Sri Lanka v South Africa, 1st Test, Galle, 16-20 July, 2014

There's perspective and then there's extreme jingoism.

Brass Monkey wrote:I like Arnold, for a Sri Lanka perspective. He's pretty much the only one who has a decent grasp of English. You want excruciating - try Jayasuriya.

Abeysinghe and Ranjith Fernando are better imo. Yeah, Abeysinghe manages a couple of players, but he's still pretty decent. Sanath can't speak at all...

taipan wrote:There's perspective and then there's extreme jingoism.

He behaves himself in MY country, like a good Johnny Foreigner.

tricycle wrote:
Abeysinghe and Ranjith Fernando are better imo. Yeah, Abeysinghe manages a couple of players, but he's still pretty decent. Sanath can't speak at all...

Fernando's alright - never gone near the Sky comms box though. Don't know much about Abeysinghe. As I say, I just like someone who isn't tripping over their English every third word. Don't get me wrong, I'm not being racial, but it's a chore to listen to.

Brass Monkey wrote:

tricycle wrote:
Abeysinghe and Ranjith Fernando are better imo. Yeah, Abeysinghe manages a couple of players, but he's still pretty decent. Sanath can't speak at all...

Fernando's alright - never gone near the Sky comms box though. Don't know much about Abeysinghe. As I say, I just like someone who isn't tripping over their English every third word. Don't get me wrong, I'm not being racial, but it's a chore to listen to.

So Bumble is a goner.

On Tests like the last one, boring as shit, Bumble's idiocy/lunacy is a f*cking godsend.

Brass Monkey wrote:Fernando's alright - never gone near the Sky comms box though. Don't know much about Abeysinghe. As I say, I just like someone who isn't tripping over their English every third word. Don't get me wrong, I'm not being racial, but it's a chore to listen to.

Yeah, I agree. Abeysinghe's the best of the Lankans regarding command of English. Think he was on TMS this time.

tricycle wrote:
Yeah, I agree. Abeysinghe's the best of the Lankans regarding command of English. Think he was on TMS this time.

Abeysinghe would likely be OK on TMS, it's all the other utter wankers that wouldn't be!

Red wrote:That seemed to jinx Philander but he can certainly occupy the crease in addition to playing shots. With Morkel and Tahir the end could be nigh though.

Except for a 50 partnership for the 9th

Declaration at 450 or Duminy's ton?

JP brings up his ton. Not bat after coming in at #8. Morkel now bowled and SA declares.

And the Lankans get to stumps so far unscathed.

How about this for a misleading headline?

http://www.sport24.co.za/Cricket/SAinSriLanka/JP-Duminy-leads-SA-charge-20140717


JP Duminy leads SA charge



Galle - India made slow progress on a bowler-friendly pitch on the first morning at Lord's on Thursday, reaching lunch at 73 for the loss of openers Murali Vijay and Shikhar Dhawan.

As it happened: SL v SA - Day 2
Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni lost the toss and was asked to bat by Alastair Cook, seeking to take advantage of a distinctly green-looking pitch in the second match of the five-test series.

The surface was in marked contrast to the one used in Nottingham, which came in for fierce criticism for its placid nature as the first match petered out to a tame draw.

India lost Dhawan to James Anderson early, but along with Stuart Broad he failed to take advantage of the conditions and consistently trouble the visiting batsmen.

First-change Liam Plunkett offered greater accuracy and was rewarded with the wicket of Vijay, with Cheteshwar Pujara (11) and Virat Kohli (20) resuming after the lunch break.

Anderson, facing a misconduct charge following an incident with Ravindra Jadeja at Trent Bridge, had Dhawan (7) well taken by Gary Ballance at third slip in the third over, having angled the ball across the left-hander and catching an edge.

Fellow opener Vijay was lucky to survive shortly afterwards when wicketkeeper Matt Prior dropped a sharp chance off Broad.

Despite the early breakthrough, England's bowlers struggled to find the right line, with Vijay and Pujara content to leave the ball as often as possible on one of the greenest Lord's pitches in recent memory.

The introduction of Plunkett offered more aggression and he got rid of Vijay for 24 when the batsman attempted to flick the ball to the leg side but instead saw the ball fly to Ballance.

England again failed to maintain pressure, allowing Kohli to score at better than a run-a-ball, although he was given a life in the final ball before the break when Prior dropped another chance, this time off spinner Moeen Ali.

Both sides named unchanged teams, with England once again choosing not to select a specialist spinner after Simon Kerrigan was called into the squad.

Well, a draw then.

taipan wrote:There's perspective and then there's extreme jingoism.

aye ....cf the drunken Fanie when he gets near a microphone

little doubt that young woman would smell decidedly better than both my bags and the original Fanie De V aka Nigel.

So 3 wickets down by lunch and the ball beginning to reverse for Steyn.

With his two wickets this morning Steyn goes past the great James Anderson on the all time list.

Looks like the Ostrich Stain has revved it up the Lankans before Lunch. Quality pace always finds a way.

Steyn bowling at 157 per the TV caption.

Thought SA may have batted for too long but they seem to be in control at the moment.

And the first test stumping to de Kock.

Actually his first test dismissal.

And now his first catch.