Sri Lanka in South Africa

[nobbyiscool]

SL 4/ already reminds me of our 8th grade side.

In fairness to Sri Lanka, South Africa's bowlers have all been incredibly good today. They're swinging it, they're moving it off the pitch - this would be a nightmare to have to face up to. Philander and Rabada in particular have been phenomenal.

 

[CakeEater]

In fairness to Sri Lanka, South Africa's bowlers have all been incredibly good today. They're swinging it, they're moving it off the pitch - this would be a nightmare to have to face up to. Philander and Rabada in particular have been phenomenal.

Indeed they have but some diabolical shot selection doesnt help.

 

[nobbyiscool]

The atmosphere during the 434 game was something I have never heard in a cricket match save perhaps for Eden Gardens during the laxman match.

My next cricket-related holiday is probably to New Zealand, but India is absolutely next on that list. I can't imagine how incredible a full Eden Gardens must be when the Indians are on top or are mounting a fight back.

Tough to get tickets there?

(Sorry to others for the off topic question.)

 

[PhatBoy]

My next cricket-related holiday is probably to New Zealand, but India is absolutely next on that list. I can't imagine how incredible a full Eden Gardens must be when the Indians are on top or are mounting a fight back.

Tough to get tickets there?

(Sorry to others for the off topic question.)

I've only watched cricket at the SCG so I wouldn't have a clue! It has changed a lot for the worse since I first went there.

I'm not a card carrying member of the 'any pitch that anyone reaches double figures on has to be a road' club and tend to think the pitch issue is overstated.

BUT.

If I was to design the ideal pitch based on what most countries serve up I'd pick SA. They are fast pitches so they test batsman, they move sideways so they test batsmen, they have some abrasiveness so they can help reverse swing, there is often cloud cover so conventional swing is always an issue. Guys like Warne, Adams, and Murali all had good success bowling spin there so obviously the conditions allow for that.

Yet the grounds are fairly small, the outfields fast, and the pitches true enough bounce wise that if you get in, you can really cash in even when there's green in the wicket.

I'll watch any overseas cricket on Foxtel but the SA tests are the ones I look forward to.


On a side note this is absolutely mesmeric bowling from Philander.

Seriously if someone said to me 'you can have any bowler you want from the last 25 years bowling in conditions perfect for them. Who will it be?'

I'd pick him in these conditions without hesitation.

 

[PhatBoy]

Glad Parnell has gotten rid of that putrid haircut

 

[Sea fog]

Agree about watching cricket in SA - there is always a contest between bat and ball. In Australia these days, we invariably get fed benign pitches which are aimed at lasting the five days and boosting batting averages.

 

[Sea fog]

Lanka following on.

 

[Damon_3388]

Just found out that Wayne Parnell converted to Islam five years ago. Doesn't affect how I think or feel about him, just found it an interesting choice.

From Wikipedia:

On 30 July 2011, Parnell announced that he had converted to Islam in January 2011 after a period of personal study. Parnell confirmed that his team-mates Hashim Amla and Imran Tahir, along with team manager Mohammad Moosajee, had no influence over his decision to convert to Islam. He has taken the name Waleed, meaning 'Newborn Son'.

 

[ioppolo]

Just found out that Wayne Parnell converted to Islam five years ago. Doesn't affect how I think or feel about him, just found it an interesting choice.

From Wikipedia:

As long as it wasn't for reasons similar to Frank Ribery.

 

[PhatBoy]

Explains that god awful beard he's sporting. They look s**t on white guys.

Anyone see the catch faf just took? Reads well on cricinfo

 

[Damon_3388]

Explains that god awful beard he's sporting. They look s**t on white guys.

Except he's not white to begin with.

 

[PhatBoy]

Except he's not white to begin with.

He looks white enough for it to look s**t.

 

[ioppolo]

He looks white enough for it to look s**t.

Tell that to the selectors and their quota systems.

 

[nobbyiscool]

I didn't see much at all of South Africa's innings. I can't figure out why they were able to pile on runs and Sri Lanka have been unable to do s**t. Are Sri Lankan batsmen that fickle that they can't bat when there's any grass on the pitch, or did the pitch rapidly deteriorate after SA batted? The ball has been moving off the pitch, but it hasn't been crazy bounce or movement.

 

[PhatBoy]

I didn't see much at all of South Africa's innings. I can't figure out why they were able to pile on runs and Sri Lanka have been unable to do s**t. Are Sri Lankan batsmen that fickle that they can't bat when there's any grass on the pitch, or did the pitch rapidly deteriorate after SA batted? The ball has been moving off the pitch, but it hasn't been crazy bounce or movement.

Aside from Karunaratne who is garbage anyway, chandimal and Matthews are the only two who you'd say have good, meaningful experience on decks with life in them and both have had poor series. This is a side that's just lost 22,000 test runs in the last 18 months - 28,000 if you go back slightly further to Dilshan - so it will take them a while to get sorted overseas.

 

[ioppolo]

SL is the grave yard of green pitches, can't recall there ever being a pace friendly pitch there in my life time.

 

[Hellgood]

Olivier looks a very likely type. They keep churning out quick bowlers who look right at home at test level.

 

[PhatBoy]

Olivier looks a very likely type. They keep churning out quick bowlers who look right at home at test level.

Has a superb fc record - shitloads better than Parnell.

 

[Hellgood]

Just found out that Wayne Parnell converted to Islam five years ago. Doesn't affect how I think or feel about him, just found it an interesting choice.

From Wikipedia:

IIRC think he made a few changes to his lifestyle after being caught on the weed on a tour of the West Indies.

Had an outstanding yorker when he first came onto the scene in ODI/T20's, somewhat like Mitchell Starc he found the transition to tests pretty difficult but seems to have matured a lot in recent times. Should be opportunities for him to join the test bowling lineup and his batting has been terrific of late too which doesn't hurt.

 

[Sea fog]

Faf's catch and de Kock's catch in the first innings were superb, followed by an excellent Duminy one. SA is traditionally good in the field.

The pitch was quite lively first day, albeit slower than later in the match.

 

[Damon_3388]

IIRC think he made a few changes to his lifestyle after being caught on the weed on a tour of the West Indies.

Had an outstanding yorker when he first came onto the scene in ODI/T20's, somewhat like Mitchell Starc he found the transition to tests pretty difficult but seems to have matured a lot in recent times. Should be opportunities for him to join the test bowling lineup and his batting has been terrific of late too which doesn't hurt.

Parnell still needs to work on his economy, but the signs are good. SA have another 9 Tests scheduled for this year at the moment, so there's plenty of opportunity there, and he's only 6 months older than Starc, too, so plenty of time to work with as well.

 

[Sea fog]

This heavier workload this year may hurt them with their reduced depth. If AB doesn't play tests, they could struggle.

 

[Sammo360]

SA all over SL when they put a decent side on.

Tharanga is the SL version of Finch.

 

[Hellgood]

SA all over SL when they put a decent side on.

Tharanga is the SL version of Finch.

Tharanga is not the problem.

To be fair to them, they are pretty depleted at the moment but middle order is too heavily reliant on the once bankable Chandimal.

Another day, another of the most outstanding catches you will ever see from du Plessis. Do we take for granted the staggering improvements in the capabilites of fieldsmen in the past decade?

 

[chargers 09]

Sri Lanka are tripe away from dustbowls.
Will AB head to NZ for the upcoming test series?


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