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***Official*** South Africa in Sri Lanka 2014
- Thread starter Maximas
- Start date
simonlee48
School Boy/Girl Captain
Well to start with, it was extremely easy to use bottle caps in 80s/90s. It has gotten extremely difficult to tamper and get away now. So many camera's and umpires willing to change the ball immediately if they suspect tampering. You can't compare the tampering done in 80s/90s with current days.
Here was the situation in earlier eras.
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One of the most bizarre - and blatant - instances of ball tampering occurred during New Zealand's tour of Pakistan in the autumn of 1990. From the off, New Zealand expressed deep reservations about the way that the Pakistan bowlers got the ball to reverse swing, and the appearance of the ball. Most dismissed this as sour grapes as the tour had been in trouble before it started. Several leading New Zealanders opted out of making the trip, leading to Imran Khan also absenting himself after protesting at what he believed would be a "mismatch". And then when the Pakistan Cricket Board suggested appointing neutral umpires, Martin Crowe, New Zealand's captain, said that it had to be "better than having two Pakistani umpires". Unsurprisingly, the PCB did an about-turn and dropped the plan.
In the opening Test at Karachi, New Zealand were twice bowled out for under 200 as Pakistan, thanks to 203 from Shoaib Mohammad, won by an innings.
In the second Test at Lahore, Martin Crowe remembered that he encountered reverse-swing for the first time on his way to a second-innings hundred. "Six supposed outswingers [from Wasim Akram] suddenly became six lethal inswingers. I had never seen it before and I became curious." During the innings, Crowe dropped a delivery from Abdul Qadir at his feet and bent down to pick it up and lob it back to the bowler. "It was totally mutilated on one side with two or three deep scratches gouged out," he said. "I complained to the umpires but they did nothing."
After another resounding defeat at Lahore, several of the New Zealanders experimented in the nets with scoring one side of an old ball with bottle tops. "With that technique, even guys like Mark Greatbatch and Martin Crowe were swinging the ball miles in the air," Pringle wrote. "We practised long and hard in the nets and were quite excited about the results we were getting with it." Crowe admitted that he ran in to bowl his normal inswingers "only to see the ball curve the other way ... I'd never bowled outswingers in my life!"
On the morning of the first day of the final Test at Faisalabad, Pringle decided to put what he had learned into practice. He found an old bottle top, cut it into quarters, covered the serrated edge with tape, leaving a sharp point exposed. At the first drinks interval the umpires did not ask to look at the ball and, with Pakistan making sedate progress, Pringle started scratching the ball with the bottle top. Pakistan crashed from 35 for 0 to 102 all out. Pringle finished with his Test-best figures of 7 for 52.
"Neither umpire showed any concern or took any notice in what we were doing even though, at the end of the innings, the ball was very scratched," Pringle noted. "One side was shiny but there were lots of grooves and lines and deep gouges on the other side. It was so obvious. It was ripped to shreds ... one side of the ball had been demolished. The umpires were walking across to each other and talking quite a lot. I sensed that they could tell what was going on ... but they didn't want to get involved in anything controversial."
Although the umpires did not check the ball during each session, they did have it during intervals and at the close. And as the game wore on, Pringle became deliberately obvious in an attempt to get a reaction, even gouging the ball as he talked to the umpire. Still nothing was said.
So eagerly was he vandalizing the ball that at one stage he cut himself on the jagged bottle top. Even the sight of a bowler with blood freely flowing from a sliced finger did not cause any disquiet as far as the officials were concerned.
As old as the hills | Regulars | Cricinfo Magazine | ESPN Cricinfo
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kykweer.proteas
International Debutant
@simonlee
Gosh that was hilarious
Gosh that was hilarious
Maximas
Cricketer Of The Year
I'm a little surprised Kula didn't get drafted into the squad tbh, but I suspect it will be Prasad who replaces Eranga anyway. And yes, Gamage has been doing decently for SL 'A' for a while now, has hopefully leapfrogged Vishwa Fernando in the pace bowling pecking order, would like to see him tour NZ with the squad as a learning experience.
For good reason, we really missed having a second pace bowler in the last test. Lets not pretend Matthews can play as a second seamer - that's silly, with his history of injuries and his record he is a fourth seamer overseas and a third seamer at home, nothing more, he's the kind of guy that ought to bowl about 10 overs out of every 90 the team bowls. Loading the team with spinners won't help either, the saffers don't have that much of a problem with spin - particularly when the wicket is flat like it is at SSC, a fast bowler with an aggressive mindset such as Prasad will be of much more use.
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Swingpanzee
International Regular
I agree with Maximas and feel Prasad is the best way to go. Matthews really can't be relied as a second seamer who can take wickets, he does his job best as a bowler who plays a holding role. As for the spinners, none of them have done anything to warrant being dropped so I highly doubt Mendis will be selected. I think at this point the greatest concern for SL is their weak middle order. After Sangakarra and until Matthews it looks bleak, although there is a lot of potential in Thirimanne and Chandimal they haven't performed at all (no judgement re Mahela since he is retiring after the second test and got out to good balls in the first). It's probably best in the long term to stick with them for awhile but if they don't show up then it places too big a burden of Sanga and Matthews to consistently come up with match-winning performances.
Maximas
Cricketer Of The Year
Not sure where else to post this but there are some rumours flying around that Thisara Perera could be considering international retirement, apparently he is disillusioned with the SL selectors whom he has fallen out of favour with in terms of test and ODI selection, interesting...
Swingpanzee
International Regular
South Africa in Sri Lanka 2014 : AB de Villiers likely to give up keeping | Cricket News | Sri Lanka v South Africa | ESPN Cricinfo
Not a huge shock but now we have a situation where AB might potentially be under-used. He is still a fantastic fielder though so I don't have a problem with him being a specialist bat, it's what he does best.
Not a huge shock but now we have a situation where AB might potentially be under-used. He is still a fantastic fielder though so I don't have a problem with him being a specialist bat, it's what he does best.
Gnske
Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
If he can bat any better as a result he'll be unstoppable, good for de Kock as well, did pretty decently with the gloves despite that one drop.
YorksLanka
International Debutant
I couldn't blame him tbh. He doesn't get picked enough for us IMO and since that is the case, why shouldn't he become a free agent and then earn money playing in the various t20 leagues around he globe?he has given SLC first dibs but he still has to earn a living..
Prince EWS
Global Moderator
Yeah I don't really have a problem with this in a bubble, but South Africa seem to have gone out of their way to structure their side so he can keep wicket. If he gave up keeping a couple of Tests ago instead he'd probably be captain and batting four. A specialist #5 batsman seems a waste of someone who has so much more to offer.
Swingpanzee
International Regular
Well I guess it's more of a what-could-have-been situation, but bottom line if he performs with the bat then no one's complaining, really.
Peterson's gotta score big sometime. Don't follow SA domestic cricket really, and I'm not saying Peterson should be dropped anytime soon, but what opening options do South Africa have?
Peterson's gotta score big sometime. Don't follow SA domestic cricket really, and I'm not saying Peterson should be dropped anytime soon, but what opening options do South Africa have?
viriya
International Captain
Chandimal replaced by this Niroshan Dickwella kid.
Sri Lanka v South Africa, 2nd Test, Colombo : Niroshan Dickwella replaces Chandimal in Test squad | Cricket News | Sri Lanka v South Africa | ESPN Cricinfo
Just hope his career isn't ruined by being exposed to international cricket too soon.
Sri Lanka v South Africa, 2nd Test, Colombo : Niroshan Dickwella replaces Chandimal in Test squad | Cricket News | Sri Lanka v South Africa | ESPN Cricinfo
Just hope his career isn't ruined by being exposed to international cricket too soon.
jan
State Vice-Captain
Does one have to be a keeper to represent his country despite penis-related surname?
YorksLanka
International Debutant
Very disappointing from our selectors to do this mid series? I have to admit I font know anything about dickwella but if he is not performing in the a team, as cricinfo suggests, how can he be promoted into top level cricket..our domestic setup is well below other countries so you can't really rely on that?i suppose on the other hand, it may be a good thing for chandi if he can fill his boots on the a team tour..
kykweer.proteas
International Debutant
I don't think South Africa is losing much with AB not keeping, de Kock early in his career is a good find and the opener of our ODI team, so it is not like he is a keeper/part time batsman. If anything we have gained an exceptional fielder who reads the game perfectly.
South Africa still has 7 Specialist batsmen with 4 bowlers
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karan316
State Vice-Captain
Out now. "Lessons in mis managing your resources" by Sri Lanka.
There weren't any changes required at the moment tbh. First Karunaratne, now Chandimal, this is really bad.
kykweer.proteas
International Debutant
What are Sri Lankas changes for the second test match? The reports I have read has likened the pitch to a road. So from the offset one team would want to bat first and get 600+ to create some pressure... but a draw seems likely, which will suit us...
Luckily Philander is still useful.
Luckily Philander is still useful.
Swingpanzee
International Regular
Gosh I just can't believe tomorrow's Mahela's last test. Would like him to go out in style.