0.0 : So, after a big-big delay, finally we have a game on our hands. The game is however reduced to a 10-10 over match. Now, as per the revised play, we will have 3-overs Powerplay and a bowler can bowl a maximum of 2 overs. |
It's the opening T20I of the 3-match series between South Africa and Sri Lanka. The visitors were completely outclassed in the longest format of the game. But, it's a different game altogether and they would look to come back strongly and create an upset. However, their recent form doesn't back them either as they are on a 6-match losing streak. |
The hosts on the other hand would be beaming high on confidence as they have won their last 5 international series. Although, they have opted for a completely different squad for this T20I series. They would hope that their young brigade step up under the new skipper, Farhaan Behardien. They have a great chance to make a name for themselves in the bigger stage and would look to grasp this chance with both hands. |
PITCH REPORT - Shaun Pollock reckons that the pitch is pretty dry and there's not much grass on it. Opines that batting on this surface would be beautiful as it's made for a T20 match but the outfield will be a touch wet. Adds that the captains will have to take under consideration the dimensions of the ground as it is a small one. He ends up by saying that opt to field first and chase whatever is thrown in front of you. |
Sri Lanka win the toss and opt to FIELD first. The hosts have five debutants in their team. While the visitors have one! |
South Africa XI - JJ Smuts, Heino Kuhn(WK), Theunis de Bruyn, David Miller, Farhaan Behardien(C), Mangaliso Mosehle, Wayne Parnell, Andile Phehlukwayo, Aaron Phangiso, Imran Tahir, Lungisani Ngidi. |
Sri Lanka XI - Niroshan Dickwella, Dhananjaya de Silva, Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews(C), Dinesh Chandimal(WK), Asela Gunaratne, Seekkuge Prasanna, Thikshila de Silva, Nuwan Kulasekara, Suranga Lakmal, Nuwan Pradeep. |
JJ SMUTS and HEINO KUHN to open for South Africa. The skipper, ANGELO MATHEWS to start the proceedings with the ball. Here we go... |
0.1 : A Mathews to JJ Smuts, Starts with a good length ball outside off, Smuts punches it off his back foot to sweeper cover and gets off the mark with a single. |
0.2 : A Mathews to H Kuhn, FOUR! Good start for Kuhn! A touch short and outside off, Heino gets back to crack it through the line but the extra bounce on offer takes him by surprise. He however, does well to adjust and guides it past the keeper for a boundary at third man. |
0.3 : A Mathews to H Kuhn, Pushed to the cover region by the batsman. They pick up a single. |
0.4 : A Mathews to JJ Smuts, Full and angling into the batsman, Smuts closes the face of the bat and helps it through mid-wicket for a run. |
0.5 : A Mathews to H Kuhn, Short this time, outside off, Kuhn gets back and slaps it through cover-point for one. |
0.6 : A Mathews to JJ Smuts, Wide called for height! Mathews digs in a short ball and it goes way over the head of the batsman. |
A Mathews to JJ Smuts, A touch short and outside off, Smuts punches it through covers and picks up a single. 10 runs off the first over, a good one for South Africa! |
Nuwan Kulasekara to share the new ball! |
1.1 : N Kulasekara to JJ Smuts, Full and angling down the leg side, Smuts tries flicking it but misses. It goes off his pads to short fine leg and they take a leg bye. |
1.2 : N Kulasekara to H Kuhn, On a length and around off, Kuhn gets across the stumps and tries to play the paddle scoop but fails to connect. |
1.3 : N Kulasekara to H Kuhn, FOUR! Slapped away! Just a fractionally short in length ball outside off, Kuhn rides the bounce and hammer-pulls it through mid-wicket. Not a single soul moved in the field. |
1.4 : N Kulasekara to H Kuhn, OUT! Kuhn is trapped lbw! Kulasekara serves a full length ball on middle and gets it to curl back in a touch, Kuhn fails to get it away on the leg side and is rapped on the pads. They appeal and the umpire raises his finger after thinking for a while. After the way Heino slapped the previous ball, Sri Lanka will be relieved to see his back. |
Theunis de Bruyn walks in next. |
1.5 : N Kulasekara to de Bruyn, FOUR! Fine start! Good length ball on middle, swinging down the leg side, de Bruyn glances it fine off his hips and beats the short fine leg fielder for a boundary. |
1.6 : N Kulasekara to de Bruyn, Plenty of width on offer outside off, it's served on a length, Theunis slaps it from the crease but it goes on one bounce to the cover fielder. 9 runs and a wicket off it! |
Suranga Lakmal to bowl now! |
2.1 : S Lakmal to JJ Smuts, FOUR! Lovely start to the over! Short of a length ball on middle, Smuts turns inside the crease and pulls it with nice timing over backward square leg. There is a fielder in the deep but he had no chance of cutting it off. |
0.0 : Third man comes up. |
2.2 : S Lakmal to JJ Smuts, Wide! Short delivery but it's down the leg side, JJ tries to pull but fails to get any bat on it. |
S Lakmal to JJ Smuts, Fractionally short in length around off, it's pulled across the line but straight to the fielder at mid-wicket. |
2.3 : S Lakmal to JJ Smuts, SIX! What a terrific shot! Lakmal is once again on the shorter side around off, Smuts moves back to give himself some room and hammers it over covers for a biggie. First of the innings. |
2.4 : S Lakmal to JJ Smuts, OUT! That's a good catch! Lakmal serves a length ball outside off, a cross seamed delivery, Smuts stays back and tries to heave it over the leg side but gets a top edge. The ball balloons in the air and Gunaratne judges the skier to perfection at covers. |
David Miller arrives. |
2.5 : S Lakmal to de Bruyn, SIX! Elegance! Full in length and around leg, de Bruyn just picks it off his pads and flicks it nonchalantly over mid-wicket for a maximum. Just the flick of the wrists and away she goes. |
2.6 : S Lakmal to de Bruyn, A touch short and around off, de Bruyn taps it down towards mid-wicket and picks up a single. 18 runs off the over along with a wicket. 37/2 in the Powerplay overs! |
Asela Gunaratne is into the attack. |
3.1 : A Gunaratne to de Bruyn, Angles in a full ball on middle, it's flicked through mid-wicket by de Bruyn and they pick up a single. |
3.2 : A Gunaratne to D Miller, On a length and around off, Miller tries flicking but gets a leading edge towards short third man for a run. |
3.3 : A Gunaratne to de Bruyn, Shortish around off and it's pulled over mid-wicket for a single. |
3.4 : A Gunaratne to D Miller, Fullish and on the pads, Miller tickles it through mid-wicket and rotates the strike. |
3.5 : A Gunaratne to de Bruyn, Good length ball around off, de Bruyn mishits it down the ground through mid on and takes a run. His intention there was to play it on the leg side but he fails to middle it. |
3.6 : A Gunaratne to D Miller, Turns it off his pads to the leg side but the bowler quickly moves across to his left to stop the ball. |
Seekkuge Prasanna to bowl his leggies. |
4.1 : S Prasanna to de Bruyn, FOUR! Bang! Flighted delivery but it's too full outside off, Theunis latches onto it and drills it through extra cover for a cracking boundary. |
0.0 : Three men now behind square on the off side. |
4.2 : S Prasanna to de Bruyn, Flatter and shorter on off, de Bruyn punches it through covers for one. |
4.3 : S Prasanna to D Miller, SIX! High and handsome! Prasanna tosses it up in the air and lands it full around off, Miller clears his front leg and hoists it handsomely over long on for a biggie. |
4.4 : S Prasanna to D Miller, Prasanna drags his length short this time, outside off, Miller gets back and cuts it to covers for one. |
4.5 : S Prasanna to de Bruyn, OUT! Excellent catch! Prasanna gets lucky with this wicket. Serves it short and outside off, de Bruyn goes back with the cut shot but fails to keep it down. Gunaratne reacts quickly to his left from point and dives to complete a terrific catch. South Africa are concentrating on scoring quick runs but are losing wickets too. |
Skipper Farhaan Behardien walks in next. |
4.6 : S Prasanna to F Behardien, Wide! Full and way wide outside off, Farhaan leaves it alone. |
S Prasanna to F Behardien, Flighted ball on middle, Behardien pushes it off his pads through mid on and gets off the mark with a single. 14 runs and a wicket off it! |
5.1 : A Gunaratne to F Behardien, Slower full ball on off, Behardien gets across the stumps and drives it past Mathews at short extra cover for a single. The Lankan skipper was pretty lazy there! |
5.2 : A Gunaratne to D Miller, Loses his line and throws it way wide outside off. Called a wide! |
A Gunaratne to D Miller, Digs in a short ball on middle, Miller pulls it across the line, fails to middle it but still manages to send it to deep mid-wicket. A run taken. |
5.3 : A Gunaratne to F Behardien, Full in length around off, shaping in, Behardien gets on the front foot and pushes it with soft hands through mid-wicket. They complete two runs as the fielder was lazy in reacting and releasing the ball from the deep. |
5.4 : A Gunaratne to F Behardien, Full and on middle, angling down, the batsman tries to flick but misses. |
5.5 : A Gunaratne to F Behardien, Shortish and pulled over mid-wicket. It went on one bounce to the fielder in the deep and they took a single. |
5.6 : A Gunaratne to D Miller, Full in length and around off, Miller gets across the stumps with the flick shot but it takes a little leading edge of the bat and rolls wide of mid off. A single taken. |
Nuwan Pradeep is introduced into the attack. |
6.1 : N Pradeep to D Miller, Full and wide outside off, Miller slices his attempted square drive past backward point for one. |
6.2 : N Pradeep to F Behardien, FOUR! Great shot! Fullish and around off, Farhaan takes his front foot out of the way, knows the fielder is up inside the circle at mid off and rockets it over him for a boundary. A lot of bottom hand involved there and he picked his spot! |
6.3 : N Pradeep to F Behardien, Played to the point region by the batsman. No run. |
6.4 : N Pradeep to F Behardien, Dropped! Full toss on off, Behardien goes hard at it and hits it firmly and aerially back to the bowler. It's travelling, Pradeep tries to catch it near his right shoulder but fails to hold on. Nearly injured himself there. A single taken as the ball got deflected off his hands to the long off region. |
6.5 : N Pradeep to D Miller, Length ball and slapped through backward point for one. |
6.6 : N Pradeep to F Behardien, FOUR! Behardien fails to clear the ropes. He receives a full toss and clobbers it over the bowler's head. It falls just short of the rope and goes past it. Spoils a good over! |
Angelo Mathews is back on. |
7.1 : A Mathews to D Miller, Slower full ball outside off, Miller goes hard at it and drags it off the inner half of the bat through mid-wicket. A single taken. |
7.2 : A Mathews to F Behardien, Full in length and just outside off, Farhaan gets back and hits it to the left of the point fielder for one. |
7.3 : A Mathews to D Miller, SIX! Boom! Out of here... Full in length and outside off, Miller once again plonks his front foot out of the line and launches it over wide long on for a biggie. |
7.4 : A Mathews to D Miller, Wide! Clever delivery, slower one and wide outside off, Miller swings and misses. It's called a wide by the umpire. Unlucky for the bowler. |
A Mathews to D Miller, Smart bowling by the Lankan skipper, takes the pace off the ball and lands it on a length around off, Miller has to generate all the power behind his pull shot and sends it to deep mid-wicket. A good running between the wickets to take two. |
7.5 : A Mathews to D Miller, FOUR! Shot! Mathews dares to dig in a short ball at his pace, Miller picks it early and in spite of his eyes being not on the ball, he nails his pull shot through mid-wicket for a boundary. |
7.6 : A Mathews to D Miller, FOUR! Once again Mathews is on the shorter side, a very poor ball from an experienced player, Miller shows no mercy and thwacks it through covers for a boundary. 19 runs off the over, a big one for South Africa! |
Nuwan Kulasekara to bowl the penultimate over. |
8.1 : N Kulasekara to F Behardien, Slower fuller ball outside off, Farhaan forces it down the ground to long off and picks up a single. The fielder in the deep fumbles but no extra run taken. Maybe, Miller wants the strike. Rightly so. |
8.2 : N Kulasekara to D Miller, Whoa! What happened there! Kulasekara attempts the back of the hand slower delivery but completely loses the control over the ball. It goes way over the head of the batsman and the umpire calls it a NO BALL for beamer. |
Free Hit coming up... |
N Kulasekara to D Miller, FOUR! Cracking shot! An overpitched ball outside off, Miller clears his front leg and bludgeons it through covers for a powerful boundary. |
8.3 : N Kulasekara to D Miller, SIX! Hundred up for South Africa! Kulasekara serves a length ball on middle, Miller picks it early and dumps it way deep into the stand at mid-wicket. The Killer Miller show is on! |
50-run partnership between Miller and Behardien for the 4th wicket! |
8.4 : N Kulasekara to D Miller, OUT! You live by the sword, die by the sword. Nuwan delivers a full ball outside off, Miller once again swings his bat across the line and powers it over mid on. However, there isn't much muscle behind the shot and it's caught in the deep by Lakmal. End of a whirlwind 18-ball 40 by Miller! |
Mangaliso Mosehle is in next. |
8.5 : N Kulasekara to F Behardien, Driven through mid off by the batsman. They pick up a single. |
8.6 : N Kulasekara to M Mosehle, SIX! What a shot! Kulasekara delivers a full ball outside off, Mosehle pounces onto it and slams it over covers for a maximum. Another 19-run over! |
9.1 : N Pradeep to F Behardien, Play and a miss! Slower delivery outside off, Behardien attempts an upper cut but fails to connect. Lets out a big grunt after missing out. |
9.2 : N Pradeep to F Behardien, DROPPED AND FOUR! Shortish in length on middle, Behardien pulls it across the line. It's in the air towards deep backward square leg where Lakmal drops the catch after covering good ground and also fails to keep it in play. |
9.3 : N Pradeep to F Behardien, SIX! It's payback time! Full toss by Pradeep, a real gift, Behardien accepts it gleefully and sends it packing over mid-wicket for a biggie. |
9.4 : N Pradeep to F Behardien, Lofts a full ball over the bowler's head for a couple of runs. |
9.5 : N Pradeep to F Behardien, OUT! Run out! Pradeep hits the yorker length on middle, Farhaan digs it out down to long off and crosses for a brisk single. He wants the second run as well but the throw from Gunaratne is accurate, right on the stumps and Mosehle is short of the crease. No need for the third umpire. The replays confirm the same. |
Wayne Parnell is in next. |
9.6 : N Pradeep to F Behardien, Slower full ball outside off, it's driven through mid off, not much power and only a run. SOUTH AFRICA END ON 126/5! |
A power-packed batting show by South Africa to post a big total on the board. Their intentions were quite clear right from the beginning as all the batsmen tried to score at a brisk rate. They however kept losing wickets in the process too. |
David Miller though provided the real impetus with his whirlwind knock and along with a cameo from skipper Farhaan Behardien, he powered the South African total past the 100-run mark. The Sri Lankan bowling struggled on a flat pitch and small ground but still managed to nip in five wickets. The variation in pace holds the key and let's see how South Africa fare with the ball. Do join us in a very short while for the chase. |