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Sri Lanka v South Africa | 2nd Test | July 24-28, 2014 | Colombo (SSC)

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The approach has been spot on from the Saffers, for the most part. You cannot afford to give Lanka a big lead. They would have had to bat like this in the fourth innings so might as well start the grind from here, shave off most of the lead and then go from there.
 
Hashim Amla with his 22nd ton. Clutch player, always scores in the most difficult conditions. Outscored his entire team for the second time on this tour.
 
Russell Arnold has got to be competing with Shastri and Michael Cole as the most annoying commentator of all time.

His commentating along with the strange audibles of the Lankan players makes me want to mute the tv.
 
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Bilal7 said:
Andre Russell has got to be competing with Shastri and Michael Cole as the most annoying commentator of all time.

His commentating along with the strange audibles of the Lankan players makes me want to mute the tv.
Click to expand...

What :holding
 
Brilliant innings this, especially because he was out of his comfort zone.
 
Says skysports everywhere..I wouldn't have asked if I hadn't checked.anyone knows who is broadcasting? ?
 
Jimmy: "Amla consistently getting singles on the 4th ball. Ideal at this stage. What a man!!"
 
SA clearly going for the draw and rightly so since they just don't look good enough winning this test match on such a surface. Their batting strategy though has been too negative and without Amla's brilliant innings (probably the best this year) that scorecard will look embarrassing. But the fact of the matter is that SA have 0 quality spinners and probably what will let them down in their bid to be worlds number 1 test side. South Africa could have even wished for a Nathan Lyon (very good) type of spinner.
 
Hope the Pak players are watching this. If you do lose early wickets, make life hell for the opposition bowlers and don't just give your wicket away.
 
Parag: "Slowly and steadily, Amla has made sure that SA will not bat for more than 3-4 sessions in last innings."

Importance of :amla innings.
 
That backfoot punch Amla played in the last session was just out of this world :amla
 
^ Reminds me a lot of Sachin when he does. Was classy even in one of his slowest innings ever.
 
lilFlip said:
:O

What happened to SA?

I thought it was a flat track

kudos to Sri Lanka
Click to expand...

They started their innings with the intent to draw the game I guess which backfired..They were just killing the time instead of scoring.
 
SL is in the drivers seat. Try and get 200 more runs then declare with 20 overs to go before stumps.
 
I was afraid about this situation. SA took out so much time out of this game but still gave such a huge lead to SL due to intentionally not trying to score. Now again have to bat under pressure on the 5th day. SA approach made this 400 runs look like 600 runs.
 
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Boys have it all to dO here.
Whatever the outcome of the match, they've played some good cricket.
Hey Faf!, here is another lost cause for you :)
 
SRI should win this set a target of 400 and set themselves 105-110 overs to get 10 wickets
 
Sri Lanka need a bold declaration IMO.
SA wll not be gifting their wickets away, they have shown in the past that they can knuckle down when the match is out of reach.
Amla made an aggressive declaration which Lanka need as well, I think an even bolder declaration is needed here.
Give SA 300 runs to win. That's a good bait IMO, but out of reach. Facing 3 spinners on the final day won't be easy.
 
SL need to be really vigilant. It's about this time that Philtamperer starts "playing with the ball".
 
Srilanka doesn't need a bold declaration, they need to recognize it's time for proper one day/T20 style batting whether it's a Test or not. The lead is 150, and once it gets to 360, they are safe because SA won't try for the target even though they are actually very capable of scoring it. That gives them 45 overs to get 210 runs, and they would be best advised not to play defensively just because it's a Test. Mathews said beforehand they wouldn't mind risking a loss, and this approach isn't really risking it. They batted fast in the first innings, now they really have to tell Kaushal Silva to get a move in, or even promote Vithanage to speed it up. Nothing particularly crazy has to be done to get 210 in 45.

South Africa have been naive in a particularly interesting way. Everyone knows how the truly naive behave; people with no experience at all- they will just jump in and assume the best. The kind that just buy in a stock market without any second thought and hold on with no doubts at all or bat in a carefree way with no thought at all. The WORSE way to be naive is the 'wisdom' of those who have been stung a little and learn never to risk. The real irony is this second type of naive people, lose out when the really naive guys would get a glorious win.

SA are World #1 (unless they lose), they are the better side, they are in the lead against an inferior team on a track which is doing nothing and instead of just playing normally and possibly winning they take the 'sensible' option of blocking like turtles. Much like the villains in movies and video-games with 10,000 man strong armies which could destroy the hero in seconds, they are sitting in their fortress doing nothing waiting for the guards die one by one, instead of just playing normally and getting the win.

The result of this match will be pretty much the same as what happens in video games and films; the hero will eventually break through the defences because really that's what is always going to happen when only one side is trying to do something.
 
My point is Lanka don't need 350+ runs to win this test.
That attitude might deny them victory.
Let me put it this way, this game is in the bag (almost), and the longer they bat, the shorteR the chances of winning this game.
South Africa can bat time, but how long is the real question.
Lanka batting quickly is pretty much a prerequisite, but the should not keep SA on the field for too long. Get South Africa strapped as quickly as possible.
 
SL need to go in positive. Sanga and Mahela are experienced. They will know that they have to go in with an aggressive attitude. Don't just 'wait till we bat out 2 sessions and see how it goes'. Just go for the kill. Try and go for the big strokes every handful of overs. It will push SA back and crush their mentality.

If SL show any essence or shred of hesitation, SA will be all over them like a rash. SA are rightfully the best in the world for a reason. They have the mettle to stage a fightback and its up to SL to prevent that from happening.
 
OZGOD said:
SL need to be really vigilant. It's about this time that Philtamperer starts "playing with the ball".
Click to expand...

:))) So True.

Nice so to see you here.Haven't seen you active lately.
 
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I feel SL has enough time to put runs and then have a go at SA for 4 sessions. On 5th day pitch it won't be easy.

SL is already ahead by 150 and SA has been looking only to bat out time here. I will say, SL should simply score quickly and put SA as soon as possible. Definitely by tea , SA should be batting. I hope that Mathews keep batting longer.
 
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I think SA too have the chance to win this test.., if SL collapsed.. When you try some quick runs there's a chance to lose quick wicket too..
 
If Lanka try to get too many runs, they might end up collapsing and give South Africa a 2:0 series win. They should only be aiming to score 100 runs in the first session today and then go all out in the second session. Then declare after Tea and open with Herath and Perera.

For all his brilliant work, Amla is going to need to score another century to save South Africa here.
 
Someone get Dilruwan a translator. Man sounds nervous as hell and lots of "I uggg.........ughhhh...........um.............I..........". Painful to watch the man struggle.
 
Tharanga edges as usual and catch is too short. This guy needs to stop getting out by edging behind. This is the only way he gets out. Someone mentioned that 80% of dismissals are caught behind by WK or slips WTFFFF ?
 
Umpire gets mad at Kaushal Silva and orders " Don't stand in the middle of the pitch when talking and strap your pad"
 
Tharanga could have become a better batsmen if he had been guided by a good batting coach. Superb timing by the fisherman.
 
Faf Duplesis tries to jump over the pitch, fails and lands right on middle of the pitch :facepalm:

Du Plesis fail.jpg
 
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