A collective blockfest provides South Africa the series. Amla did play his part with just 20 odd from 159 balls, but everyone else chipped in to save the game on a turner. Quinton de Kock made 37 in 92 balls, and most of the batsmen blocked out a number of deliveries before one did too much to be resisted. Sri Lanka earned every one of the 8 wickets, South Africa gave absolutely nothing free, and in the end the Lankans ran out of overs.
That 2nd innings declaration came a bit too late I thought at the time and with rain around, it was a risky call. I am sure young Angelo will learn from the mistake in the future.
Well done to South Africa, they are back as number 1 aren't they?

I only watched the last hour or so, too nervous to watch the whole day.

One thing is certain, for a team touted for not being able to pla spin, we sure do know how to block against it, and considering the manner in which the ball was turning and bouncing that was no mean feat.

We are now 11 series unbeaten away from home, dating back to October 2007, 7 series wins and 4 series draws. Pretty impressive.

That indeed is a fine overseas record!.

What a historic tour for the Proteas!!!

First ODI series victory in Sri Lanka. 

And now the holy grail a a Test series victory!!!

SL have themselves to blame for finally to win in Colombo. Mathews batted on far too long to boost his average. 

Steyn and Morkel bowled fantastically. 

Hashim Amla showed his fighting qualities in Colombo. 

Questions remain over Alviro, philander and Tahir. 

But I'm so happy!!!

Back to world #1!!!

well its a good and deserving battle between Aus and SA for no.1
SA has shown consistency and longevity.
Aus has shown they milk their peak better.

I think the issues are mainly Tahir and Pietersen.

Tahir is simply not a test class bowler, he is inconsistent, inaccurate and cannot bowl 6 good balls in succession.

Alviro has had enough chances

South Africa should now think of Pete or Harmer, Tahir can't cut it at the highest level.
And a new opener as well. Who could that be? I like QDK to come down the order as he has keeping responsibilities as well. Has to be someone else.......

Biltong how can you not feel Philander's under pressure?

He was poor against Australia and was pretty much a non event in Sri Lanka. 

He's been piling on the weight and he's lost that nip he had 8-12months ago. 

Without a proper spinner, we can't just rely on Steyn and Morne to do all the work. 

de Lange, Abbott and Parnell should be sensing an opening IMO.

Its great going for SA(recent away record is exceptional) but unless you constantly are moving your team forward at intervals(like the all black rugby team) you face that fall from grace like the Aussies..

Got to keep improving and turning over players or you could end up like England before you know it ....

mystiroakey wrote:Its great going for SA(recent away record is exceptional) but unless you constantly are moving your team forward at intervals(like the all black rugby team) you face that fall from grace like the Aussies..

Got to keep improving and turning over players or you could end up like England before you know it ....

Not sure about turning over players. 

The core of the side picks itself. Amla, ABDV, Faf, Steyn and Morkel

Alviro and Tahir are under pressure. 

And Philander needs to hit the gym...