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Ken Borland

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Smith says SA not mentally tough enough 0

Posted on January 02, 2012 by Ken

South Africa captain Graeme Smith described his team as not being mentally tough enough ahead of the series-deciding third test against Sri Lanka starting at Newlands on Tuesday.
South Africa won the first test at Centurion by an innings, but then suffered an ignominious 208-run defeat at the hands of Sri Lanka in last week’s test in Durban.
“I can’t fault the training nor the effort, they’ve been outstanding. But mentally we need to be a bit stronger, that’s the only thing I can put my finger on. We just didn’t adapt well to conditions in Durban and recently, we haven’t played our best cricket in those conditions. But when we’ve toured the sub-continent, we’ve adapted well, so maybe it is more of a mindset thing.
“It’s easier for us when the ball does go through and there’s good carry, but when it doesn’t, we need to adapt, we need to shift mentally,” Smith told a news conference at Newlands on Monday.
Sri Lanka, having failed to win their eight previous tests in South Africa before coming to Durban, were seen as rank underdogs but can now win the series if they beat the hosts in Cape Town.

    “We have had a very hard time here and before the series, everyone was saying that we are underdogs and can’t beat South Africa. But if we play our brand of cricket and stick to the basics, then we believe that we can perform in any conditions,” Sri Lanka captain Tillakaratne Dilshan said.

    South Africa have made two changes to their starting XI for the third test, with 34-year-old left-handed batsman Ashwell Prince being dropped after he scored just 11, being caught reverse-sweeping, and seven, during which he was complicit in the running out of Hashim Amla for 51, in Durban.

    Alviro Petersen replaces Prince and will open the batting with Smith, with Jacques Rudolph dropping down to number six.

    Seamer Vernon Philander, who has taken 24 wickets in his first three tests, will return to the side after he suffered a minor knee injury in Durban. Marchant de Lange is the unfortunate bowler to stand down after he took seven wickets in the first innings of the second test.

    Sri Lanka are waiting on the fitness of wicketkeeper/batsman Dinesh Chandimal, who entered test cricket with a bang at Kingsmead, scoring half-centuries in each innings, but was struck a nasty blow on the elbow while batting in the nets on Sunday.

    “Chandimal’s elbow is getting better, but it’s a bruise in a nasty place. It would be a loss for us if he can’t play, because he did a great job for us in the last test,” Dilshan said.

    The fitness of Dilhara Fernando is also in doubt, with Dilshan saying the veteran pace bowler was suffering from knee pain. The 28-year-old seamer Dhammika Prasad is in line to take his place.

    For South Africa, the pressure is on for them to put another infuriatingly inconsistent year behind them and start 2012 with a win.

    “All these ups and downs – it’s been the story of my career! I’ve played under that pressure since I was 22 and I was probably stupid enough to take the captaincy at that age! But it’s about bouncing back and getting things right over the next five days,” Smith said.

    South Africa team – Graeme Smith, Alviro Petersen, Hashim Amla, Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers, Jacques Rudolph, Mark Boucher, Vernon Philander, Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, Imran Tahir.

    Probable Sri Lanka team – Tharanga Paranavitana, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Thilan Samaraweera, Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Dhammika Prasad, Thisara Perera, Rangana Herath, Chanaka Welegedara.


Tags:
Category Cricket, Sport

Smith’s been kicked around … but still cheerful 0

Posted on January 02, 2012 by Ken

Graeme Smith may have felt like he had been kicked around like a football on the beach in the summer holidays in the aftermath of the Kingsmead fiasco, but the South African captain was a cheerful but thoroughly determined figure on the eve of the Newlands test against Sri Lanka.

 

Smith acknowledged that the team had let themselves down in the shock 208-run defeat in Durban and it was up to them to put things right in Cape Town from Tuesday, and win the series.

 

“It’s been a pretty tough time, an embarrassing one or two days because we didn’t perform to the standards expected of us. We’ve taken a few blows over the last few days, but we need to overcome the emotions and play a lot tougher. We need to make Sri Lanka earn things a lot more than we did in Durban.

 

“All these ups and downs – it’s been the story of my career! I’ve played under that pressure since I was 22 and I was stupid enough to take the captaincy at that age! But it’s about bouncing back and getting things right over the next five days,” Smith said at Newlands on Monday.

 

Having been hammered by a Sri Lankan side that had looked hopelessly outclassed in the first test, Smith conceded that the South Africans needed to lift themselves mentally.

 

“I can’t fault the training nor the effort, they’ve been outstanding, especially since Gary Kirsten came on board. But mentally we need to be a bit stronger, that’s the only thing I can put my finger on.

 

“We just didn’t adapt well to conditions in Durban and recently, we haven’t played our best cricket in those conditions. But when we’ve toured the sub-continent, we’ve adapted well, so maybe it is more of a mindset thing.

 

“It’s easier for us when the ball does go through and there’s good carry, but when it doesn’t, we need to adapt, we need to shift mentally,” Smith said.

 

The captain also confirmed the starting XI for the test, with two changes being made to the team that failed at Kingsmead.

 

Vernon Philander is back up and running again and will return in place of Marchant de Lange, who is probably the first bowler to take seven wickets in an innings and then be left out of the next test!

 

Alviro Petersen has also been called up to open the batting with Smith, with Jacques Rudolph dropping down the order to number six to replace Ashwell Prince.

 

“I faced Vernon in the nets and he had good zip. He’ll bring a bit more structure into the attack – he knows how to get people out, but he’s got good control too.

 

“Alviro will also come up front with me, with Jacques going to six, and he’s carrying some terrific form into the game,” Smith said.

 

Whatever the personnel, it is the team as a whole that needs to react positively to whatever conditions they come across – and they won’t be as seam-friendly as they were for the last test at Newlands, against Australia in November. The South African camp was grumpy from the outset in Durban at the pitch not being as pacy and bouncy as they have come to expect … The collective eye may well have been taking off the ball as a result, leading to the most embarrassing defeat at home since the return from isolation.

 

<b>South Africa team</b> – Graeme Smith, Alviro Petersen, Hashim Amla, Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers, Jacques Rudolph, Mark Boucher, Vernon Philander, Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, Imran Tahir.

 

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Category Cricket, Sport

Herath praises team effort 0

Posted on December 29, 2011 by Ken

A laughing Rangana Herath said it was a whole team effort that had turned Sri Lanka’s fortunes around as they won the second test against South Africa by 208 runs at Kingsmead after losing the first test at Centurion by an innings.
    “It was a whole team effort, that’s why we won. We’re very happy because we bowled them out for less than 170 and we played our brand of cricket. We didn’t do anything different,” Herath told a news conference on Thursday.
    Left-arm spinner Herath, who took five for 79 and nine wickets in the test, said his success was down to “sticking to the basics”.
    Sri Lanka captain Tillekaratne Dilshan said it was one of his career highlights to come to Durban and level the series after losing so emphatically at Centurion.
    “It’s one of the greatest days for my career to beat South Africa in South Africa. It showed that if we can play our brand of cricket, we can beat one of the best teams.
    “It’s a fantastic feeling and great for Sri Lankan fans. As the captain, I am very proud, especially after losing the first test so badly. We will definitely celebrate, we can enjoy ourselves … it might be all night,” Dilshan said.
    South Africa captain Graeme Smith said the Sri Lankans had adapted better to the pitch and executed their skills more accurately than the hosts.
    “We were just outplayed from the start, we didn’t adapt to the conditions. The pitch was a bit slower than usual and reverse-swing and spin played more of a role. We’ve had good pace and seam in the last three tests, but there wasn’t as much carry here and the pitch was slower.
    “But we have no excuses about the surface, we did not match their skills on this type of pitch and our execution wasn’t great. They were better than us,” Smith said.
    The South African social media was abuzz with people calling for wholesale changes to the Proteas team and there was even a rumour on the Twitter network that Smith would resign the captaincy.
    “That’s not the case, as long as Gary Kirsten and the team want me to lead, I will do the job to the best of my ability. Whenever you lose, disappointing things circulate, but that story was too much,” Smith said.
    “When you lose, it’s natural that the selection debate starts, but it’s the selectors’ call and it depends on where they see the team going. But it’s not just for one test, it’s the next six months that matter and our tours to New Zealand and England.
    “At the moment, there’s obviously a lot of emotion around the situation, but there needs to be good reflection and solid decisions made – not emotional selections,” the losing captain said.

Tags:
Category Cricket, Sport

Herath earns Sri Lanka shock win 0

Posted on December 29, 2011 by Ken

Diminutive left-arm spinner Rangana Herath took five wickets as Sri Lanka beat South Africa by 208 runs on the fourth day of the second test at Kingsmead on Thursday.

    It was Sri Lanka’s first test victory in South Africa in nine attempts and follows their defeat by an innings at Centurion in the first test. The islanders have also been through a 15-match winless streak since the retirement of world record wicket-taker Muttiah Muralitharan.

    South Africa were chasing a highly unlikely 450 for victory, but their batsmen once again let them down as they were bowled out for 241 with nine balls left in the day’s play.

    The hosts’ top-order collapsed dismally after lunch, slumping to 133 for six before AB de Villiers and Dale Steyn fought hard for two-and-a-quarter hours.

    Herath was the star performer, taking five for 79 in 30.3 overs, giving him nine wickets in the test and the man of the match award.

    But pace bowler Dilhara Fernando (13-3-29-2) can also take credit for bowling South Africa out in two-and-a-half sessions.

    De Villiers and Steyn added 99 for the seventh wicket and looked set to see South Africa through to stumps before Herath returned with a second new ball that was just three overs old.

    He quickly trapped De Villiers lbw for 69 with an arm-ball, ending a determined innings by the South African vice-captain. De Villiers faced 141 balls and he hit six fours and a six.

    Morne Morkel then slogged at part-time spinner Tillekeratne Dilshan, missed and was out leg-before for five.

    With bad light threatening to end play for the day, Herath then removed Steyn, for an impressive, fighting innings of 43, and last man Marchant de Lange (0) in the space of three balls to end the match.

    Sri Lanka were closing in on victory as the hosts collapsed to 136 for six at tea, Jacques Kallis completing the first pair of his test career as South Africa lost five wickets for 50 runs in the afternoon session.

Kallis faced six balls without getting off the mark, before top-edging a sweep at Herath into his helmet, from where the ball looped to short-leg.

Kallis, playing in his 149th test, was initially given not out by umpire Steve Davis, but Sri Lanka had the decision overturned on appeal.

Jacques Rudolph (22) had chased the fourth ball after lunch from Thisara Perera, edging a wide ball into the slips, where Mahela Jayawardene took another fine catch.

Hashim Amla looked set to play a major innings as he reached 51, but he dashed off for a quick single to mid-on off Herath, which was turned down by Ashwell Prince, leaving him stranded.

Prince was out for seven half-an-hour later when a lifter from Fernando forced him to edge a catch into the slips; and Mark Boucher battled hard before being trapped lbw by Herath, also for seven.

Rudolph and Amla had taken South Africa to 86 for one at lunch after being asked to chase what would have been a world-record winning score to prevent Sri Lanka levelling the three-match series.

South Africa comfortably reached 37 without loss before Fernando extracted steep bounce and forced captain Graeme Smith (26) to edge a slip catch to Jayawardene.

Earlier, Steyn took two of Sri Lanka’s last three wickets as the tourists added just 23 runs to their overnight total before they were dismissed for 279 in their second innings.

Steyn ended with figures of five for 73 in 20 overs to complete the 17th five-wicket haul of his test career.

    The third and final test is in Cape Town from January 3. 


Tags:
Category Cricket, Sport

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    Galatians 5:22-23 – “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”

    The fruit of the Spirit are elements of the character of Christ and we should have the constant desire to become more and more like Christ in thought and deed. But what seems impossible for you becomes possible through Jesus. In him, we are filled with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.



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