***Official*** Sri Lanka in South Africa 2016/2017

[StephenZA]

De Bruyn called up for the Test squad.

De Bruyn named in Proteas test squad - SuperSport - Cricket

Squad is: Faf du Plessis (Multiply Titans, capt), Kyle Abbott (Warriors), Hashim Amla (BuildNat Cape Cobras), Temba Bavuma (bizhub Highveld Lions), Stephen Cook (bizhub Highveld Lions), Theunis de Bruyn (VKB Knights), Quinton de Kock (Multiply Titans), JP Duminy (BuildNat Cape Cobras), Dean Elgar (Multiply Titans), Keshav Maharaj (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Wayne Parnell (BuildNat Cape Cobras), Vernon Philander (BuildNat Cape Cobras), Kagiso Rabada (bizhub Highveld Lions).

CSA continue to make good decisions regarding the test squad. Good to see.

 

[Heboric]

I am sure if there was IPL of CLT20 AB would have been fit and ready to go.

Source ??

 

[kykweer.proteas]

Source ??

AB has been obe of the main guys claiming that the proteas are playing too much intl cricket, while not missing ipl for anything.

 

[Rasimione]

The selectors have been doing a fine balancing act. We all know the challenges they've faced and i feel they've handled everything well Under the circumstances.

 

[NUFAN]

Tour match starts today, can this get stickied?

Just looked at the markets, I am surprised Mendes is behind 5 other SL to be the highest runscorer in the first innings. Even Chandimal and Mathews are behind the openers. Juicy.

 

[YorksLanka]

Reasonable at from our openers at 83/0. Not sure if the strength of the opposition but runs are good for a batsman's mind..I think that we need big contributions from mendis, KP and chandimal this tour. Would also obviously be nice to see Angie start scoring again too..

 

[TT Boy]

Reasonable at from our openers at 83/0. Not sure if the strength of the opposition but runs are good for a batsman's mind..I think that we need big contributions from mendis, KP and chandimal this tour. Would also obviously be nice to see Angie start scoring again too..

It’s not the strongest of sides. Mix of experienced professionals, kids with little to no franchise FC experience and a few ringers - Olivier and Markram.

 

[Zinzan]

The Tests could get quite ugly for SL in those conditions.

Not sure they'll do that well in the white-ball series either thinking about it, even their T20 side is ordinary now.

 

[Zinzan]

Great news about AB stepping doen from the captaincy, it should have been Faf's from the beginning.
.

I agree, so much to like about Faf's style; & with AB being such a class bloke I can't see any tensions there. Certainly not a Taylor/Bmac thing.

 

[SeamUp]

Saw Leus du Plooy in the T20 Comp for the first time and I thought yes please. Was a schoolboy prodigy and was sort of matching and 'bettering' the AB/Faf records.

88* SAInv 147/3 (36.0 ov, JL du Plooy 88*, K Zondo 9*, HMRKB Herath 0/27) - Tea | Live Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo

 

[YorksLanka]

Big ton for the lad,well done to him.always good to score big against touring teams..
Interesting to see Kumara getting some wickets..Tbh don't really know much about him just that he is a young kid..I had hoped for a bit more from chameera but I suppose he is coming back from injury so let's see

 

[SeamUp]

Can't wait for this to start. Some festive season test cricket. Time to sticky ?

 

[YorksLanka]

Some decent scores from our batsmen in second innings. Would have liked to see Herath get some wickets but we all know what he is capable of..Goes without saying we r really up against it but still looking forward to it...

 

[Burgey]

Terrible luck for SA cricket fans that a Sri Lanka tour is the main holiday season event. Always a dud bash. His Roundness the only highlight.

 

[KungFu_Kallis]

Oh yeah totally I mean it's not like they were even competitive in the Boxing Day Test last time round.

 

[Burgey]

Are you the one home fan in your country who says "Can't wait for Sri Lanka's test tour this Christmas"? Come on, no one looks forward to it, apart from the home players. It's a totally underwhelming part of the calendar.

I'll still watch it, mind you.

 

[YorksLanka]

Are you the one home fan in your country who says "Can't wait for Sri Lanka's test tour this Christmas"? Come on, no one looks forward to it, apart from the home players. It's a totally underwhelming part of the calendar.

I'll still watch it, mind you.

Getting smashed by us still hurts a fair bit I guess? I was always brought up to believe a true fan watches and supports their team in or lose mate, so yes am still looking forward to it..

 

[Burgey]

I'm not talking about playing SL at their home, I'm talking about when they tour for test matches. I wasn't overly bullish about Australia's chances in SL pre-eries. I thought they would win, but wasn't overly confident. Nevertheless it is probably the most embarrassing moment in Australian cricket since the mid-80s, if not ever.

When SL tours, I'm sorry but it's a damp squib. There isn't the historical rivalry to fall back on if the cricket itself is less than inspiring like there is with England, WI and India; there isn't any historical basis for thinking it's going to be massively competitive like there is when SA tours; there isn't the enigmatic nature of Pakistan, nor the delight in belting a little brother like there is with NZ.

It's just nothing cricket: spinners unsuited to away conditions getting pumped by home batsmen who inflate their averages; insipid seamers who are like a bowling machine set to 70 mph putting ball after ball in the batsmen's wheelhouse; mediocre batsmen (especially now Jayawardene and Sangakkara are gone) who under perform regularly.

There might be a bit more in it now SL won their last series when we toured there, but seriously, you almost feel bad going to watch a touring SL test match. It has always been that way.

 

[smash84]

Terrible luck for SA cricket fans that a Sri Lanka tour is the main holiday season event. Always a dud bash. His Roundness the only highlight.

I'm not talking about playing SL at their home, I'm talking about when they tour for test matches. I wasn't overly bullish about Australia's chances in SL pre-eries. I thought they would win, but wasn't overly confident. Nevertheless it is probably the most embarrassing moment in Australian cricket since the mid-80s, if not ever.

When SL tours, I'm sorry but it's a damp squib. There isn't the historical rivalry to fall back on if the cricket itself is less than inspiring like there is with England, WI and India; there isn't any historical basis for thinking it's going to be massively competitive like there is when SA tours; there isn't the enigmatic nature of Pakistan, nor the delight in belting a little brother like there is with NZ.

It's just nothing cricket: spinners unsuited to away conditions getting pumped by home batsmen who inflate their averages; insipid seamers who are like a bowling machine set to 70 mph putting ball after ball in the batsmen's wheelhouse; mediocre batsmen (especially now Jayawardene and Sangakkara are gone) who under perform regularly.

There might be a bit more in it now SL won their last series when we toured there, but seriously, you almost feel bad going to watch a touring SL test match. It has always been that way.

your rants on SC teams are always a treat to read even if they do trash my own team at times. But you seem to reserve your worst (best?) for SL.

 

[Burgey]

I don't hate Indians or India. I do dislike their cricket team and the fact they're the centre of world wide cricketing corruption because they won't simply legalise gambling ffs, and the terrible victim complex exhibited ever since Sydney 08.

I don't hate Pakitsanis, Pakistan or their cricket team. I do hate the element of their team (past and present) who brought disgrace on them and the game.

I don't hate SL, Sri Lankans or their cricket team. This is a common misconception. There's nothing to hate, because there's nothing to ever get emotionally invested in with them. They're a void, a cricketing abyss - featureless, uninspiring, dull (except Herath, but that goes without saying).

I don't hate Bangladesh, Bangladeshis or their cricket team either fwiw. They're Sri Lanka light, though. Hopefully for the game they are better in 30 odd years than SL has ever been in that time frame.

I'm old enough to remember when SL first came into test cricket 30 plus years ago, and I've kind of waited for the rise through the ranks ever since. But they've just been consistently mediocre forever. Sure they produce the odd very good or great player, but for the most part it's just "Ho hum. Lakmal/ Murali/ Vaas/ Fernando/ Mathews/ Whoever to Rampant Home Team Batsman: half tracker pulled to midwicket for four. End of over 168. Home team 3/592". It has always been thus when they tour anywhere. Anyone who tells you otherwise is frankly being polite and is lying to you.

If you're paying top dollar for a Boxing Day or New Year's Test match and SL are on the ticket, you're walking into the ground either thinking you're there because at least it's cricket and I'm going to get on the squirt anyway so it doesn't matter; or you couldn't re-sell the tix after you realised who was touring because no one wants to buy them.