1st Match: South Africa vs Sri Lanka (Group B)

[angryangy]

Hahaha you say he's no mystery, but that was a beauty.

 

[SciD]

Looks like Malinga is still mystery to these Saffers.

 

[Brook]

There's the commentator's curse from you scion. SA aren't really renowned for their playing of spin.

 

[SciD]

Hahaha you say he's no mystery, but that was a beauty.

i am believing in posters curse now.

scion_sid added 1 Minutes and 2 Seconds later...

There's the commentator's curse from you scion. SA aren't really renowned for their playing of spin.

My favorite player is on now. Hope I am not cursing him.

 

[angryangy]

Mendis is still a bit of a mystery, but more in what works and what doesn't. He's more like a medium pacer than a spinner, so beyond simply deception, he's probably a bit better off with a little bounce than a lot of turn.

Ooh, would have given that second Murali appeal.

 

[StinkyBoHoon]

I'm beginning to think mendis is neither a mystery nor been "worked out" by batsmen, he's just a good bowler.

however, as warne will testify, being a spinner is about getting inside the head of players, and I feel this mystery stuff makes batsmen worried about playing him while pakistans bravado about working him out forces him into his shell.

nothing to do with picking deliveries.

 

[SciD]

ABDV is reading him. Kallis is having trouble. Maybe India and Pakistan have played him so much that they do not even rate him.

 

[Brook]

ABDV dropped, that was pretty lucky, it's amazing the catches Dilshan sometimes doesn't take considering how good a fielder he is.

 

[angryangy]

Zomg they're a bunch of freaks.

 

[aditya123]

Its a shocker of a start for SA in this event as well. Reminds me of the 2003 WC opening game when they lost against some real brilliance of Lara.

SA will need some sort of a miracle to win this one from here and this is the most that they can clip up in this event. Another slip up against the Kiwis or England and they`ll get knocked out again.

 

[StinkyBoHoon]

imo, they've played him so much that they were bound to get a good performance, and when they did they broadcast this as "we've worked him out."

if india had worked then why in 2 of the last 3 games he's played against them did he go for less than 4.5 an over and take wickets?

that's roughly about what vettori would class as a par performance, and he is by my reckoning the best ODI spin bowler in the world.

pakistan it's a similar story. economies of 4.5, 5.6, 3.33 and 4.24 in the last games, with 6 wickets. it's not as great as ripping through a line-up but I'd quite happily pick someone with those figures time and time again for almost any team (remember mendis' main competition on a non-spinning wicket is murali)

 

[angryangy]

I don't think it'd take a miracle to beat NZ and England.

 

[Dare]

Based on what. He didn't play the warmup. Unless the pitch is a green seamer SA will play the 2 spinners and Tsosobe won't bench either of steyn or parnell.

based of the fact that he is a better bowler then Parnell. His only ODI performance was a great one and in South African conditions he should be the one bowling.
Also maybe its time for South Africa to actually look at Bothas numbers and see that he sucks a$$ and give Tsotsobe a go.

 

[SaiSrini]

Good one! Sri Lanka win by 55 runs due to the D/L method. They were the better team and its nice to see the favorites having their tables turned upon them (esp. SA and Australia). A very good start to the tournament and this should really spur the event on. BRING IT ON!

 

[aussie1st]

Well I don't think it matters whether South Africa have faced him or not as he is likely to sit out for Murali.

Good thing you guys played him huh?

SA should still move to the semis unless NZ produce something special. SL are looking good though, as I said they have the complete side when they click. Too bad SA weren't given the full 50 overs to chase this down as they probably could have given it a shake but the D/L total was a bit too much to keep up with.