***Official*** South Africa in Sri Lanka

[andyc]

Now if Maharoof can get wickets , I would not put it past Nel, Ntini getting SL out without a significant lead to either side on the first innings

Looks like a pitiful total but as Jason said if Fernando and Maharoof can get some assistance than the chances are Ntini, Nel and Steyn will also.

Have to be right up there for the Griegy

 

[Jono]

Unbelievable.

Jayawardene, Sanga... you guns.

 

[UncleTheOne]

Bloody hell! What's the pitch like, an utter road? Or have the boys at the crease just been too good for the fairly meh attack.

 

[Langeveldt]

God, Murali taking wickets and SA being embarassed.. At least it can't get any worse until we play Bangladesh..

 

[silentstriker]

Bloody hell! What's the pitch like, an utter road? Or have the boys at the crease just been too good for the fairly meh attack.

Well, SA was bowled out for 169. But it really is very flat..so that makes the SA innings all the more perplexing.

 

[TT Boy]

Have to be right up there for the Griegy

Why? Ntini and Steyn did get assistance. Evident in the first hour where Steyn removed both openers, had Kumar dropped on four or something than bowled him two balls later off a no ball. Effectively Sri Lanka would have been 17 for 3 and in a spot of bother. I never said South Africa would steam roll Sri Lanka, I merely stated that those men would get some help and they did (not for a long but some help all the same).

Though, I think a Griegy could be deserved for my comment about this series not being as one sided as people think.

 

[simmy]

Amazing batting. Could be the biggest partnership ever looming!

 

[grecian]

Well the English press made Englands drawn series against Sri Lanka seem like a great disaster.

I didn't get it at the time, I mean Jayawardenene, Sangakara have always been great bats, Dilshan and Tharanga are no mugs, and murali is the most devastating spinner of all time.

So good on you Lankans, only good times to come I feel.

 

[JASON]

Looks like Sanga and Mahela set to take the highest partnership record in Test Cricket .

Also 2 Triple Centurions in an innings of a Test looks to be on the cards next ..

Can anyone enlighten us if this has ever happened before ... Two triple centurions in one test innings.. I would think not ....

 

[JASON]

Well, SA was bowled out for 169. But it really is very flat..so that makes the SA innings all the more perplexing.

To be fair to SA, I think they fell into the trap pretty easily. All pitches in SL are flat but SSC offers assistance to the seamers particularly on Day 1 . In any other Test Venue in SL to minimise the Murali effect, and to get runs on the board first up, it would be logical to bat first on winning the toss.

But at the SSC , it would be advantageous to put the opposition in to take full use of the early assistance, as it invariably flattens out there after (as has been the case in this Test). Whatever Tom Moody might say , I suspect SL would have put SA in had SL won the toss.

I think SA fell into the trap perfectly without reading the pitch ,IMO.

 

[andyc]

Both batsmen bring up their 250s with 29 more runs for the record partnership. How long will Sri Lanka bat for? It is only the 3rd day and they do have Murali, my only fear is the rain, which from Cricinfo sounds to be sprinkling down a bit. Given that it's a pretty weakened batting line up, Sri Lanka could easily bat out the day (if they're not all out by that time) and have plenty of time to bowl them out IMO.

 

[JASON]

Mahela has a chance to outscore Inzy as the highest scorer at batting position No .4 .

To do that he has to score 330 .

I suspect SL will declare once they both reach 300 + or if one gets there and the other gets out , but then once they reach 300 , Lara's record might seem appealing to them !

One has to bear in mind though, the South Africans may fancy themselves batting out 2 days without difficulty, given how flat this pitch is . But Murali and Bandara are much more potent than Boje .

I would expect declaration after both reach 300 , but don't bet your house on it .

 

[Lostman]

umm bandara isnt playing...

 

[JASON]

2 / 584 at Lunch. 6 runs short of the record . Both batsmen trying to beat the other in the race to 300 - Sanga on 271 Mahela 276 .

Boje getting closer to bowling figure of 0/200 - a quick check of the record books shows Khan Mohammad has the record for most wicketless runs in a Test innings !! ( 0/258 - Boje still has a fair way to go to get there )

One hopes Prince will show kindness towards Nicky and let him off this record and off bad records for posterity !!

 

[JASON]

umm bandara isnt playing...

Apologies !! Again SL selection illustrates what I said before about SA falling into the trap of expecting this to be a flat turning pitch from Day 1.

 

[SirBloody Idiot]

Can someone tell me why Sangakkara isn't keeping?

 

[Lostman]

they wanted him to forcus on his batting more, plus he bats at number 3 and with the "consistency" of the SL openers that usually means he is at the crease by the 5th over on a good day and in by the 1st over on a bad day.

 

[Nate]

This is huge. Boje is actually bowling quite well, been unlucky. But still.

 

[SirBloody Idiot]

The record comes with four byes.

 

[JASON]

There's the record.

Damn ! beaten by a few nano seconds !!