Anyone can beat Sri Lanka... right?

Second Slip review the 1st Test calamity of Sri Lanka's loss against the hosts, South Africa

This Image just about sums up the match. Courtesy Getty Images  

It’s official. I had an inkling that a man crush on Vernon Philander was bubbling under the surface after day 1. But now after day 3, another 5-fer and the test match won by an innings and 81 runs, that man crush has been confirmed. As just a neutral cricket lover when Australia are not playing, you come to realise what a talent Vernon is. When he played Australia I sort of thought, “oh yeah, well now back it up”. He has. There has been so many cases over the years of fast bowlers bursting of the scene, promising so much, but delivering so little. The man with the best name in world cricket is not one of them. He’s the real deal. Oh, by the way- there was a cricket match to be won too....

First things first. Let’s be honest here, Sally Robbins would have put up more resistance than the Sri Lankan batsman on the final day. After the under pressure Mark Boucher (although there is no one else knocking down the door) brought up his fifty, only his 2^nd since 2010, and only averaging 20 with the bat in between- Sri Lanka had the task to just bat, and bat and see what they could do. What they ended up doing was poor.

This innings, Captain Dilshan didn’t hole out to a fielder, but was the first victim of Philander’s 4^thMichelle in 6 innings. Instead, the best name in world cricket got one to hold it’s line and Boucher accepted. Paranavitana was put through the ringer by Dale Steyn, surviving LBW shouts and body blows from Steyn, who could have had so many more, beating the edge frequently- before Mr P offered a tame poke at South Africa’s fastest bowler since Alan Donald, and perished. It became 3-19 and dire straits when Sri Lanka’s go to man Kumar Sangakarra was undone by a beautiful bit of seam bowling by Philander. It angled across the leftie, enticed the forward push but hit the seam and kissed the edge. Beautiful. After 3 boundaries, Mahela Jaywardene took a leaf right out of the Tilakaratne Dilshan ‘How to get yourself out in Test matches’ book, and in trying to complete his 10,000 run in his Test career, dropped the ball at his feet and ran. He shouldn’t have bothered. Kallis, with his ear patched up and the road kill still looking weird on his head- threw down the stumps and the Test was all but a foregone conclusion. Samaraweera put up a bit of fight, making 32 but when Philander produced another master class in subtle seam bowling, it presented Boucher with the catch and Philander’s 3^rd. Imran Tahir, Morne Morkel and Steyn got in the act one more time each, before Philander knocked off the last two wickets to complete his 5-fer. Game over inside 3 days.

39 overs was all Sri Lanka lasted in the 2^nd dig, for 150 runs. That just isn’t good enough. The South Africa bowling was crafty, and gels well together, but no way a decent Test batting nation should get out for less than 200 on that wicket. Yes it offered a bit, but was good to bat on. They showed no obvious plan or application when batting, and South African skipper Graeme Smith summed things up well after the game- “If you are tentative on a wicket like that, you won’t go places.” Credit to the Proteas though, who seem to be looking the goods. Sri Lanka’s bowling didn’t look too threatening, apart from Thisara Perera, it was lacklustre. Spinner Rangana Herath didn’t do anything, although his counterpart Imran Tahir relied more on his googly to set batman up, something Herath can’t do. It wasn’t a gold medal performance from ‘Lay down Sally’ or Sri Lanka, and both need a good hard look at themselves.