Sri Lanka on the verge of fourth successive series defeat
File Photo: AP
Bloemfontein is the venue where Sri Lanka’s campaign in the ICC Cricket World Cup in 2003 started and captain Sanath Jayasuriya set the tone for the tournament with a swashbuckling hundred and the Sri Lankans will be hoping for a similar performance by their current captain Tillakaratne Dilshan or one of the senior players as they take on South Africa in the third ODI of the five match series here at Springbok Stadium today.
The series is at stake for the tourists having suffered losses in Paarl and East London and if Sri Lanka lose here, it will be their fourth successive series defeat following earlier losses to England, Australia and Pakistan. “We need to try and avoid another series loss. We haven’t had a good series since the World Cup. We know its’ going to be tough. The conditions, playing South Africa and all these are challenges. But we know that we are a good side in any condition and our batting needs to click and if we click at the right time we should do well,” Angelo Mathews, Sri Lanka’s vice-captain said addressing a media briefing yesterday.
Bloemfontein is one of the most beautiful grounds in the world and has some excellent playing and practice facilities. The venue can hold around 20,000 spectators and the grass banks here are a popular attraction prompting supporters to bring along and cook their braai (barbecue) while enjoying the game.
This was also the venue where Jayasuriya announced himself as a future star with his first ever noteworthy onslaught in international cricket in 1994. Aged 24, Sanath smashed a run a ball 140 with nine fours and six sixes against the Kiwis on that occasion opening the innings.
Sri Lanka captain T.M. Dilshan said that the tourists were intending to play two spinners for today’s game, but had to abandon that idea as the arrival of off-spinner Sachithra Senanayake was delayed although Sri Lanka Cricket in a media release on Saturday had stated that the bowler would leave to South Africa immediately. The Island learns that Senanayake was not able to get here on time due to delay in obtaining a visa!
Sri Lanka are expected to play an unchanged side for today’s game.
The tourists suffered a massive 258 run defeat in Paarl, their worst in the history, followed by a five wicket loss in East London to concede a 2-0 advantage to South Africa making the next three games must win ones.
South African skipper A.B. de Villiers leading the side for the first time is on the verge of a series win against the finalists of the World Cup, but was aware of the dangers if the opposition’s three senior most players, two of whom have had an ordinary tour so far, fired. “We know Sanga, Dilshan and Mahela are three big factors in their team. They are all world class players and we are expecting them to fire very soon. To be very honest we didn’t go deep into that. We are looking at only our combination and our basics and that’s the most important thing. We believe that if we do that we should win the game. That’s the most important thing.”
For South Africa Hashim Amla has been released on paternity leave, while Jacques Kallis has been rested. Medium paceman Rory Kleinveldt too has been ruled out with injury and his place has been taken by Vernon Philander, who was the Man of the Series in the Tests. Alviro Petersen and Colin Ingram are the replacements and the two are expected form the South African top order along with Graeme Smith.
Sri Lanka (Probable XI)
T.M. Dilshan (Captain), Upul Tharanga, Kumar Sangakkara (Wicketkeeper),Dinesh Chandimal, Mahela Jayawardene, Angelo Mathews, Kosala Kulasekara/Thisara Perera, Nuwan Kulasekara, Dhammika Prasad, Rangana Herath and Lasith Malinga.
South Africa: (Probable XI)
Alviro Petersen Graeme Smith, Colin Ingram, AB de Villiers (Captain and Wicketkeeper), J.P. Duminy , Francois du Plessis, Albie Morkel, Dale Steyn or Vernon Philander, Morne Morkel, Robin Peterson Lonwabo Tsotsobe.
Courtesy: The Island
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The poor underfed battlers of the willow. They will be cannon fodder to the Australians when they visit their shores soon. The Indians have been thrashed with even the great Tendulkar, shocked, reviwing and disputing his genuine dismisals.
The roote cause of the appaling performance of our former champs lies totally with MR and his administration. The poor blokes, once champions, are treated like second class citizens of the country just as other minorities, not being paid and fed in time.
I wonder what patriot Nicholas Dias has to say in this regard.
While the Sri lankan cricket team is down, they need our unconditional support. In my way of Sri lankan thinking, we need to be their with them not only when they are happy and up but also when they are down and dull.
However, I am not here to blame SL government for everything bad or give credit to SL government for everything good. They are responsible for some and not for others. When the cricket team is not performing it cannot be the government’s responsibility. Financial mismanagement cannot affect one’s physical ability and the SL cricket’s coaches have not complained about any hinderence to training etc.
On the passing, I like to put my opinion on Udurawana’s comment where it says “…..are treated like second class citizens of the country just as other minorities….”. I think this is a misleading comment attempting to use every occasion to sling mud at MR, which doesn’t sound very professional. SL never treated minorities that way compared to other so called “non-discriminating” western hypocrites. Quite different from Canada, UK, USA, Australia etc, Sri lankan minorities always had the opportunity to fill government forms in their own language, all government notices, currency notes, stamps and other important documents were in tri-languages. Minorities could do mainstream studies in their own language and this is also a “Unique” situation compared to so called western democratic hypocrites who advocate equal opportunities to minorities. Which western democracy who tries to teach SL how to treat minorities allow Tamils to do studies in Tamil or Chinese to do studies in Chinese?
ND
It is all yours now mate! Enjoy in your twilight years praising the goons. That is how intelligent you are as aptly described by departing NA, bird brains. I would say pea brains. Enjoy while you geriatrics last. Keep on patting one another ‘true patriots’.
Dear Manjula,
Well replied to the fool, Udurawana. This imbecile is, I supect, a diaspora Tamil assuming a Sinhala-sounding coined name.
He blames Hon MR for the poor performance of SL cricket team. Does he blame Hon MR or PM of India for the poor performance of Indian Cricket team against Australia? This shows the stupid ill-logic of this bird-brained donkey.
He ridicules me and AUJ as ‘geriatrics’. Isn’t this a form of discrimination? When has it become a fault in getting old? Has he never learnt to respect his elders? May be he believes he will remain eternally young. The poor moron is deluded.
This is the last time I reply this idiot for his insults, in like vein. It is below my dignity to reply him in future. So I hope everyone will understand. His obscenities has been deleted by the Administrator. So he is no longer able to sully this forum with obscenities.
ND,
I think as you have mentioned in a different thread, this Udurawana must be the same as his own fake. Both are the same Polmudurawana and warrants no attention from others.
Stray dogs can and will bark for ever but humans will not bark back or answer back to the stray dogs. This Polmudurawans just writes something for the sake of writing and thinks others in the forum will be stirred, and if they do this moron is probably laughing.
Giving no attention to his posts is the best way to put him back at his hole. I would follow the same principle as yours and will not reply to Polmudu any more. He can howl as mush as he like.
Dear Manjula,
I am glad you also think alike about this ‘polmudda’. I have ignored him and will continue to ignore him. I hope AUJ also will no longer be misled by this weirdo and will also ignore him. I think ‘polmudda’ is actually a diaspora Tamil having a laugh at us, Sinhalese. His genre (style) of writing is his signature, which has exposed him, who he is. The fellow is one and the same. He pretends there is a fake. But this is not true. How can it be? Afterall, his email address should reveal he is one and the same. He is a ‘Jerkyl and Hyde’ character. The man is a ‘sicko’ in need of treatment in Angoda!