South Africa v Sri Lanka, 3rd Test, Cape Town, 3-7 January, 2012

taipan wrote:

JGK wrote:Indeed.

Let's face it, both are past their best.

Pretty much so. Still think Bouch will go to Eng and NZ. Then if he is wise he should call it a day.

Haddin could be gone by the end of summer

SA should take another keeper to NZ to give them experience before the English tour. The fact is Boucher is not only making runs while his counterparts are but he's dropping crucial catches too often. The experience argument doesn't carry weight with the experience they have in their team. That match in Durban was salvageable without the Boucher mishap re. Sanga when he was on three, he dropped catches against us and he's had another poor day with the gloves. Haddin should go after this test. It seems to be harder for keeper to get out than in the team.

Should be done and dusted by lunch.

Poor Boucher. I've got a feeling he wont go to New Zealand but they'll keep him in mind for England if he finishes the South African domestic season strongly.

I reckon they'll go back to Tsolekile (who to be fair is having a very good season) for the tour of the shaky isles.

taipan wrote:

JGK wrote:Indeed.

Let's face it, both are past their best.

Pretty much so. Still think Bouch will go to Eng and NZ. Then if he is wise he should call it a day.

Haddin could be gone by the end of summer

haddin should be gone in 1 minute by handing the gloves to hussey

taipan wrote:Should be done and dusted by lunch.

I don't think so.

Boucher dropped two catches yesterday.

Red wrote:

taipan wrote:Should be done and dusted by lunch.

I don't think so.

FMD. Red finally got something right. Her 20/20 hindsight is impeccable.

Good effort from these two, just takes one breakthrough though and they'll crumble.

Mathews gone.

And now - the end is near - so Lankans face - the final curtain.

PeterCS wrote:Mathews gone.

And now - the end is near - so Lankans face - the final curtain.

Chandimal can bat but their tail is pretty collapseworthy.

What happened to the other Jayawardene - the keeper? He looked like he could bat in England, when others couldn't. I presume he is injured.

Safs need 2 runs in the second dig.

And they've taken tea.

Cricket is full of anachronisms. The village gentlemen had to have their tea and scones.

Petersen hits the winning runs off a no ball.

Pisses me off how they cut off the presentations. The telecast was scheduled to go to 2.30 a.m. after all.

sh!t! Kallis bowled 14.5 overs in an innings!!!! My word. My my my.... incredible.

Then I realised he was striving for tailend wickets and it all became clear in my mind.

The world's premier allrounder reaffirms his status.

Aye, what stamina! That's 4.5 overs more than he usually bowls. What bravery! To be asked to bowl at such inept clumpers having a swing. I've got tears in my eyes.

Tim Bresnan wasn't playing...

Be afraid, be very afraid.

He has already taken 300% more wickets in 2012 than he took in 2011.

Question has to be asked again

Why was Samaraweera dropped for tests against Pakistan?

Brass Monkey wrote:sh!t! Kallis bowled 14.5 overs in an innings!!!! My word. My my my.... incredible.

Then I realised he was striving for tailend wickets and it all became clear in my mind.

Possibly his double century and six catches may also have contributed to his MOM status.

It's a funny old game, cricket.

Does Durban have a magic power to switch two sides around?

Good comeback by SAf after the big setback in D'Urbanville - back on course for world dominance again.


Q: What do people think about Tahir so far?

To avoid instant verdicts, perhaps we should remember that even Warne did not have the greatest of starts in Test cricket.

Perhaps IT will become a valued member of the team, perhaps not. My own view is that he in any case contributes to a balanced attack, which is important ....

Yes, horses for courses and all that - sometimes you might want to go for four seamers, and forget the spinner.

But that is only if the wicket is very favourable to seam, speed and/or swing, and/or other sides are regularly pushovers, who can be dug out for under 200.

Even if the spinner is not a spearhead, he can be important for relieving the work of the quicks and keeping the batsmen guessing. Which means - for example - Kallis can be kept in reserve, used sparingly or for fallback.

That's generally my view, anyway.

What do others think?

Congrats to the Yarps in refinding their form from T1. Or should that be commiserations to the Lankans for refinding theirs?

PeterCS wrote:Good comeback by SAf after the big setback in D'Urbanville - back on course for world dominance again.


Q: What do people think about Tahir so far?

To avoid instant verdicts, perhaps we should remember that even Warne did not have the greatest of starts in Test cricket.

Perhaps IT will become a valued member of the team, perhaps not. My own view is that he in any case contributes to a balanced attack, which is important ....

Yes, horses for courses and all that - sometimes you might want to go for four seamers, and forget the spinner.

But that is only if the wicket is very favourable to seam, speed and/or swing, and/or other sides are regularly pushovers, who can be dug out for under 200.

Even if the spinner is not a spearhead, he can be important for relieving the work of the quicks and keeping the batsmen guessing. Which means - for example - Kallis can be kept in reserve, used sparingly or for fallback.

That's generally my view, anyway.

What do others think?

SA seems to be adamant it wants a spinner so will only play four quicks at times like in Joburg against the poms on a greentop when it was overcast for most of the test. For them Tahir offers more wicket-taking possiblities than Harris whose inability to bowl teams out in favourable conditions is probably the single biggest reason why they didn't for instance twice take the tenth wicket against England a couple of years ago and why they couldn't finish off teams at home or in India.

Their only problem is when for e.g. Philander is missing, the attack becomes unbalanced because the other three quicks, if you assume de Lange, are all attacking bowlers and added to Tahir there is nothing to stop the bleeding of runs.

Just on Kallis, his bowling looks like it's deteriorated in recent times despite him able to clock in the 140s but he usually does all right on his favourite home patch and the Lankan tail was doing everything in its power to gift wickets in the last ten or so overs. The hard-working quicks were probably pissed off they were being rested then. The last few batsmen were literally teeing off every ball.

Also interesting to note that before this series, keeper Dane Vilas was talked about by some of the SA domestic coaches as a possibility for selection. He made 187 yesterday and before that innings averaged 45 in first class cricket. Given Boucher's woes and the need for someone to take the gloves in the interim before de Kock is ready, he may fit the bill.

Today the role of Spanky will be played by Red.