South Africa [307/6] beat Sri Lanka 186 by 121 runs in the second ODI, lead series 2-0

[SL_Fan]

South Africa Squad

AB de Villiers*, HM Amla, F Behardien, Q de Kock†, JP Duminy, F du Plessis, Imran Tahir, DA Miller, CH Morris, L Ngidi, WD Parnell, AL Phehlukwayo, D Pretorius, K Rabada, T Shamsi

Sri Lanka Squad

WU Tharanga*, JRMWS Bandara, LD Chandimal†, DM de Silva, PC de Silva, N Dickwella†, DAS Gunaratne, KMDN Kulasekara, CBRLS Kumara, RAS Lakmal, LD Madushanka, BKG Mendis, SS Pathirana, PADLR Sandakan, JDF Vandersay, DS Weerakkody

[Pollack]

Damn ! ! do anyone apart from South African fans watch these?Why??

[Kaiser_Soze]

It is difficult to track Lankan teams these days. New comers left,right and center

[Markhor]

Not a lot of exciting or recognisable names in this average looking Sri Lankan team. Dickwella, Chaturunga de Silva, Pathirana, Gunaratne and top it all off you have Upul Tharanga as captain.

[Markhor]

Damn ! ! do anyone apart from South African fans watch these?Why??

Series like these are precisely what's wrong with international cricket. Meaningless bilaterals where there's nothing riding on the results.

The ODI league that the ICC are planning to introduce can't come soon enough.

[Markhor]

South Africa off to a flyer. Looking set for a total around 300.

[Protea Fan]

Slow pitch....SL spinners may loves that

Always love seenig AB and faf batting together....hope they stick their for a while

[Markhor]

De Villiers gone ! Sri Lanka have taken a couple of quick wickets.

[Abdullah719]

Mature knock by Miller.

[Buffet]

300+ should be enough.

[Ab Fan]

Well played..Faf and Miller..!!!

[Ozymandiasza]

4 down. SL doing horribly.

[soso_killer]

Tahir is a monster in LOI's cricket

[Ozymandiasza]

Tahir is a monster in LOI's cricket

Indeed. I'm looking for a thread to bump

[Nikhil_cric]

Tahir is a monster in LOI's cricket

Best LOI spinner since Murali.

[speedking]

when will srilanka learn?? they have pacers like chameera, prasad and kumara but instead are playing with trundlers!!!! 10 years and u tharanga still can't bat

[Ashraful_Rox]

I hope South Africa wins this match by 100+ runs, need to pick up a couple of quick wickets here

[Ashraful_Rox]

Is this kid Andile Phehlukwayo any good?

[Chief Destroyer]

Man, Sri Lanka is such a soulless team these days. I'd rather watch Afghanistan over them.

[Ozymandiasza]

Is this kid Andile Phehlukwayo any good?

66 ODI batting average

He's seems pretty decent though, a bit young to make a final judgement.

[Chief Destroyer]

Is this kid Andile Phehlukwayo any good?

Nah, nothing cricketer.

[soso_killer]

66 ODI batting average

He's seems pretty decent though, a bit young to make a final judgement.

I didn't watch the T20's, tell me about Ngidi. What did you make of him? At what speed does he operate? How consistent is he in terms of line and length?
When fit who should he replace? Parnell? As we already have Morris who's always hemorrhaging runs.
That could cost us in the Champions Trophy.
What's our best bowling combination? I'm worried regarding our LOI's pace attack.

[Ozymandiasza]

I didn't watch the T20's, tell me about Ngidi. What did you make of him? At what speed does he operate? How consistent is he in terms of line and length?
When fit who should he replace? Parnell? As we already have Morris who's always hemorrhaging runs.
That could cost us in the Champions Trophy.
What's our best bowling combination? I'm worried regarding our LOI's pace attack.

So many questions I didn't watch the T20s either. This is a first match since the tests I've actually watched bits of. Attempting to answer your questions would be dishonest.

Maybe they're getting this series in the bag and then we can experiment? Knowing our traditionally conservative approach (to essentially all matters), I think they'll go with proven and tested combinations for the CT. I'd like to see youngsters make up the bulk of the team though.

[soso_killer]

So many questions I didn't watch the T20s either. This is a first match since the tests I've actually watched bits of. Attempting to answer your questions would be dishonest.

Maybe they're getting this series in the bag and then we can experiment? Knowing our traditionally conservative approach (to essentially all matters), I think they'll go with proven and tested combinations for the CT. I'd like to see youngsters make up the bulk of the team though.

What's our best bowling combination going forward?
Morne, Rabada, Morris, Parnell/Phehlukwayo and Tahir?
Looks weak though.

[soso_killer]

This has got to be one of the least competitive series I've seen in SA in a very long time. Very disappointing.

[Chief Destroyer]

What's our best bowling combination going forward?
Morne, Rabada, Morris, Parnell/Phehlukwayo and Tahir?
Looks weak though.

I'd play Rabada, Parnell, Ngidi, Tahir, Morris/Morkel(depending on what's required).

[Ozymandiasza]

What's our best bowling combination going forward?
Morne, Rabada, Morris, Parnell/Phehlukwayo and Tahir?
Looks weak though.

I think we can a few have categories, barring any injuries:

Definitely: Tahir, Rabada
All rounders: Morris, Parnell
Likely: Phehlukwayo, Ngidi, Morne

Personally, I like the idea of having 2 allrounders in the team. Unfortunately, both Parnell and Morris are quite inconsistent. So, definitely + all rounders + one of the likely? You're right though, it does look rather weak.

[Buffet]

SL hardly wins away, but not competing at all is a bit too much. Watching SL right now is painful. Puts Aus performance in SL in perspective.

[MenInG]

FAF DU PLESSIS and David Miller scored centuries apiece to set the Standard Bank Proteas up for a 121-run victory over Sri Lanka in the second Momentum ODI at Sahara Stadium Kingsmead on Wednesday. This gives the Proteas a 2-0 lead in the series, leading into the third match at the Bidvest Wanderers Stadium on Saturday.

The pair came together after the Proteas, having been sent into bat, were reduced to 108/4 in the 20th over.

They quickly adapted to the pace of the wicket and excelled with their placement of the ball and their running between the wickets. Du Plessis made his seventh ODI century (105 off 120 balls, 7 fours and a six) and Miller his fourth (117 not out off 98 balls, 3 fours and 6 sixes) as they shared a record fifth wicket partnership against Sri Lanka of 117, beating the previous best of 100 between Neil McKenzie and Mark Boucher.

It was Miller’s second ODI century in a row at the ground where he started his first-class career following his match-winning century against Australia last year.

This partnership revealed the essential difference between the two teams as Sri Lanka once again struggled to put partnerships together with their best effort being the 45 for the first wicket between Niroshan Dickwella and Upul Tharanga,

For good measure Du Plessis also took three catches, the first of which to dismiss Dickwella was quite outstanding to be named Momentum Man of the Match.

The Sri Lankan wickets were shared around with Wayne Parnell, Imran Tahir and JP Duminy claiming two wickets each.

[Hasan123]

Lankans not even competing. Sad times.

[GenericBrand]

Why the heck did Lanka even get a 5 match series?

[Pantani]

Sri Lanka are pants in limited overs cricket these days. There is a chronic lack of power hitters, so in the modern ODI game Sri Lanka haven't got the right team composition. Also there is a trend of sticking to tried and tested failures. Upul Tharanga is like the Sri Lankan Imran Farhat. He was finished in 2013 when he made the first of now many comebacks into the team. It's been four years since then and he still gets selected, in all formats. He hasn't been a useful batsman since 2011. Finally a lot of key players are injury prone. If it's not Mathews, it's Chandimal, and if it isn't Chandimal then it's Prasad, or another fast bowler.

[Pantani]

I do think Dickwella could be a very good player though

Dickwella
K. Perera
Mendis
Mathews
Chandimal
de Silva
An all-rounder
Prasad
Sandakan
Chameera
Aponso

This is probably the best XI that could be sent out for the Champions Trophy. Did we even qualify for it?

[Gabbar Singh]

What's our best bowling combination going forward?
Morne, Rabada, Morris, Parnell/Phehlukwayo and Tahir?
Looks weak though.

Do you think Tahir can last until the next World Cup. He'll be 40 then - and sure spinners can play on a bit longer than pace bowlers but at that age you are just one injury away from retirement. Hope SA manage his workload with the next WC in mind.

[hitthestump]

Pakistan and Sri Lanka are equally dull these days. #bringbackafridi

[soso_killer]

Do you think Tahir can last until the next World Cup. He'll be 40 then - and sure spinners can play on a bit longer than pace bowlers but at that age you are just one injury away from retirement. Hope SA manage his workload with the next WC in mind.

If he maintains his current level of performance, then yes.
Let's be honest, SA will never ever produce a spinner of his caliber so why churn him out or look to groom someone who won't be half as good? If we were talking fast bowlers then it wouldn't make sense to continue with an individual who's turning 40 at the next world cup edition. Not just related to the rigors of fast bowling but quality replacement on the wings. SA produces plenty of decent fast bowlers due to the conditions we have, so it won't be as hard replacing a quality quick as compared to a quality spinner (NB I'm not implying that it is easy to replace great players/quicks in any shape or form).
Tahir is not just the best in SA but the best in the world currently, we have our work cut out really.
All in all if Tahir has to play until he's 50 so be it, as long as he is still effective.

[soso_killer]

He doesn't play Test cricket and SA don't play as many LOI's as compared to India/Aus/Eng, basically his workload is a non issue.
Of course Tahir has to play his part and manage his own workload. It wouldn't make sense to play IPL and go straight to the county championship after. He should concentrate on lucrative T20 competitions only, it's too late to try and carve out a Test career.

[Chrish]

You don't have any hope from Maharaj? His FC stats are impressive

[Kaiser_Soze]

He doesn't play Test cricket and SA don't play as many LOI's as compared to India/Aus/Eng, basically his workload is a non issue.
Of course Tahir has to play his part and manage his own workload. It wouldn't make sense to play IPL and go straight to the county championship after. He should concentrate on lucrative T20 competitions only, it's too late to try and carve out a Test career.

I get a feeling that against main sides,Tahir is less penetrative.

[Thivagar]

SL slipping down more towards the level of Super Minnows. Duminy looked like Murali today. Chandimal needs to be dropped, he looked terrible. Only Dickwella and Kusal Mendis looked comfortable. SL don't deserve to play in the Champions Trophy.

[Thivagar]

Pakistan and Sri Lanka are equally dull these days. #bringbackafridi

SL is worse than Pakistan. SL used to have talents that couldn't capitalize on their potential. Now they don't have that either. SL's FC season is coming to an end and the likes of Thirimanne who was compared to Sangakkara isn't even in the top 10 list for batsmen. Mystery Mendis hasn't even played any sort of domestic match for over a year.

[spade]

Damn SL are slipping fast down the gutter. I still believe they can do well in the champions trophy.