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Tony Ura, the Papua New Guinea opener, hit 151 off 142 balls. The rest of his team managed 74 among them

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Mar-2018ICC/Getty

Tony Ura made 151, PNG made 235; Ura made 64.25% of his team’s runs, the fourth-highest percentage of runs scored by one player in a completed innings in ODI cricket. That wasn’t enough, though. Despite a late wobble, Ireland got home with four wickets and five balls to spare. Their chase was built around a century from captain William Porterfield and a half-century from Ed Joyce.The win means Ireland’s bid to qualify for World Cup 2019 is off to the start they would have wanted: they have won two of two games and sit at the top of their group at this early stage.Ireland chose to bowl and carved up PNG from one end, reducing them to 116 for 7. At the other end, though, Ura, the opener, remained firm. He narrowly missed out on carrying his bat, out off the third ball of the 50th over, for 151. His runs came at quite a clip too, his 142-ball knock including 10 fours and all of six sixes.Ireland, on the back of Porterfield and Joyce’s innings, were cruising at 184 for 2 in the 38th over. But strikes in successive overs from Mahuru Dai and Assad Vala gave PNG a glimmer. Their hopes would have swelled again with another double-strike in the 44th and 45th overs, which also accounted for Porterfield.That brought the equation from 24 needed off 42 with six wickets in hand to 20 needed off 30 with four in hand. But Gary Wilson and George Dockrell kept their heads and knocked off the runs steadily, in singles and twos. That is, till the final over, when Wilson knocked off the three needed with a first-ball boundary off Alei Nao. That consigned PNG to their second loss in as many games in the tournament.

South Africa promise to be potent foes as Buttler’s men brace after 48-hour turnaround

Vithushan Ehantharajah18-Jul-2022

Big picture

In many ways, the Ben Stokes farewell ODI at Durham will be a welcome distraction for England.Two series defeats to India, both 2-1, the last of which, in the 50-over format, was confirmed on Sunday in a comprehensive five-wicket defeat at Emirates Old Trafford, has made life after Eoin Morgan seem a little tougher sooner than most anticipated. And unfortunately for the ones who had to take the team on after their skipper’s departure, the pressure on them has ramped up over the last fortnight.That’s not to say captain Jos Buttler and head coach Matthew Mott are in any real danger of being cast aside. The reason they are in their roles was for continuity for the defending ODI champions and, what we know of this new era under managing director Rob Key, is everyone will get the opportunity to work things out.Nevertheless, a swansong for the team’s talismanic allrounder is exactly the kind of headline grabber that England need for a bit of breathing room. Not to mention playing in front of a Chester-le-Street crowd that will be focussed more on saying goodbye to one of their own rather than a loss of clarity for the hosts in a format of the game they used to nail in their sleep.Even with ball having more of a say than bat in the last week of ODIs with India, it was damning that no England player scored more than 100 runs across three innings and that there was just one half-centurion in Buttler. And it is far from ideal that the stand-out for the hosts, Reece Topley, will miss Tuesday’s game on account of workload management. The left-arm quick and his nine wickets, almost all big names, were the only bit of cutting edge England showcased and the hope will be Matthew Potts can offer the same on debut. The return of legspinner Adil Rashid, after taking time off for Hajj, will give some much needed teeth to the attack in the middle overs.As far as South Africa are concerned, they seem in a more stable place, even if they are coming off the back of a series defeat to Bangladesh in March, and a tied T20I series with India last month. A shellacking at the hands of the England Lions side in Taunton was followed by a reverse in Worcester in a pair of warm-up matches that were more about getting rid of any ring rust than anything else.There are many players in South Africa’s ranks who are trying to establish themselves at international level, but they will be supported by two experienced campaigners in Quinton de Kock and Rassie van der Dussen, who have averaged 65 and 73 in ODIs since the start of 2021 (the second and third highest among those who have 500 runs or more). And quicks such as Lungi Ngidi and Anrich Nortje will continue testing an England line-up who have yet to find an appropriate method for this season’s edition of the white Kookaburra ball.To judge by the scenes at training in Chester-le-Street, the South Africans have a great deal of focus and, crucially, energy which will hold them in good stead against an England side that looks particularly weary and are coming straight into this fixture with just a single travel-day off. That Stokes cited an inability to carry on in all three formats in his farewell statement is worth heeding with as we go into the first of six white-ball games in the space of 12 days.

Form guide

England LWLWW (last five completed ODIs, most recent first)

South Africa LWLWW

In the spotlight

The idea of picking a player with just 10 List A matches to his name and expecting him to have a big impact for the national team would usually be foolhardy. But off the back of four Tests, against New Zealand and India, in which he hurried batters throughout long spells without losing enthusiasm, you can see why Matthew Potts may be regarded as a shot in the arm for a fatigued group. There isn’t much to extrapolate from Potts’ 18 dismissals at 26.72 with the red ball beyond a desire to seize the big moments and make each delivery count. And maybe those are good enough reasons to pick someone who has played just one 50-over game since the start of 2021. Nevertheless, the Durham local’s ability to do significant work with the older ball means this could be the start of a fruitful career as a Liam Plunkett-a-like.To call Janneman Malan an old fashioned one-day opener is perhaps doing the 26-year-old a disservice. But with a strike rate of 87 and an average of one six an innings, he is one of the more watchful in the modern era. Yet no one can argue with his output so far, in a career that is only two years and 17 caps old and has already featured three ODI centuries and as many fifties. Given how relatively tough batting has been this summer, Malan’s stickability could pay dividends provided he can out-last any early movement. An average of 59 suggests there’s every chance the reigning ICC Emerging Player of the Year finishes the three ODIs having picked up the 172 runs he needs to make it to 1000 in the format.

Team news

Matthew Mott basically confirmed Potts would debut when praising the energy and fresh legs he brought to the group over the last couple of days. That looks to be a straight swap for Reece Topley, while Adil Rashid is likely to come in for Brydon Carse, who has been ineffective so far, despite his valiant efforts in the middle overs.England (probable): 1 Jason Roy, 2 Jonny Bairstow, 3 Joe Root, 4 Ben Stokes, 5 Jos Buttler (capt & wk), 6 Liam Livingstone, 7 Moeen Ali, 8 David Willey, 9 Craig Overton, 10 Adil Rashid, 11 Matthew PottsDe Kock missed the warm-ups with a bruised finger but has been passed fit and will reprise his usual role as the tempo-setter at the top of the innings. Expect a decision to be made on whether Keshav Maharaj plumps for the extra spin of Tabraiz Shamsi or left-arm pace of Marco Jansen.South Africa (probable): 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 Janneman Malan, 3 Rassie van der Dussen, 4 Aiden Markram, 5 Heinrich Klaasen, 6 David Miller, 7 Andile Phehlukwayo, 8 Keshav Maharaj (capt), 9 Anrich Nortje, 10 Lungi Ngidi, 11 Tabraiz Shamsi/Marco Jansen

Pitch and conditions

Chester-le-Street has always been one for the seamers though recent precedence has seen batting scores rise – Sri Lanka have the venue’s highest score of 338, against West Indies in the 2019 World Cup. That is probably down to a more attacking approach globally rather than any environmental shifts. That being said, temperatures will hit a high of 35 degrees Centigrade which may influence how many spinners are selected and indeed who will bat first with the 1pm start time.

Stats and trivia

• Ben Stokes will play his 105th and final ODI on Tuesday. Coincidentally, he needs 81 runs to pass 3000 for the format, and (assuming he is dismissed) to finish with a career average of 40.
• England have won nine of their 13 completed ODIs at Chester-le-Street, including eight of the last nine – the exception being Sri Lanka’s victory in 2014.

Quotes

“Jos brings a nice calmness. He’s a hugely empathetic person. He won’t be someone who stands up and makes big speeches, he’ll do it in his own quiet way, one-on-one, working out what makes players tick. And he’s an amazing player – that helps.”

“There are two ways to look at it. They’ve been playing more cricket than us and have found combinations, but it is a point we could capitalise on and build some confidence in our ODI unit before the World Cup next year.”

With neither team facing elimination and both featuring star-studded line-ups, the first qualifier between Dhaka Dynamites and Comilla Victorians is set to be a cracker

The Preview by Mohammad Isam07-Dec-2017

Big picture

Dhaka Dynamites are a team filled with T20 superstars. Comilla Victorians are much the same, their hefty batting line-up and proficient bowling attack helping them finish as the top team in the league stage. So, who will blink first in the first qualifier?Comilla will rely heavily on their experienced players Tamim Iqbal, Shoaib Malik and Marlon Samuels to complement the youthful brigade of Hasan Ali, Mohammad Saifuddin and Mahedi Hasan. All six have performed admirably.Mahedi, the 22-year old uncapped offspinner, has been the biggest surprise, matching accuracy with big-match temperament. Hasan, the Pakistan sensation, has gone from strength to strength to cap off a stunning 2017. Saifuddin has a bit of distance to go but the seamer has shown the ability to bounce back from a bad show.Dhaka are bookended by the big-hitting prowess of Evin Lewis in the opening slot and Kieron Pollard down the order. You cannot go wrong with these two in good form, particularly with Lewis taking his innings deep. Dhaka’s spin trio – Shakib Al Hasan, Shahid Afridi and Sunil Narine – have taken a wicket roughly every 14 balls, which means that they can take up to eight wickets in a game if it is their day.

Form Guide

(last five completed matches, most recent first)Dhaka Dynamites: WWLWLComilla Victorians: WLWWWEvin Lewis swats one away during his blitz•BCB

In the spotlight

Lewis has had a tremendous BPL campaign, having made 334 runs at an average of 37.11 and a strike rate of 160.57. He has given Dhaka fast starts on a regular basis and has even shepherded them into the slog overs before the others took control.Comilla would expect Malik to keep his excellent form going. Coming in down the order, he has helped set up big finishes batting first and second and he already has a half-century against Dhaka this year.

Team news

Dhaka would have to sacrifice Mohammad Amir if they opt to go for batting stability at the top. Also, spin-bowling firepower is important so they may opt for both Narine and Afridi, in addition to Shakib.Dhaka Dynamites (probable): 1 Evin Lewis, 2 Joe Denly, 3 Sunil Narine, 4 Shakib Al Hasan (capt), 5 Jahurul Islam (wk), 6 Mosaddek Hossain, 7 Shahid Afridi, 8 Kieron Pollard, 9 Nadif Chowdhury, 10 Mohammad Saddam, 11 Abu HiderComilla will have to choose between fast bowler Dwayne Bravo and legspinner Graeme Cremer, depending on the type of pitch and the amount of dew.Comilla Victorians (probable): 1 Tamim Iqbal (capt), 2 Liton Das (wk), 3 Imrul Kayes, 4 Jos Buttler, 5 Marlon Samuels, 6 Shoaib Malik, 7 Graeme Cremer/Dwayne Bravo, 8 Mohammad Saifuddin, 9 Mahedi Hasan, 10 Hasan Ali, 11 Al-Amin Hossain

Pitch and conditions

The pitch for this game will be first used for the eliminator between Rangpur Riders and Khulna Titans in the afternoon, so there will be far more help for the spinners in the second contest.’

Stats and trivia

• Dhaka’s Afridi, Narine and Shakib have combined to take 41 wickets at 14.9 in this tournament.
• During this BPL, Hasan Ali became the first bowler to take a five-wicket haul with all batsmen out bowled.

Kumar Sangakkara became the first county batsman to pass 1,000 first-class runs as his prolific season continued at Headingley

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Jun-2017
ScorecardKumar Sangakkara became the first batsman to reach 1,000 runs in the Specsavers County Championship this season as his sixth hundred propelled Surrey to 516 for seven declared during a heavily rain affected day two at Headingley.Retiring Sangakkara advanced from 82 overnight to his ton in double quick time as the visitors advanced from 374 for six.He ended with a stunning 180 not out off 183 balls before Yorkshire replied with 27 for one from 10.5 overs.Play did not start until 5pm due to rain and there was no further play beyond 7.10pm. Only 30 overs were possible.When Surrey declared midway through the session, Sangakkara had hit 21 fours and four sixes.The Sri Lanka legend reached his sixth century in only his eleventh innings off 136 balls with 12 fours and a six and his 150 off another 28.He now averages 108.6 this season with 1,086 runs from only eleven innings.The ball after reaching his century, Sangakkara lofted Ben Coad over long-off into the Football Stand for his second six.He later hit big leg-side sixes off the spin of Adil Rashid and Joe Root, who was unbeaten on 12 off 13 balls at close.Sangakkara was helped along by Tom Curran, who made 44, with the pair sharing a record 158 for the seventh wicket.It was Surrey’s best in matches against Yorkshire, while their total was also their best in away first-class matches against the White Rose.Remarkably, Sangakkara scored 91 of 122 runs to come in the first hour of play as Surrey moved to 496 for six. In all, they scored 142 in 19.1 overs from the start of play.Kumar Sangakkara passed another landmark at Headingley•Getty Images

This was the 39-year-old’s second century of the month at Headingley after he scored 121 in a Royal London one-day Cup play-off win here a fortnight ago.The declaration came immediately after Curran had uppercut Tim Bresnan to third-man at the start of the 116th over.Surrey claimed the maximum five batting points, while Yorkshire only finished with two for bowling.Bresnan, Coad and Steve Patterson all finished the innings with two wickets apiece. Jack Brooks and Rashid conceded 109 and 107 from 18 and 16 overs respectively.The Curran brothers, Tom and Sam, kept things tight at the start of Yorkshire’s reply, with the latter getting the breakthrough when he had Adam Lyth lbw for eight in the eighth over, leaving the score at eleven for one.England Test captain Root punched Tom through the covers off the back foot for his only boundary and is unbeaten on 12.Play was abandoned at 8.15pm.Yorkshire teenager Harry Brook will replace Lions bound captain Gary Ballance in the Yorkshire side for the rest of the game.

Uday Saharan, Rishith Reddy, Ansh Gosai, Abishek Porel and Pushpendra Singh Rathore called up

Sreshth Shah21-Jan-2022The BCCI is sending five players to the Under-19 World Cup in the West indies as back-up following a Covid-19 outbreak in the Indian camp, with five players of the original squad in the Caribbean testing positive for the virus this week.The five players being sent in as reinforcements are Uday Saharan, Abishek Porel, Rishith Reddy, Ansh Gosai and Pushpendra Singh Rathore.On Wednesday, six India players were unavailable for selection for the fixture against Ireland. The group included captain Yash Dhull and vice-captain Shaik Rasheed. They, along with Aaradhya Yadav, Manav Parakh and Siddarth Yadav have also been ruled out of India’s last group-stage game, against Uganda, scheduled for Saturday.While Saharan, Reddy, Gosai and Rathore were all part of the travelling reserves announced by the BCCI before the World Cup, they did not travel to the Caribbean with the main squad. Porel, who was initially not part of the reserves, has made the cut in the place of Amrit Raj Upadhyay.Related

• Yash Dhull and four others recover from Covid-19 and available for knockouts

• Bawa, Raghuvanshi centuries power massive India win

• India U19s' concerns: Depleted squad, travel worries

• Covid-19: Five Indians ruled out of game against Uganda

Left-arm spinner Upadhyay was originally picked among the reserves, but has been pipped by Porel, and the reason, ESPNcricinfo understands, is that he is a wicketkeeper. Aaradhya, the second keeper in the main squad, is currently in isolation, leaving the squad with only Dinesh Bana to wear the big gloves.Saharan is a batter from Rajasthan, who hit 102 in the tri-series competition played between two India Under-19 sides and Bangladesh Under-19 late last year. Reddy is a right-arm seamer from Hyderabad who picked up 5 for 53 against Bangladesh Under-19s in the same tournament. Saurashtra’s Gosai is a right-handed batter known for his innovative shot-making, and Rajasthan’s Rathore is a batting allrounder.Once the five reserves reach the Caribbean, they will have to serve a mandatory quarantine period before joining the team. They are currently not part of the main squad; the tournament’s event technical committee will have to approve them before they can play in the competition.It’s possible that the committee will allow them only as temporary Covid-19 replacements, which comes with the caveat that they must exit the squad once the affected players return after recovery. If the BCCI so wants, these players can apply to be permanent additions to the squad, but that is usually done to replace injured players.Although the five Covid-infected players are currently in isolation, they are expected to be available for India’s quarter-final game, which likely be played on January 29. However, if their recovery takes longer or more players return positive tests or suffer injuries, the team management can dip into their reserves at short notice.India, who became the first team in the competition to qualify for the quarter-finals, have their knockout fixture scheduled in another country, Antigua and Barbuda. This means the players who are currently in Trinidad and Tobago will have to return negative tests before they can fly out.

After a century opening stand, Bangladesh hit back in the middle session by taking 3 for 33

Firdose Moonda31-Mar-2022Stumps Temba Bavuma scored his 18th Test half-century in his 50th Test and held South Africa’s middle order together after a strong start and a small wobble on the opening day against Bangladesh. South Africa’s opening pair of Dean Elgar and Sarel Erwee took advantage of an indifferent Bangladesh new-ball performance to post their second successive century stand before they were dismissed within six balls of each other as Bangladesh found a way back. Then, Bavuma and Kyle Verreynne shared an unbroken 53-run fifth-wicket stand to leave South Africa in a position they will be fairly comfortable with despite the run-rate slowing as the day progressed.On a differently coloured pitch to what is usually presented at Kingsmead, Mominul Haque chose to bowl first but Bangladesh would have wanted more wickets to justify his decision. Their seamers did not find much assistance up front, though there was some evidence of extra bounce later on, and South Africa seem to be anticipating turn later on. They included two specialist spinners in their XI for the first time in a home Test since 1970, with Simon Harmer returning from his Kolpak exodus after last playing for South Africa in 2015, to partner Keshav Maharaj.After a 35-minute delay to sort out malfunctioning sightscreens, Elgar got South Africa off the blocks quickly and breached the boundary nine times in the first 12 overs as he took advantage of anything overpitched or wide. He brought up his fifty off 60 balls but not before Bangladesh had shown their first signs of bite. Taskin Ahmed beat Erwee, who spent most of the morning leaving well, twice and Mehidy Hasan could have dismissed him on the stroke of lunch when Erwee tried to slash him through the off side, top-edged, and was dropped by Litton Das.South Africa went to the break on 95 without loss and Bangladesh with many questions but they surged back in the first hour of the afternoon session and took 3 for 33 thanks to a more disciplined approach. As Bangladesh adjusted to tighter lines, Elgar could add only seven to his score off 24 balls in the second session before he got a good ball from Khaled Ahmed, who found extra bounce. Elgar was late in trying to pull out of the shot and the ball took the edge to end the opening stand on 113. Five balls later, Erwee tried to cut Mehidy and under-edged onto his stumps.Dean Elgar brought up his fifty off just 60 balls•AFP/Getty Images

With two new batters at the crease, Bangladesh would have been looking to squeeze South Africa but Keegan Petersen and Temba Bavuma were picture-perfect at first. Bavuma clipped Mehidy Hasan through midwicket for his first boundary and Petersen pulled Khaled in front of midwicket. With two compact techniques and quick runners at the crease, South Africa would have banked on their third-wicket stand to produce big runs, and Petersen was fortunate Bangladesh didn’t review a chance for caught-behind when he was on 18 and Taskin Ahmed lured him into the drive. But he was then unfortunate to be run-out when Bavuma called for a run after dabbing the ball to point, where Mehidy dived, picked up and threw with one stump to aim at and Petersen was found out of his ground.Debutant Ryan Rickelton scored his first runs in Test cricket off a reverse-sweep and showed aggressive intent after tea. He sent a wide Ebadot Hossain delivery through cover, then tried again but got an outside edge that sped through third man, and eventually fell on his sword when he tried to pull Ebadot in front of square but top-edged to mid-on. Bavuma was on 27 off 66 balls at the time and he upped the ante, scoring his next 23 runs off 38 balls including two cover drives and a top-edge off Taskin that went between first and second slip for four, to bring up 50 off 104 balls.With Verreynne at the other end, Bavuma took South Africa to the close, 47 runs away from a much-anticipated, much-talked-about second Test century after scoring his first more than six years ago, in 2016.

SA’s white-ball captain says they don’t want to rush 19-year-old Brevis into international cricket

Firdose Moonda31-May-2022South Africa will tap into the confidence of IPL champion David Miller when they kick off a busy 2022-23 season with five T20Is in India next week.Miller, who was the sixth-highest run-scorer in IPL 2022, had his best IPL showing in 10 years and was particularly successful against spin, which has often been a weak spot in South Africa’s batting.”It’s always nice to see guys in form. A guy like David lifting the trophy with the Gujarat Titans – the confidence that he will bring into the team, we look forward to that,” Temba Bavuma, South Africa’s white-ball captain said on the eve of the team’s departure to India. “David has performed exceedingly well at the IPL and I’m sure that will do a world of good for his confidence.”Related

• What David Miller, Kagiso Rabada's IPL form means for South Africa

• How a push down the order made Markram's T20 stocks go up

• 'Going to try and bring that into my game' – Pretorius hopes to emulate Dhoni's calmness

• No strict bio-secure bubbles for India vs South Africa T20I series

• 'I feel extremely backed' – Miller explains his success at Gujarat Titans

Milller’s most notable improvement at the IPL was the way he dealt with spin. He went from scoring 226 runs at a strike rate of 98.68 against spin between 2016 and 2021 – which was the second-worst return in that five year period – to scoring 206 runs at a strike rate of 145.07 this year. He was one of only five batters to average over 100 against spin this IPL.But there are also other reasons for his prolific run. Miller said he felt “extremely backed,” by Titans, indicating that it wasn’t always that way at other IPL franchises. But what about the national side?”The conversations that I have had with David, he has never expressed those types of feelings to me,” Bavuma said. “As far as I know, David is still an integral member within our team and we trust his performances will continue well into the future.”While it’s never been expressed whether Miller feels his role in the South African set-up is secure, it’s often been a talking point that he doesn’t get enough time in the middle and that, as is the case with many finishers, a lot rests on him at the end. But, by Bavuma’s own admission in a wide-ranging upcoming interview with ESPNcricinfo, South Africa’s top order has not always done their bit, and as they look to improve their combinations ahead of the T20 World Cup, they may consider using Miller differently.While Miller has mostly batted between No.5 and No.6 for South Africa, he consistently batted at No.5 for Titans and may want to make a case for a permanent role at that position for the national side too. Bavuma indicated that South Africa would consider it, if it brings the best out of Miller.”In terms of him batting a bit longer, that has always been the conversation over the years when David has done well,” Bavuma said. “He understands where he fits in within the team. If he feels he can add more value within a different position, a conversation can be had in that regard. There is no way we are going to stifle him or restrict David in any manner. That’s how we try to treat all the players. We try to set them up in positions where they can succeed and make strong plays for the team.”‘Brevis should be given time and space to hone his game’
The same applies to those who are not in the team at all. Dewald Brevis is the only South African from this season’s IPL who was not selected for the T20I squad, despite setting the Under-19 World Cup alight.Bavuma explained that South Africa did not want to rush the 19-year-old into international cricket and hoped to see him perform well in the domestic set-up this summer. Brevis has been contracted to the Titans (the Centurion-based South African domestic franchise) for the next two seasons.”In all fairness to him, he hasn’t played a first-class game,” Bavuma said. “In terms of expectation but also allowing the boy to grow within his game, it would be fair to allow him to play a couple of first-class games where he can really get an understanding of his game. It will be a lot of pressure to throw him into the international set up and expect him to make plays. He will be treated like any other exciting young prospect that comes onto the scene. He will be looked after as well as he can. He should be given time and the space to hone his game within the system and ease into the international side of things.”

There is little doubt that South Africa have an advantage over Sri Lanka, who have been poor travellers on previous tours, but the visitors are hopeful of building on the potential shown by a young side recently

The Preview by Andrew Fidel Fernando in Port Elizabeth25-Dec-2016

Match facts

December 26-30, 2016
Start time 1000 local (0800 GMT)4:01

Moonda: SA will be quietly confident of 3-0 win

Big Picture

Sri Lanka’s tour record in South Africa does not make for pretty reading. Out of 10 Tests in the country, eight have been lost. Of those, half have been innings losses and one a ten-wicket defeat. Only three Sri Lanka batsmen have reached triple figures (Thilan Samaraweera achieving it twice in the most recent tour), and the island’s best seam bowler, Chaminda Vaas, could claim only 11 wickets at 47.45 in eight innings.Muttiah Muralitharan perhaps has the best South Africa record, with 35 scalps at 26.02, but then he was, you know, Murali.Maybe it is because of this litany of woeful returns that South Africa are upbeat ahead of their summer’s sole series. They also quite clearly have a superior pace attack, a savvier batting order, the more proficient fielding unit, and probably better haircuts, faster cars and higher thread-count bed sheets.And yet, there is hope in the visitors’ camp – not all of which is the mandatory-but-misplaced pre-series bravado. They think they’ve unlocked something special in the past six months. They think they have a skilled middle order. And they think their attack, if not dominant or destructive, is at least decent (as long as the quicks can stay fit).And yet, for all that, it is the hosts who look likely to come out of this tussle sweeter than a glob of Faf du Plessis saliva. The pitch may tend to be slow at St. George’s Park, but the two result matches in the ground this decade have been thumping South Africa wins – over Australia and New Zealand. When the final scores are totted up, it may be said that the likes of Kyle Abbott, Kagiso Rabada and Vernon Philander just confer too great an advantage at home.It is up to this young Sri Lanka outfit to spring a great surprise.

Form guide

(last five completed matches, most recent first)


South Africa: LWWWD
Sri Lanka: WWWWW

In the spotlight

Three Tests away from 100 now, Hashim Amla did not have the happiest of tours in Australia. He did not reach fifty in five Test innings in the country, and was also the lead figure in the frowniest cricket press conference of the year, in Adelaide. He now faces the prospect of reclaiming form against a team he has sometimes struggled against. His average against Sri Lanka is 36.81 – his lowest against any opposition, save for Zimbabwe, against whom he has only played one innings.Dhananjaya de Silva is only five Tests into his career, but the hopes for him are many. He was the top scorer in a bowlers’ series against Australia and, for now, averages more than 60. If he emerges from this match and this tour with credit, whatever the results in the series, Sri Lanka will feel much more secure about the team’s future.

Teams news

South Africa appear unlikely to spring any major surprises in their XI. Faf du Plessis has already confirmed three quicks and a spinner will play – Rabada, Abbott, Phlander and Keshav Maharaj most likely forming the attack.South Africa (probable): 1. Dean Elgar, 2 Stephen Cook, 3 Hashim Amla, 4 JP Duminy, 5 Faf du Plessis (capt.), 6 Temba Bavuma, 7 Quinton de Kock (wk), 8 Vernon Philander, 9 Kyle Abbott, 10 Keshav Maharaj, 11 Kagiso RabadaSri Lanka’s batting appears settled, but the make-up of their attack is more difficult to predict. Nuwan Pradeep and Rangana Herath are sure to play. Dushmantha Chameera and Suranga Lakmal appear likeliest to join them, but Lahiru Kumara has also made a strong case for inclusion with three wickets in the tour match.Sri Lanka(probable): 1 Kaushal Silva, 2 Dimuth Karunaratne, 3 Kusal Perera, 4 Kusal Mendis, 5 Angelo Mathews (capt.), 6 Dinesh Chandimal (wk), 7 Dhananjaya de Silva, 8 Rangana Herath, 9 Dushmantha Chameera, 10 Suranga Lakmal, 11 Nuwan PradeepExtra grass has been left on the Port Elizabeth pitch•Andrew Fernando/ESPNcricinfo

Pitch and conditions

Ground staff have left extra grass on this surface to prevent it from breaking up, but the Port Elizabeth winds may dry it out as the match goes on. There is a chance of showers on day two, but the weather is expected to be warm and fine otherwise.

Stats and trivia

• South Africa have never lost a home series to a team from Asia. Only two of seventeen such series have been drawn, most recently against India in 2010-11.
• Kagiso Rabada needs six more scalps to reach a career tally of 50.
• Rangana Herath has 54 Test wickets in 2016, which makes him the year’s second-highest wicket-taker behind R Ashwin. Herath’s average of 17.53 is better than that of any bowler with 20 wickets or more.

Quotes

“Suranga and Nuwan are bowling very well. Chameera’s just coming back from injury, and that’s a major plus point for us. Lahiru Kumara is there to bring a little extra pace as well. I think we have variety. Apart from not having Dhammika Prasad, this is our best bowling combination.”“We are a team that’s good when we’re in trouble, but we’re trying to change that and become a team that dominates first and puts the opposition under pressure first.”