*Official* Sri Lanka Tour of South Africa 2019

[slippy888]

Kinda of a shame Faf barely going to play 70 test matches for South Africa for a guy with his ability he should have played 100 at least.

 

[StephenZA]

Was a bit lazy that, QDK looking good... 100 on the cards for him. Needs to take the opportunity. Still a good knock that.

 

[vcs]

Gradually slipping out of their reach now.

 

[Borges]

Excellent session for South Africa; they have taken the game away from Sri Lanka..

 

[StephenZA]

Good hard test batting with a great little knock from QDK. Really happy with that. I`m almost blasé about how our bowling will bowl the opposition out, but am constantly happy about any good batting session nowadays.

 

[SeamUp]

As has been already stated the difference in this team with QDK getting runs again is amazing.

Getting that average close to 40 again and hopefully beyond. Him and Faf were once 50....

On the other hand Elgar has now dipped below 40 (39.58) , Bavuma's is 34.20 & Hashim Amla with Ali Cook/Ricky Ponting ending with his average now 46.95 after this test.

 

[StephenZA]

Getting that average close to 40 again and hopefully beyond. Him and Faf were once 50....

On the other hand Elgar has now dipped below 40 (39.58) , Bavuma's is 34.20 & Hashim Amla with Ali Cook/Ricky Ponting ending with his average now 46.95 after this test.

I've never looked at Faf being a 50+ avg player, but he is a rock for us at the moment, just keeps contributing without anything fancy. Amla has now moved to the top of the batsmen to be dropped next for me. Hurts to say.

 

[TheJammyTurtle]

All credit to Faf, played some really top knocks when his team needed it this season. South Africa batting be in a lot of bother if he were to retire after the WC.

 

[StephenZA]

Great couple of overs from Fernando there.... good knock from Faf, and hundreds in SA conditions continue to remain elusive.

....change of ball helped.

 

[StephenZA]

I hope SA set around 300 and Sri Lanka make it a tight chase. Though that's perhaps too hopeful.

Looks like you may have your wish...

 

[the big bambino]

Not really the same though is it. It's not like Aus are playing all their domestic cricket on green tops and not developing spinners as a result.

Didn't say anything about greentops. We're producing pitches that favour the development of pacemen and not spinners. Which makes us vulnerable to the turning ball when we tour the subcon. So it's not too different to the Sri Lankan situation where we produce players who only thrive in the hothouse of home conditions.

 

[slippy888]

This is epic if Sri Lanka win this

 

[StephenZA]

Didn't say anything about greentops. We're producing pitches that favour the development of pacemen and not spinners. Which makes us vulnerable to the turning ball when we tour the subcon. So it's not too different to the Sri Lankan situation where we produce players who only thrive in the hothouse of home conditions.

SA do produce some turning dry wickets nowadays, which has helped develop some spinnings... but our batsmen still seem to be more **** against spin than they should be.

 

[Maximas]

Funny game cricket, fully expect SA to pull through with the experience and might of their attack compared with that of the SL batting line up, but this is pretty much exactly what everyone was hoping for from a SL perspective, some fight

 

[Heboric]

SA do produce some turning dry wickets nowadays, which has helped develop some spinnings... but our batsmen still seem to be more **** against spin than they should be.

I think we regressed at playing spin, we were ****, then we got better and now we are back to **** level again.

Nice avatar, cant wait for the show to start. Awesome that Benedict Cumberbatch is in it as well

 

[Bolo]

SA do produce some turning dry wickets nowadays, which has helped develop some spinnings... but our batsmen still seem to be more **** against spin than they should be.

We produce a bunch of wickets that offer a fair chunck to bowlers who toss it up. It's not always so evident though. We seem to end our tests in three days before the big turn comes. So we get less practice than we should. But we are ok at handling spin on these wickets (today didn't happen). Our problem is on the slower pitches where the ball holds up and doesn't bounce as much. Then we are Club level

 

[Maximas]

Kinda of a shame Faf barely going to play 70 test matches for South Africa for a guy with his ability he should have played 100 at least.

Well was he not barely scraping into his Provincial team until about 2 years before his test debut? Fairly sure I remember him coming out of the woodwork and then spending a while on the fringe before getting a debut and not looking back

 

[StephenZA]

We produce a bunch of wickets that offer a fair chunck to bowlers who toss it up. It's not always so evident though. We seem to end our tests in three days before the big turn comes. So we get less practice than we should. But we are ok at handling spin on these wickets (today didn't happen). Our problem is on the slower pitches where the ball holds up and doesn't bounce as much. Then we are Club level

Talking more at domestic level.... many of our smaller provincial and franchise grounds are slow pitches very conducive for spin, with spin bowlers even opening in the 3rd/4th innings. Still our batsmen struggle. I realise the quality and extreme of the subcontinent is a big difference but they should realise what a spinning ball at least looks like, which recently seems in doubt.

 

[StephenZA]

Well was he not barely scraping into his Provincial team until about 2 years before his test debut? Fairly sure I remember him coming out of the woodwork and then spending a while on the fringe before getting a debut and not looking back

Nobody ever thought he would be picked up for Tests, he was actually made captain of franchise because they did not expect him to get picked. Classic example of a good player taking his game to the next level, taking his opportunity with both hands and running with it. Now captaining his country and a rock of the batting order.

 

[TT Boy]

Well was he not barely scraping into his Provincial team until about 2 years before his test debut? Fairly sure I remember him coming out of the woodwork and then spending a while on the fringe before getting a debut and not looking back

Had a Kolpak stint with Lancashire and was known more for being a white ball cricketer and great fielder. Still has now more List A hundreds than FC hundreds but back then there was a significant disparity.