South Africa tour of Sri Lanka, 2013

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^ arent you an Aus fan now?:hmmm:

Not anymore. :phehehe:

[Square Drive]

Noshotsmanne for a T20 side?

^ arent you an Aus fan now?:hmmm:

:whatchutalkingabout Nope, just taking a bit of a breather from the Ashes these days.

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Dominant Sri Lanka Win ODI Series 4-1

South Africa suffered a fifth successive sub-standard batting performance in Sri Lanka to concede the final match in the series - a dead rubber - to opposition who have shown their superiority. Throughout the 12-day contest, Sri Lanka batted with more authority and bowled with more intent and just to emphasise that, they did both even better today despite resting three senior players. Tillakaratne Dilshan followed up his century in the previous match with 99 and shared in a second-wicket stand of 163 with Lahiru Thirimanne who found confidence with a half-century, while Kumar Sangakkara racked up milestones. He overtook Misbah-ul-Haq as the leading run-scorer in ODIs this year and become the top-scorer for Sri Lanka in a bilateral series with 372 runs. With all those accolades, his best mate, Mahela Jayawardene was hardly missed. Neither was Sri Lanka's marquee fast bowler, Lasith Malinga, or leading spinner Rangana Herath. Their replacements, Suranga Lakmal and Sachithra Senanayake, did the damage with five wickets between them to ensure even the flicker of a challenge South Africa posed was suffocated before it find any oxygen. Although South Africa have scored more runs in each innings as this series wore on, they were always unlikely to chase down a score of 300-plus. They have a lethargic bowling performance and indifferent showing in the field to thank for being asked to do that. Morne Morkel and Lonwabo Tsotsobe started well with probing lines outside offstump and had early success. They kept Sri Lanka's scoring rate under four an over and Morkel had Kusal Perera out when the opener bottom-edged to Quinton de Kock. What South Africa should have used as an opening, Sri Lanka grabbed onto as an opportunity. They moved Thirimanne up the order and he responded by building steadily alongside Dilshan. They pair gave themselves time against South Africa's ineffectual spin duo so that when Morkel was brought back, he posed little threat. Dilshan reached his half-century with a backfoot drive off him, while Thrimanne's came with a single off Phangiso. By the halfway mark, they were consistently scoring more than four runs an over and had laid enough foundation to up the aggression. And they did. The very next over, Thirimanne charged Phangiso and drove Morkel with confidence. He could have been stumped for 62 but Quinton de Kock missed the chance. It only cost six runs before JP Duminy took a tumbling catch to see Thirimanne out but illustrated a wider South African problem. Their fielding was not up to scratch, they didn't back up enough, their throws were wayward and de Villiers' communication in changing his fields was almost non-existent. All this while Sangakkara arrived and smoked Duminy back over his head and hit Morkel of all of his lengths. The three fours that came in the over where off a good length ball, a full one and a short one. Sangakkara missed out on a century the last time he batted with Dilshan but this time it was Dilshan's turn to suffer that fate. He marched into the 90s with an authoritative pull and lingered on 99 for three balls before he was bowled by a McLaren slower ball. In celebration of his wicket, South Africa seemed to forget all their plans. Tsotsobe reverted back to short balls and Morkel could not find any workable line or length. His figures were the most expensive of his career. Mathews let loose and Thisara Perera had licence to go wild but it was Sangakkara's presence that made a score over 300 possible. He smacked 49 runs on the on-side and helped himself to extravagant shots like scoops over de Kock's head. He was largely responsible for the addition of 52 runs in the last five overs and for South Africa's mountain being too high. They started gallantly, with de Kock showing his promise with powerful cuts, and 32 runs scored off the first five overs. He remained loose outside the offstump and when he left a gap between bat and pad against Senanayake, he was bowled. The 35 he put on with Hashim Amla was South Africa's highest opening stand of the series. Amla and Duminy put on 25 before Amla also failed to read Senanayake and was plumb lbw. Dumimy padded up to Dilshan and Faf du Plessis' lean run grew longer when was caught. At 69 for 4, South Africa were only headed one way. De Villiers scored a-run-a-ball 51 but was caught at point on his first attempt to lash out. South Africa they were eventually put out of their misery in the 44th over to hand Sri Lanka a 4-1 win and leave themselves with more questions than answers about the rebuilding of their one-day unit.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/sri-lanka-v-south-africa-2013/content/current/story/656821.html

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South Africa turn to introspection after thrashing

AB de Villiers had marked out the ODIs in Sri Lanka as the beginning of South Africa's approach to the 2015 World Cup, but South Africa's captain conceded, after the fifth ODI in Colombo, that the 4-1 thrashing may trigger changes in personnel. His side had been beaten comprehensively in three matches - twice by well over 100 runs, and in the third by eight wickets - and comfortably in the other match, which had been affected by rain. The scale of their defeat led de Villiers to admit Sri Lanka had been out of South Africa's league, at times, and that realisation will now lead to a period of introspection. "We will have to have a look at the squad again. There might be a few changes here and there - I'm not sure, but we'll have to have a few meetings with the selectors and see what they think. I'd still like to think that most of these guys will be representing us at the World Cup in 2015, but we have quite a bit to think about. I don't like to be too negative about it, but there are some areas we must improve and make some hard calls." South Africa's inability to defuse, or produce, good spin bowling was among their shortcomings in the series, as they failed to mount a score of over 250 and conceded 300 runs twice in sluggish conditions. Sri Lanka's slow bowlers accounted for 24 South Africa wickets in the series, but the visiting spinners could manage only seven breakthroughs. "We'll definitely have to work on some individuals who haven't played spin well, including myself. The whole team didn't do well, but then again, they are world-class spinners. They are strike bowlers, where our seamers are generally the strike bowlers. We played a different brand of cricket to them, but when we play in their conditions, we'll have to improve on the way we play their brand. We'll have to review some of the game plans and techniques against the spinners." Though de Villiers said it was hard to search for positives from the series, he was hopeful the experience his players gained would be of value in the years to come. "As odd as it sounds, the biggest positive for me is that we went through this. An experience like this in the subcontinent is really irreplaceable. Guys will become better players. I went through it early on in my career and I had a lot of senior players to carry me through in those times, and I'd love to believe I'm one of those senior players now, to help some of these youngsters become better." Lessons from the series would be carefully absorbed, he said, not least by him, having now captained in his first full series loss. "I feel like I've learnt so much as a captain in this series. I felt like my calls were getting better and better, controlling the team better and managing the team better. Unfortunately the results didn't get any better as we went through the series. It's a tough pill to swallow, but I feel like I made some metres as a captain."

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Thirimanne's calm approach bodes well for Sri Lanka

As Lahiru Thirimanne ambled to 17 from 33 balls in the first ODI of the series, his idol was at the other crease. Thirimanne had watched Kumar Sangakkara so closely in his teenage years, there is little to pick between the pair's cover drives, save for the disdainful air Sangakkara has acquired over a decade of mastery. Not even as ardent a disciple as Thirimanne, though, might have guessed at Sangakkara's capacity for such relentless evisceration as he unleashed that day. At the time, some remarked on how far Thirimanne had to travel before he lost his Padawan braid, but later, Sangakkara would call that innings the best in his one-day career. It is a daunting yardstick for any player to be measured by. Since Angelo Mathews was handed the reins in February, Sri Lanka's quest for regeneration has grown from earnest to rabid, and no one has felt its intensity more than Thirimanne. Dinesh Chandimal has, at least, played the kind of Test innings that have seen him become earmarked as a special talent, and a string of low ODI scores were considered with relative kindness. Meanwhile, calls to leave Thirimanne out for a batsman with a bigger appetite for attack mounted at home, growing to a din after that 17. It is unlikely Thirimanne has muzzled his doubters with his 68 in the fifth ODI, because it is the kind of innings he has played before. There was little pressure perhaps, aside from the personal burden to justify his place in the team. The series had been won and Tillakaratne Dilshan was batting at the other end, fresh from his Pallekele ton. Relative to Sri Lanka's total, Thirimanne's runs also seem to have come at a plodding pace - at a strike rate of just over 73. The 53 dot balls he saw out did not suggest an abundance of fluency. Yet it was an innings founded on composure and spurred by calculation. The early demise of a Sri Lankan opener has been the norm in this series, but embracing a new team philosophy of care early in the innings - an approach adopted even by as militant a batsman as Tillakaratne Dilshan - Thirimanne blunted probing first spells from South Africa's quicks and set about at a considered pace of accumulation. The match situation required little more. South Africa had already wilted once in the Colombo sun during the series, and Sri Lanka's innings have rarely failed to climax at the close. A sharp straight drive to welcome Ryan McLaren to the attack and a breezy blow through the covers off Morne Morkel provided glimpses of a visceral batting talent, but Thirimanne's remaining boundaries were borne of contrivance. The slog-swept six off JP Duminy came after two watchful dot balls, and a glance to the leg side with which he reckoned on his chances of success. The lofted four off Aaron Phangiso was no less planned, neither was the chipped shot off McLaren in the 30th over. Thought wedded to execution should be the hallmark of any good No. 3 batsman and, having moved to his favourite position for the first time in the series, Thirimanne underscored his long-term potential there. This year, he has already hit a one-day hundred at first drop, where he averages 53.6. Thirimanne and Chandimal face the dual challenge of making the considerable leap from Sri Lanka's domestic standard to the demands of international cricket, while also batting at unfamiliar positions to which their games are ill suited. Part of the reason why no Sri Lanka batsman has ever retired with an ODI average exceeding 40 is due to the fact that they have had to routinely launch their international careers in the lower order, as seniors have risen to acclaim in the places above them. Sangakkara averaged almost seven fewer runs than Thirimanne after the same number of innings. "I think as a 24 -year-old, Lahiru is batting a lot better than I did when I was 24," Sangakkara said. "He's got a lot of time and he's a guy who understands situations very well. He also has a lot of shots that he's unafraid to execute. Lahiru is going to be one of those batsmen who is going to be one of those fantastic, run-scoring batsmen who you can rely upon in any situation to score runs for the side. "I've watched him with a lot of pleasure. His work ethic is fantastic and his ability is there for everyone to see. He has batted in some difficult situations and never shirks his responsibility. He just needs a lot of confidence and a strong dressing room to support him when he does make sacrifices for the side." Sri Lanka's approaching batting crisis has been billed as imminent for a year now, yet the seniors continue their plunder as freely as ever. Sangakkara and Dilshan were last year's top run-scorers in ODIs, and they are first and third respectively so far in 2013. Mahela Jayawardene has been less consistent but, as he showed in June's Champions Trophy, he continues to be Sri Lanka's best bet on big occasions. Sri Lanka's ODI focus is now firmly on the 2015 World Cup, and though twenty months may dull the splendor of the old guard, it may give enough time for the young players to rise. Sangakkara, Jayawardene and Dilshan did not tear attacks apart in utero, and perhaps for players like Thirimanne, the promise of innings like his 68 is good enough for now.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/sri-lanka-v-south-africa-2013/content/story/657179.html

[Lord]

1st T20 Match Winner

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Duminy helps South Africa pull off heist

Replay the manner in which South Africa were defeated four times on their tour of Sri Lanka so far and you would have expected them to lose this match as well. The top order failed, the middle order was exposed but only just hung together and the bowlers had too little to work with. But this time, they pulled off a heist despite all their deficiencies. JP Duminy followed up his half-century with a match-winning bowling performance while Morne Morkel and Wayne Parnell finally showed capabilities of bowling at the death. Kumar Sangakkara's 59 was one of only two double-figure scores on Sri Lanka's card as the rest battled on a slow surface. South African fans would not have expected that, after their team seemed to have lost the match before the first innings powerplay was even complete. Sri Lanka's offspinner Sachithra Senanayake plucked three wickets from a top order that has yet to find their confidence. Their bowlers, though, had theirs boosted after they defended a low total which required Sri Lanka to score just 37 runs in the last five overs. Sri Lanka looked set to chase down the total without much fuss when they scored 13 runs in the first two overs. Kusal Perera showed attacking intent but his temperament gave way when he mis-hit Morne Morkel to point. Dinesh Chandimal also seemed in a hurry. He hit two boundaries before bottom-edging Lonwabo Tsotsobe, after struggling with the extra bounce. With early setbacks, Sri Lanka's seniors Tillakaratne Dilshan and Kumar Sangakkara knuckled down and tried to pick singles off Wayne Parnell and Imran Tahir. But all the patience Dilshan showed in the ODI series vanished when Duminy was introduced, as in an attempt to take the bowler on, Dilshan only managed to offer AB de Villiers a catch at long-on. Sri Lanka needed to score 70 runs in the second-half of their innings but with the in-form Sangakkara at the crease, they would have thought it more than possible. While he found the boundary, the rest found the fielders. Angelo Mathews gave Duminy a tame return catch and then Jeevan Mendis swept him to deep square leg the next ball. Duminy didn't complete a hat-trick but he wouldn't mind that. Lahiru Thirimanne and Thisara Perera holed out within six balls of each other and suddenly, South Africa had the upper-hand. With 21 runs to defend off 12 balls, Parnell mixed up his pace in a double-wicket maiden and Morkel bowled a few full to ensure run-scoring opportunities were unavailable. Sangakkara hit two fours off the last over but he could not do it alone and in the end, Sri Lanka ended up with a worse batting performance than South Africa. That hardly seemed possible after Senanayake's start. He exposed Quinton de Kock's inexperience and had the young wicket-keeper batsman playing down the wrong line to one that straightened to get him lbw. Henry Davids also could not read Senanayake. After trying to work him to leg and push him to cover, he went for the sweep to a full delivery and was trapped in front. And then, Faf du Plessis' lean series became leaner. After constant shuffling at the crease, he tried to play inside the line of a straighter one and was bowled. De Villiers and JP Duminy posted a small stand of 27 and Duminy took on the responsibility of anchoring the innings. He hung around for long enough to accelerate slightly and along with David Miller, helped South Africa manage 21 runs off the 16th and 17th over. Miller became Lasith Malinga's 50th T20 victim but Duminy notched up a more favourable record. He brought up his fifty with a slog-sweep off an Ajantha Mendis full toss, which took over 1,000 T20 runs and made him South Africa's leading scorer in the format, overtaking Graeme Smith, and giving the team a morale-boosting win during a tough tour.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/sri-lanka-v-south-africa-2013/content/story/657757.html

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'Nothing in pitch warranted scores that low' - Chandimal

A succession of rash strokes and an inability to handle pressure brought Sri Lanka's downfall in the first Twenty20 in Colombo, captain Dinesh Chandimal has said. Having restricted South Africa to 115 for 6, Sri Lanka mustered only 103 for 9 in their 20 overs, on a surface that presented no great obstacle for scoring runs. Sri Lanka had been 72 for 3 in the 14th over, but lost six wickets for 23 runs thereafter in which time they used up 32 balls. Kumar Sangakkara hit 59 off 53 and remained unbeaten at the close, but no other batsman in his company managed double figures. "There was nothing in the pitch that warranted scores that low," Chandimal said. "The bowlers on both teams bowled very well, and for us, our batsmen we just didn't play to the situation. Early on we lost two or three wickets and then played some rash shots. We played some really good cricket in the first half, but we didn't have anyone to support Sangakkara. Not even one batsman stayed with him." Chandimal said Sri Lanka had planned to use this series strategically, as they looked to build a Twenty20 side for the World Twenty20 in Bangladesh next year. As a result Sri Lanka's most successful Twenty20 batsman, Mahela Jayawardene, did not play in this match, despite being available. The series moves to Hambantota for two matches now, and despite the failure in Colombo, Sri Lanka may not play their best XI there either. "We are giving the young players a chance in this series, because it's the best chance to test our young players looking ahead to the World Twenty20 in five months' time. Most probably, even in the next two matches, only two of our experienced players will take the field, so that we can give that place to a young player. The senior players can come into any match and perform, because they have that experience. We took that decision with the management and selection committee." Chandimal's promotion to No. 3 had also been made with development in mind. Sangakkara usually occupies the first-drop position across all formats, but was displaced to No. 4 against South Africa. "In the last ODI Lahiru Thirimanne had the chance to bat at three. In the ODIs, I didn't get a chance to bat very much so that's why I batted at three today. I'm also a No. 3 or 4 batsman and there was a plan to get some experience in the top order for the young players. Kumar is batting very well, so his game wouldn't be affected. I accept though, that I didn't bat well." Thirimanne's place in the Twenty20 side has also come under scrutiny, after he contributed a nine-ball five, and was caught on the fence attempting to hit out. The harder-hitting Angelo Perera would appear to be the better option for Sri Lanka in Twenty20s, but could not find a place in the side, although he is in the squad. "In some T20 matches Thirimanne bats really well. We also have to look at the future of Sri Lanka cricket. Thirimanne, Kusal Perera and myself can get experience and take Sri Lanka cricket forward. So it's up to us to figure out how to learn quickly and perform well. We're doing our best to do that. Angelo Perera is a really good Twenty20 batsman as well, and in the future we'll have to see what our plans are and what our changes and combination will be."

http://www.espncricinfo.com/sri-lanka-v-south-africa-2013/content/story/658013.html

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'Feels nice for us to put pressure on them' - du Plessis

South Africa captain Faf du Plessis said the plans his attack had drawn up for Kumar Sangakkara, Tillakaratne Dilshan and Thisara Perera, whom they had identified as key batsmen, were vital to South Africa's 12-run victory in the first Twenty20. Sangakkara has been in the limited-overs form of his life in the past two months, and though South Africa were unable to dislodge him, they succeeded in keeping his strike rate in check for much of the innings, as they took wickets at the other end. He had been dropped on 12, but was unable to exact as heavy a toll as he had during the ODIs. "For us, Sanga is the big man. He's the big wicket. If we can get him, we can get some pressure into their changing room," du Plessis said. "I thought when JP dropped him, we might have lost our chance, but luckily we got other opportunities. We had a plan to him as well and we pulled it off." "When Kumar was there was always a chance for them - he has been finishing games for Sri Lanka for years. Sometime in the middle they got into a good rhythm. But I knew if we go one wicket the pressure would be back on, and that's what happened." Thisara Perera has also been in fine touch during the ODI series, a highlight of which was his 34-run plunder of a Robin Peterson over. He was unable to make a run in this match, however, miscuing a slog to extra cover off the third ball he faced. South Africa had ensured Perera walked into a difficult match situation, after striking early in the Sri Lanka innings to remove Dilshan, who had hit a hundred and a 99 in his last two innings but made only a stalling 9 off 19 balls here. "I thought the first six overs were going to be the key," du Plessis said. "If we could get six wickets in those first six overs and not go for too many, we were in the game. That's exactly what happened. We got Dilshan early, which was a big wicket. And then, for me, the other big one later on was Perera. He's a dangerous batsman as well. But we had really good plans and they paid off pretty well." Du Plessis said South Africa were perhaps 20 runs short in their innings, having made 115 for 6, but had secured vital traction through JP Duminy's 51, which then paid dividends in the field. "We finished on a high, with JP's batting there towards the end, and we also knew the pitch does tend to get a bit slow here in the second innings. We were still short, and we knew it would need quite a great bowling performance and some huge character, and that's exactly what we got. "It's just nice for us to put some pressure on them for the first time in the tour. The whole one-day series we were taking it and they are very good at that: they put pressure on you and don't let it go. We got it tonight, and it was crucial for us that we kept that pressure on them. Our bowlers kept their composure and executed their plans." Duminy took three wickets for 18 runs in addition to his half-century, and was part of a South Africa spin-bowling performance which, for the first time in the tour, was in the same league as what the Sri Lanka spin bowlers had produced. Imran Tahir was also effective on Twenty20 debut, taking one wicket for 22 from his four overs. "It's great to contribute with bat and ball, with me bowling more often now," Duminy said. "I'm enjoying that new role. I had a bit of luck with their batsmen finding the fielders today. "The win is a big morale-booster for us. We might have to pop the champagne tonight. We've been dead and buried for most of the one-day series, and it's great to start of the T20 series with the character we showed in the bowling performance. Hopefully we can take that momentum into the next two games"

http://www.espncricinfo.com/sri-lanka-v-south-africa-2013/content/story/658015.html

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Deferred Tests a lost opportunity for Sri Lanka

The day after South Africa arrived in Sri Lanka, the Sri Lanka Premier League's franchise owners missed their second payment deadline, and slammed the door on the tournament's second edition. Sri Lanka Cricket had not quite moved mountains to secure a window for their cash cow, but they had postponed the Test leg of South Africa's tour to 2015. As a one-sided ODI series has helped make clear, SLC's disregard for Tests has robbed Sri Lanka of a genuine chance at toppling Test cricket's best team. Sri Lanka are now ranked seventh in the world in Tests. In 2012-13, they had an abysmal tour of Australia, losing all three Tests comfortably on the most high-profile tour they have had in years. They were uninspiring at home, throwing away a 1-0 lead against New Zealand, and allowing Bangladesh to muster a draw on a featherbed in Galle. Yet, despite the team's shortcomings, Sri Lanka's ranking has also been a victim of SLC's contempt for the format. In 2012, four Tests were removed from the schedule: one against England, that clashed with the IPL's schedule in March, and three against India, which were replaced by an ODI series that bordered on disastrous for the home side. The effects of culling the Test against England are yet to be felt in full. Sri Lanka's reciprocal tour of England in 2014 will also now have only two Tests. In 2013, Sri Lanka were only too happy to acquiesce when the West Indies Cricket Board wished to free up its own players for the IPL, and sought to replace the scheduled bilateral tour with an ODI tri-series. When that tri-series and the window already set aside for the SLPL then made a full South Africa tour untenable, the Tests, predictably, were relocated to a vaguely defined period in the future. While it's true that only a few men in the South Africa side that have been demolished in Sri Lanka also take their whites on tour (and perhaps they are better at red-ball cricket, anyway), there can be little doubt that a three-match series would have been more competitive than the teams' disparate rankings suggest. South Africa's troubles with playing and producing good spin bowling have been the most conspicuous contributors to their dismay in Sri Lanka and, in a country that presents a distinctive challenge to bowlers and batsmen, Sri Lanka are well placed to exploit the widest chink in South Africa's cricket. Robin Peterson had been South Africa's frontline spinner in their last Test series against Pakistan, but on pitches as helpful as any he might bowl on, the ease with which Sri Lanka's batsmen played him might have caused particular worry in the South Africa side if Tests were to follow. Sri Lanka have also been something of a bogey team for South Africa in the past. South Africa have established a 15-Test unbeaten streak in the last 18 months, but Sri Lanka are the last side to have defeated them, in Durban in 2011. Their unbeaten streak in away series - which stretches all the way back to 2006 - is also a feather in their cap of dominance. Even then, the last side that had bested them was Sri Lanka, in a 2-0 win. Hashim Amla, AB de Villers and Dale Steyn are vastly improved players now, but even so, chasing leather for over two days as Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara amassed the largest partnership of all time in Colombo, must count among their least favourite cricketing memories. "We saw how much South Africa didn't like our spinners, our climate and our pitches in the one-dayers," Sangakkara said, after Sri Lanka completed a 4-1 victory in the ODIs. "If we had the chance to play them in Tests here, and if we had won, our ranking would have risen. There is a Test championship in 2017. If we had been able to play at home, where we have such an advantage, it would have been a great thing." SLC offers up its financial disarray as justification for its policy of Test abandonment, but the same forces that drove the board into the fiscal abyss still make the plays at Maitland Place. The board will claim it is not at fault for the SLPL's demise this year, but the tournament had failed to appear financially viable from the outset, and has now become the most high-profile victim of a regional cooling on Twenty20 leagues, following the IPL's sixth-season scandals. The opportunity cost of postponing the Tests may not make a major difference to SLC's ledger, but it has robbed the sport of what promised to be a fascinating battle, and has led Sri Lanka down a path of Test mediocrity.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/sri-lanka-v-south-africa-2013/content/story/657557.html

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Five players who stood out during the ODI series

J P Duminy

JP Duminy only just recently returned from injury. After a snapped Achilles ended his tour of Australia last year, Duminy had to go back to square one. Since returning, though, he didn't look like he'd been out of touch at all. He first returned during the Champions Trophy in England earlier in the year, but showed signs of promise against Sri Lanka. Prompted up the order to No. 3, Duminy posted a top score of 97 and chipped in a little bit with the ball, too. While South Africa's bowlers—even the part-timers like Duminy—were completely outclassed by their Sri Lankan counterparts, at least there is some slight glimmer of hope.

Kumar Sangakkara

Undisputedly one of the top one-day players in the world at the moment, Kumar Sangakkara had a stellar series with the bat. He finished with the most runs (372) at a staggering average of 93. Of course, South Africa's bowlers made it easy for him, but Sanga was impressive in his approach all-round. A subtly destructive approach has made the former Sri Lankan captain an absolute joy to watch over the course of the tournament. Even those who prefer bowling to batting would have been cooing for Sanga's drives and so they should.

Thisara Perera

Thisara Perera proved just how valuable an all-rounder can be and reiterated just how much South Africa are missing a Jacques Kallis-like figure. Perera's efforts with both bat and ball were outstanding. When he wasn't restricting the scoring and picking up wickets, he was bludgeoning the Proteas bowlers. Perera has been fulfilling that role for Sri Lanka for quite some time now, but he's finally properly making a mark for himself. His slower ball bouncer is superb and his ability to hit all around the wicket and bat almost anywhere in the order is a massive asset for Sri Lanka.

Tillekeratne Dilshan

Tillakaratne Dilshan had a standout tour. Not only did he score bucket-loads of runs, he managed some wickets too. South Africa's ineptitude with the bat and their seeming inability to play spin helped Dilshan a lot, but that should not discount his performance. Dilshan has always been a handy extra bowler, but lately he seems to have refined his craft. He has become somebody his captain can turn to when he really needs a wicket. Not that Sri Lanka were very desperate for wickets against South Africa.

David Miller

David Miller's outstanding 85 not out was almost reminiscent of his 100 in the IPL earlier this year. It was straight from the school of "If it's in the V, it's in a tree and if it's in the arc, it's out the park." Miller finished as the fifth highest scorer of the series, despite only one solid effort with the bat. He flopped in his last two games, scoring 1 and 0, but Miller has showed that he does have the ability to perform when the pressure is on. A few poor performances shouldn't force him aside. Miller is one for the future, and on a tour where there weren't many positives, at least he's one.

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South Africa coach says absence of experienced players cost them series against Sri Lanka

The absence of experienced players in the South African cricket team cost them dearly during the away series against Sri Lanka, which the Proteas lost 1-4, coach Russell Domingo has said. Domingo said the invaluable experience of Jacques Kallis, Dale Steyn and Graeme Smith was dearly missed. "We need to manage guys like Dale Steyn and Jacques Kallis. We also need their input in our one-day system. Their unavailability for this tour has shown up through the lack of experience we have had," Domingo said. "I need to have discussions with these players and then decide on which players we want to take forward to Dubai," Domingo added as he commented on the Proteas' next engagements — a five-match series against Pakistan in Dubai and Abu Dhabi followed by a series against India at home. The Proteas' resources were found wanting in the tough Sri Lankan conditions, with Domingo confirming that a lot of introspection and decisions need to be made looking ahead to the future series and the ICC World Cup 2015. "Everyone knew it was going to be a tough start," a clearly disappointed Domingo said. "If you look at the history between South Africa and Sri Lanka, particularly in Sri Lanka, some more experienced sides [have been there] from South Africa and have been turned over so we knew it was going to be a tough series." Domingo admitted that the Proteas were outplayed in all three departments, and said the gap between the teams is a reflection of how much the ODI unit still has to grow. The middle-order was consistently poor throughout the series, and struggled to fire collectively. Domingo hoped the players will benefit from the experience in the long run, but admitted that better planning and foresight will be needed for future tours. "We have a few players like [Farhaan] Behardien, [David] Miller and [Faf] Du Plessis who haven't played ODI cricket in Sri Lanka before, so it was a massive learning curve for them. "Their inexperience in those positions was shown and those are things we need to consider for future tours on the sub-continent, making sure we have the right personnel in those important positions for the conditions."

http://www.cricketcountry.com/cricket-articles/South-Africa-coach-says-absence-of-experienced-players-cost-them-series-against-Sri-Lanka/29509

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:two_thumbs_up: Carnish

[Lord]

2nd T20 Match Winner

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Dilshan keeps faith in young batsmen

Sri Lanka's misfiring middle order has been the cause of most concern in the 2-1 Twenty20 series loss to South Africa, but Tuesday's Man of the match Tillakaratne Dilshan has said the youngsters' failures do not necessarily bode ill for the team's future. Dilshan's 74 not out from 51, was Sri Lanka's primary propellant in a chase of 164, in which three young players - Kusal Perera, Dinesh Chandimal and Angelo Mathews - failed to make significant contributions again. Kumar Sangakkara had held the chases together in the first two games, but found inadequate support from a frail string of batsmen in the middle order. Sri Lanka had rested one senior batsman for each of the matches in the series, in an attempt to allow the young players to bat in more familiar positions, but of the four batsmen in their mid-twenties, only Thisara Perera played an innings of note. Thisara, incidentally, had only been granted an extended run in the team during the latter half of Dilshan's year as captain. "They might not have been successful here, but they have got some important experience from these matches and that will be valuable for their future," Dilshan said of the youngsters. "When I was captain, I brought in young players as well. They didn't start firing straight away, but they are winning matches now. "We knew before the series that each of us senior batsmen would be sitting out a game. That was a decision taken by the management. The three of us can't play forever. In two or three years we'll be gone. These things will pay off for Sri Lanka in the future." Dilshan said he also sympathised with the young players, who have proven themselves in domestic cricket, but have not yet fully found their feet in internationals. Dilshan himself had had an average international record for the first half of his career, and it was not until he moved permanently to the position of opener in 2009 that his talent began to be fully realised. "In our country we don't often see players who come in and immediately start playing well at the international level. You really only see that in places like South Africa, Australia and England. If we had better domestic tournaments, the new players would not feel much of a difference when they get to the international team, but in the current situation there is a big step up. We need to fix that. In other countries that have high-quality replacements, the players below them push the top team really hard as well. But that said, it's time that our youngsters started making use of the opportunities that they have been given." 
Sri Lanka have struggled to find an adequate long-term opening partner for Dilshan in the past four years, but when he is paired with Mahela Jayawardene, they have formed a dynamic combination. They adopted a hyper-aggressive approach again on Tuesday evening, and their opening stand of 67 from 5.5 overs set Sri Lanka on course for the victory. "The start was important, especially when you're chasing 164, it's not easy," Dilshan said. "It's not that South Africa bowled badly. Myself and Mahela know that when we get going, we can put pressure on any attack. We put pressure on their main bowlers and their plans. We know that if someone has to bowl three overs in the first six, they can't bowl in the death. In four overs we took 47 runs, and it worked out for us. 
"It's a lot easier for us and a lot harder for them when there is that kind of pressure from both ends. Mahela was hitting the loose balls away really well. We talked to each other before we went out. We knew we would have to take some risks in the Powerplay when chasing a score like this." Dilshan reined in the big shots during the middle overs, as South Africa made regular breakthroughs. Having needed less than seven an over to win with nine wickets in hand, after the Powerplay, Sri Lanka's slight stagnation put South Africa in the hunt again, but Dilshan said he was never concerned about the game slipping away. "I wasn't worried during the middle overs, simply because of the quality of the start that we had. They only have one spinner, and I knew the quicks had to come in after that. I knew I could hit the fast bowlers on this pitch - especially with the wind. I didn't go for unnecessary shots in the middle overs. I just took the singles and brought the target a little closer to take the pressure off our younger guys. It was a good team chase in the end."

http://www.espncricinfo.com/sri-lanka-v-south-africa-2013/content/story/659911.html

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TOUR RESULTS

1st ODI: Sri Lanka v South Africa at Colombo (RPS) - Jul 20, 2013 Sri Lanka 320/5 (50/50 ov); South Africa 140 (31.5/50 ov) Sri Lanka won by 180 runs 2nd ODI: Sri Lanka v South Africa at Colombo (RPS) - Jul 23, 2013 Sri Lanka 223/9 (49.2/49.2 ov); South Africa 104/5 (21/21 ov, target: 122) Sri Lanka won by 17 runs (D/L method) 3rd ODI: Sri Lanka v South Africa at Pallekele - Jul 26, 2013 South Africa 223/7 (50/50 ov); Sri Lanka 167 (43.2/50 ov) South Africa won by 56 runs 4th ODI: Sri Lanka v South Africa at Pallekele - Jul 28, 2013 South Africa 238 (48.4/50 ov); Sri Lanka 239/2 (44/50 ov) Sri Lanka won by 8 wickets (with 36 balls remaining) 5th ODI: Sri Lanka v South Africa at Colombo (RPS) - Jul 31, 2013 Sri Lanka 307/4 (50/50 ov); South Africa 179 (43.5/50 ov) Sri Lanka won by 128 runs SRI LANKA WON THE ODI SERIES 4-1 1st T20I: Sri Lanka v South Africa at Colombo (RPS) - Aug 2, 2013 South Africa 115/6 (20/20 ov); Sri Lanka 103/9 (20/20 ov) South Africa won by 12 runs 2nd T20I: Sri Lanka v South Africa at Hambantota - Aug 4, 2013 South Africa 145/6 (20/20 ov); Sri Lanka 123/7 (20/20 ov) South Africa won by 22 runs 3rd T20I: Sri Lanka v South Africa at Hambantota - Aug 6, 2013 South Africa 163/3 (20/20 ov); Sri Lanka 164/4 (18.1/20 ov) Sri Lanka won by 6 wickets (with 11 balls remaining) SOUTH AFRICA WON THE T20 SERIES 2-1

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Sri Lanka experience a key for the future

THE Blue Label Proteas :giggle: feel their testing tour of Sri Lanka has been an invaluable experience, and will be beneficial for future tours on the sub-continent. Proteas all-rounder, JP Duminy, achieved the most success in the conditions, and says familiarity and past experiences were extremely useful. “It’s quite similar to India, Dubai and Bangladesh,†Duminy said. “I have been to these places a few times over the years and had a fair bit of success as well. So it’s probably paying some dividends on this tour, I’m very pleased with the way my own game has gone.†Duminy was named as the man of the three-match T20 series, following two half-centuries as well as three wickets with the ball. He also became South Africa’s leading run-scorer in T20 cricket during the series, and passed 1000 T20I runs. The Sri Lankan spinners dominated the wickets table, and exposed some cracks in the armour of some of the Proteas’ inexperienced batsmen. The top-order performed for the first time in Tuesday’s match, a needed confidence boost despite the loss. “Most of the sub-continental teams have world-class spinners,†Duminy remarked. “Being able to combat their attacks is about experience. As you play against them regularly you sort of get used to them and you find ways of getting on top of them. “ We have a great series coming up in Dubai against Pakistan’s world-class spinners like Afridi and Ajmal so it will be a good test for us, especially looking ahead to the World Cup in Bangladesh next year.†Duminy says the team takes a lot of pride from their maiden series win in Sri Lanka against their No.1 ranked opponents. “Winning in these conditions is not easy,†Duminy explained. “We have to take a lot of confidence out of this win, especially with the World Twenty20 being in these conditions. “Experience is the key; these players will get more opportunities against Pakistan and India later this year and hopefully they will have plans in place to combat their spinners,†he ended.

http://cricket.co.za/news_article.aspx?id=2880&section=news&subsection=news_all

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Sri Lanka stay at No.1 in ICC World T20 Rankings after winning the 3rd T20 Match against South Africa.

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Sri Lanka stay at No.1 in ICC World T20 Rankings after winning the 3rd T20 Match against South Africa.

:(( But Atleast Pakistan Is not No. 1

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Parnell happy to be back

Wayne Parnell, made an admirable comeback from injury to play a crucial role in the Proteas' 12-run victory over Sri Lanka in the first T20 International on Friday in Colombo. Parnell says he is relieved to be back on the park after a frustrating period on the sidelines. "It's great to be back in the Proteas' set-up," Parnell said on Saturday after a light training session in Hambantota. "It’s been frustrating being out injured for almost eight months so it was good to come back with a win." He returned match figures of two for eight in three overs, and executed a brilliant show of death bowling with a double wicket-maiden in the 19th over. "The 19th over is obviously an important one so I was happy to get it right,†Parnell said. “Death bowling is such a fickle art, some days you get it right and some days it doesn’t go so well, I’m just happy that I could make a contribution towards the victory. "I've been working a lot with Vincent Barnes behind the scenes," he added. "We've been working on a few technical aspects which will hopefully come right on the field." The Proteas arrived in the south-east town of Hambantota on Saturday, the venue for the last two T20 Internationals on Sunday and Tuesday. They have a good record at the Mahinda Rajakapse International Stadium, where they hold an unbeaten record. They beat Zimbabwe by 10 wickets and Sri Lanka by 32 runs during the ICC World Twenty20 played in September last year. "It's quite a big field," Parnell said of the 35000-seater stadium. "The wicket looks quite good as well, so hopefully we can get some assistance from it in the match."

http://cricket.co.za/news_article.aspx?id=2873&section=news&subsection=news_all