Test 2024 Sri Lanka Tour of South Africa (2 Tests)

[Lia]

We've all been there Sri Lanka. That 2011 test was wild.

 

[PhatBoy]

We've all been there Sri Lanka. That 2011 test was wild.

It’s just not the place and rarely the opposition attack against whom to get yourself into a fluster. It won’t end well. That pitch was far from a minefield but it’s almost universally fast and bouncy there so the heart rate goes up, the bowlers are almost always fast, usually tall and doing a bit with it, so when a couple of wickets fall it just seems to lend itself to these scenarios and when your two most experienced batsmen don’t fire a shot - one due to an unplayable ball and one from a really bad shot, it makes things a whole lot worse

 

[katana]

is there some kind of unwritten agreement that australia will not play a test in SA until smith is retired? some kind of sandpaper-gate thing? seems crazy that australia haven't played a test there since.

 

[PhatBoy]

is there some kind of unwritten agreement that australia will not play a test in SA until smith is retired? some kind of sandpaper-gate thing? seems crazy that australia haven't played a test there since.

While I have no doubt that Australia’s attack would do likewise to SA’s paper thin batting, it’s probably for the best from Australia’s perspective that their batting hasn’t been sent there over the last 18-24 months

 

[magpiemaniac44]

is there some kind of unwritten agreement that australia will not play a test in SA until smith is retired? some kind of sandpaper-gate thing? seems crazy that australia haven't played a test there since.

Were supposed to play there early in 2021 or 22 I think but covid was rampant in SA so it got called off, think we're touring in late 2026

 

[Bedi]

i'll be amazed if Jansen doesn't run right through Sri Lanka again

 

[Stig O'Hara]

Stubbs grassed at first slip.

Should have been taken.

 

[ioppolo]

Stubbs showing decent temperament. Wasn't sure he had that in him given he's been pigeonholed into South Africa's T20 team primarily.

 

[yabsy]

SA bat another session & a half declaring at 500-550?

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[Bedi]

SA bat another session & a half declaring at 500-550?

On Redmi Note 8 Pro using BigFooty.com mobile app

Yep and probably all done by the end of the day

 

[Bedi]

Did not expect this test to take the same trajectory as Perth, but here we are

 

[Bedi]

 

[PhatBoy]

Got to feel for the Sri Lankan bowlers here who shot out of the blocks and did a superb job.

Boy oh boy that no ball of Kumara’s on day one is looking so costly.

Maybe it wouldn’t have made a lick of difference who knows but Bavuma was barely in double figures from memory and ends up scrapping together his usual fighting 70-odd as he always seems to do when nobody else gets runs, they make a score that gives them just something to bowl at and gets them into the game and the rest is history

 

[Bedi]

Stubbs/Bavuma > Kallis/de Villiers. Best 4th wicket partnership against Sri Lanka

 

[jackster83]

Bringing your ton up after a review would be the weirdest feeling.

Well done to Bavuma though. Gutsy player.

 

[TubbsFarquhar]

Bavuma had made just his third test century in 102 innings.

He's always been gritty but has just rarely been able to make big scores. Great for him as he's been a stalwart for them in a lean period for them.

 

[PhatBoy]

Bavuma had made just his third test century in 102 innings.

He's always been gritty but has just rarely been able to make big scores. Great for him as he's been a stalwart for them in a lean period for them.

His record of producing scores when coming in with the side 3/4 down for not a lot is very very good for a player with his unremarkable average. If it wasn’t for poor conversion he’d be talked about in exponentially higher regard.

Absolutely he got a little bit of a free ride early in his career due to the quota policy but he has repaid that in his last 40 tests with the amount of really tough innings he’s played.

Not that this particular one has come under huge pressure but it’s a nice reward for a tough player

 

[TubbsFarquhar]

SA definitely playing for a declaration now. They will either do it next wicket or when the lead reaches 500.

 

[PhatBoy]

The lead over 500 now, surely that's enough, a declaration can't be too far away.

Time isn’t an issue but yeah can’t really see any reason to bat on.

BUT.

There will come a point at some stage where a team chases down 500 soon-ish. As much as sides are struggling with the bat in recent times, games have more time (weather permitting) than ever before so we are getting to these scenarios more and more often where teams have these colossal deficits but actually have more than reasonable time to get them, and virtually every side has a player or more that can rattle off 100+ in 3 hours. Once you get into that territory and can, with one big partnership, halve a target, sides can start to tactically work around running down a huge chase.

Not saying it’s going to happen in the next 6 months or anything but the time is approaching when it will

 

[Bedi]

Magnificent start by Sri Lanka but no chance in hell are they chasing down 516

 

[Bedi]

They're halfway there! Another 258 runs to go

 

[Bedi]

Ah crap Chandimal's gone. Runs were flowing too. Knobhead karate kid makes the breakthrough

 

[yabsy]

His celebration is definitely a tad over the top

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[Plugger35]

Jansen ends it with another left arm rocket on the stumps, 11 wickets for the match, he is surely the Castle Lager MOTM.

 

[Del125763]

2nd test about to start soon:


Teams:

Sri Lanka (Playing XI): Dimuth Karunaratne, Pathum Nissanka, Dinesh Chandimal, Angelo Mathews, Kamindu Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva(c), Kusal Mendis(w), Prabath Jayasuriya, Vishwa Fernando, Asitha Fernando, Lahiru Kumara

South Africa (Playing XI): Aiden Markram, Tony de Zorzi, Tristan Stubbs, Temba Bavuma(c), David Bedingham, Ryan Rickelton, Kyle Verreynne(w), Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Dane Paterson

South Africa have won the toss and have opted to bat