Re: South Africa v Sri Lanka, 1st Test, Durban, 13-17 February, 2019

by taipan Sun 17 Feb 2019, 18:43

Growler wrote:
vilkrang wrote:And that 153 is up there with the greatest innings of all time, against a brilliant attack. Wonderful.

IMHO it's certainly in the top two innings of all time by an opposition batsman in South Africa.

Only edged out by Atherton and Jack Russell - Jo'burg '95.

I put that innings ahead simply on time at the crease, and balls faced. A study of the respective scorecards reveals that Jack Russells innings numbers were pretty close to Perera's, and Ather's more or less double - apart from score and S/R, obviously.

Also, Perera took 66 overs to win the match - an incredible display of batting. In contrast, the English bats faced only two fewer overs from Allan Donald and Shaun Pollock alone. SA have a high class attack today, but none of them come close to Donald for sheer nasty, hostile bowling. Against those two, I can't imagine Perera and De Silva having strike rates of 76 and 60 respectively, and with either gone they'd have blown the tail away.

Taips, how do you compare the attack today against those two?

Hard one to call Growls. That was Pollock's first test test series so hadn't reached his peak. In fact I was at his debut test in the first test of that series, but he wasn't given the new ball then.

Donald was class, and as you say, hostile. The young Pollock had an extremely quick bouncer in those days. In that test they were backed up by Pringle who relied on swing and Brian Mac.

Steyn is 35 now but still cranking it up to 145 when he wants. Philander is now down to early 120's and was probably at his best in the 130's. Rabada has been slightly off song all summer and Olivier is maybe a one trick pony and overdoes the short ball.

I have watched most of these bowlers live and at their peak I would have Steyn slightly ahead of Donald as I think he is the cleverer bowler at setting a batsman up.

So in all honesty, too close to call. I think the pitch had the final say in both those matches.

by beamer Mon 18 Feb 2019, 08:02

That’s a Yarpitulation worthy of the World Cup. Save your energy for the summer, lads Wink

by horace Mon 18 Feb 2019, 13:22

Aye Beams. The Yarpie old good school lads are funny.

by horace Mon 18 Feb 2019, 13:22

Aye Beams. The Yarpie old good school lads are funny.

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