SA Vs SL test series

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Strayed done the middle and leg and nicely flicked by Angelo for 4. SL 68/3.

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Kamindu reviews the LBW decision. Clear Inside edge.

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There has been one four ball almost every over in this short play during this session. Kagiso and Dane need to get rid of it. He is too good a bowler to bowl a 4 ball.

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Bowling change. What a shot. Kamindu welcomes Marco with a 4 first ball. Placed well away from the mid-on fielder although it was in air. SL 87/3.

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4 again. 8 runs from first two balls after the bowling change. SL 91/3.

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Bowing change. Keshav Maharaj into the attack.

Angelo slogs one over deep mid wicket for 6. SL 110/3. Most of the runs coming from 4's and 6ers in this session. Not many singles. The bowling needs to get better.

This is an extended session. After many 3 and 4 day tests,we have a test match which is very liekly to go in Day 5.

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SL 122/5. trailing by 195 runs. SA very well in control. Upto Dhanjaya DeSilva and Kusal mendi to fight it out.

When the pacers are unable to run through the batting, it helps that spinenr keshav Maharaj picked up 2 specialist batsmen wickets and kept the situation under control for SA.

[alfie]

Stopped watching after those two Maharaj wickets ... but woke up to see an excellent partnership has kept Sri Lanka in this at 205/5 - which I really didn't expect ! Still think SA are massive favourites as not much batting to follow once Kusal Mendis or Dhananjaya get out : but with another 28 overs to the new ball , if they could put on fifty more the home team might start getting rather nervous...

[mikesiva]

Sri Lanka 238 all out

Dhananjaya 50
Kusal 46

Maharaj 5-76

South Africa won by 109 runs.

The Saffers now lead the race to the World Test Championship final.

[alfie]

Sri Lankan challenge rather fizzled out once Mendis got out - as most expected I think. At least they made a decent game of it.

SA surely in pole position for the WTC final now.

[bigfluffylemon]

SA have had the most ridiculous easy fixture list this WTA. 2 test series v Pakistan, Sri Lanka (home) and Bangladesh, West Indies (the bottom two sides) away. Nothing against England or Australia at all, lost to New Zealand and drew at home in a 2 test series v India.

If over rates weren't a thing I expect England would be top of they had that fixture list....

[alfie]

SA have had the most ridiculous easy fixture list this WTA. 2 test series v Pakistan, Sri Lanka (home) and Bangladesh, West Indies (the bottom two sides) away. Nothing against England or Australia at all, lost to New Zealand and drew at home in a 2 test series v India.

If over rates weren't a thing I expect England would be top of they had that fixture list....

Which is why I can't take the WTC all that seriously. Too much influenced by the "luck of the draw". That and the exaggerated effect of over rate penalties. Suppose it does generate some interest in otherwise non-descript fixtures ; but a bit of a stretch to say the finalists are the best two teams in the format.