1st ODI
Sri Lanka 227/8 (50.0 ov)
Australia 228/7 (46.5 ov)
Australia won by 3 wickets (with 19 balls remaining)
Sri Lanka had no fewer than six slow-bowling options - half of them specialists. And by the time Australia batted, the dry Premadasa pitch had begun to bubble and spit. In the Tests, these ingredients had led to humbling defeats for the visitors while the local spinners reaped sackfuls of wickets. But perhaps for the first time on tour, Australia satisfactorily negotiated the spin challenge. The win wasn't always pretty, but it was comfortable enough. With Aaron Finch and Steven Smith making half centuries, Australia chased down 228 with three wickets and more than three overs to spare.
It had been Australia's quicks' discipline that had earlier tethered Sri Lanka to a relatively modest total, even given the difficult conditions. Mitchell Starc took three important wickets as he became the quickest bowler in history to 100 ODI wickets, and James Faulkner inflicted even more damage, delivering a double-wicket maiden upon which Sri Lanka's innings pivoted, and claiming four wickets for 38 all told.
Faulkner had cajoled Kusal Mendis into a miscued pull early in the 30th over, then had Angelo Mathews athletically caught at point four balls later. When Starc took another wicket soon after, Sri Lanka had slipped from 124 for 2 to 132 for 5, and though Dinesh Chandimal was at the crease through the rest of the innings, Sri Lanka could not muster the 250 which might have represented a winning score.
Starc prospered on a customary full length, and each of his wickets were the result of drawing batsmen into drives. He knocked down Kusal Perera's off stump in the first over, got Dhananjaya de Silva miscuing a slower ball to claim his 100th wicket, then had Milinda Siriwardana out with a similar delivery. Faulkner bowled his cutters more liberally and generally pitched the ball on a length. Starc did not concede a boundary through his ten overs. Faulkner was exemplary at the death, giving away only 17 in his last three overs, and claiming two scalps in them.
Smith's 58 provided the chase its middle-overs substance, but it had been Finch who made quick ground in the early overs, so as to give the middle order a wide margin for error. He clubbed his second ball for six, and did not slow his rate of scoring while the fielding restrictions were in effect even though balls began to misbehave early on. By the end of the 10th over, he had hit seven fours and two sixes in a score of 48 from 36 balls.
Finch departed in somewhat controversial circumstances - when Amila Aponso, the debutant left-arm spinner, had one leap away from the bat off a full length. The ball ended up in the hands of Angelo Mathews at slip, but such was the turn on offer, that it is possible it got there with no interference from Finch's bat.
Whatever the case, Smith took the chase by the collar from then onwards, but his was a steadier innings. Aponso beat his bat virtually every over, but Smith kept out the straighter deliveries and scored off the shorter ones. He was dropped on 15 when, at slip, Mathews failed to hold a catch that had deflected off the wicketkeeper's pad. The remainder of his outside edges landed safely away from fielders. It was not the most fluent innings Smith has played, but it was the kind of surface on which survival was laudable enough.
Aponso was the most accurate of Sri Lanka's bowlers, and unlucky to finish with only one wicket from his 10 overs. His colleagues left their surge too late. Dilruwan Perera had Smith caught at short leg, but the score was already 190. He took two more wickets towards the finish, and Lakshan Sandakan one more to add to the earlier wicket of Matthew Wade. Australia lost four for 32 through that late period, but that was not a dramatic enough slump to threaten the result.
Sri Lanka's top-scorer Dinesh Chandimal had earlier brought a Test-match zen to the first ODI, as he hit an unbeaten 80 from 113 deliveries. He scored in singles and twos exclusively to begin with, and was content to go without a boundary until his 46th delivery. The majority of his runs came square of the wicket; the cut, sweep, dab and legside flick the more favoured among his strokes. The Australia seamers increasingly rolled their fingers over the ball as the innings progressed, but Chandimal was largely wise to their changes of pace - though his shots did also find infielders more often than he would have liked. He hit only three boundaries in his innings.
Mendis was the recipient of much good during his 67 from 95 balls. He was dropped on 14, survived a close lbw shout on 25, was almost run out twice, and mishit plenty of his shots. However, unlike Chandimal, Mendis didn't completely omit the more exuberant strokes. His most memorable shots was a regal lofted straight drive off Moises Henriques, and a lofted legside flick off Faulkner.
Beyond these two half-centuries, three others made bit-part contributions to the score. Tillakaratne Dilshan made 22 before falling to the Dilscoop. Siriwardana hit 19 off 26 in a 41-run stand with Chandimal, and Thisara Perera made 21 off 14 in the death overs. Australia's seamers were difficult to get away at the finish, conceding only 41 in the final six overs, but much of the damage had been done earlier on.
2nd ODI
Sri Lanka 288 (48.5 ov)
Australia 206 (47.2 ov)
Sri Lanka won by 82 runs
Sri Lanka's openers gone cheaply. A recovery led by Kusal Mendis. A Sri Lankan attack heavy on spin options. Australia's batsmen struggling to have any impact. A Sri Lankan victory. Steven Smith could be forgiven for feeling like this was a flashback to the Test series just ended. But the big difference was that Australia already have a win in this one-day series. At the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, Sri Lanka merely levelled it 1-1 with three to play.
It was a victory built on two big partnerships: a 125-run stand between Mendis and Dinesh Chandimal, and a 103-run effort from Angelo Mathews and Kusal Perera. Chandimal was the only one of the quartet who did not reach fifty, falling instead on 48 and thus missing the chance to become the first Sri Lankan to score six consecutive ODI half-centuries. Besides those two stands, Sri Lanka's wickets fell rapidly in three clumps.
The last of those clumps featured a momentous event - James Faulkner became the sixth Australian to take a hat-trick in an ODI. But by that late stage in the innings the damage had been done. Sri Lanka had done enough to set Australia a target of 289. No team had ever won an ODI at this ground chasing such a hefty total and on a pitch offering plenty of turn Australia could not rewrite history, despite Matthew Wade's career-best innings.
One key difference from the Test series was that Sri Lanka opened with seamers from both ends - curious given that Nathan Lyon had taken the new ball for Australia earlier in the day - and the move brought immediate success. Thisara Perera's first ball drew David Warner into a drive that was edged behind, and in his next over Perera had Aaron Finch dragging one on. Australia were 16 for 2, hardly the kind of start required for this chase.
Sri Lanka had recovered from a similar position, but forcing the scoring rate against Sri Lanka's spin attack was never going to be easy for Australia. Left-arm spinner Amila Aponso in particular proved difficult to get away, and the pressure that he applied brought him the wickets of Smith and George Bailey. On 30, Smith advanced and drove a catch to mid-on. Bailey was much less fluent, his 27 taking 46 balls, and he did not manage a single boundary before being bowled, deceived by Aponso's dip.
Bailey was not the only Australian to labour at the crease. Moises Henriques took 16 balls to make 4 and was out when he lunged forward and was beaten by legspinner Seekkuge Prasanna's turn and Chandimal's quick stumping - a similar dismissal to the first innings in the Colombo Test, when Henriques dragged his back foot out of his ground. Supposedly a good player of spin, Henriques must find another method, for drag is proving as costly to him as it does an Olympic swimmer.
Wade and Travis Head did their best to claw Australia back into the match, but clawing rarely achieves much but to delay the inevitable. Sri Lanka's spinners were too hard to dominate, and the required rate ballooned. Wade reached 76, his highest ODI score, but did so with only three boundaries, and by the timed he holed out to Thisara Perera, Australia needed more than 10 an over.
Head top-edged a catch off Mathews for 31 from 48, Mitchell Starc popped a return catch back to Mathews, and then Aponso finished off the game with the wickets of Adam Zampa and Faulkner, to end up with the outstanding figures of 4 for 18 off 9.2 overs. Sri Lanka had won by 82 runs.
For the first few overs of the day it looked like Australia's hopes of taking a 2-0 series lead were strong. After Mathews chose to bat, Sri Lanka stumbled to 12 for 2. Danushka Gunathilaka, brought in for this match at the expense of Milinda Siriwardana, was bowled by Starc for 2, and next ball Tillakarante Dilshan was bowled behind his legs by Lyon, operating around the wicket.
But Mendis and Chandimal were up to the task of rebuilding, rotating the strike and putting away boundaries off bad balls. And they got a few of those. Smith's decision to use the part-time offspin of Head inside the first 10 overs backfired spectacularly when Mendis plundered 20 runs off his first over. Head's four overs cost 41 and combined with Henriques' 0 for 40 off five, offset much of the good work of Zampa, Starc and Faulkner, who each took three wickets.
Chandimal was the victim of a remarkable review off the bowling of Zampa. Chandimal advanced and tried to work Zampa to leg, missed, and the ball cannoned into the wicketkeeper Wade's midriff. When Wade recovered, he appealed for lbw and convinced Smith to ask for a review. Replays confirmed the ball had struck Chandimal's pad on the way through, in line, and would have hit the stumps.
Zampa added the key wicket of Mendis to his tally in his next over. Mendis, who had scored all around the ground for his run-a-ball 69, was done by Zampa's googly, trapped lbw, so plumb he did not seriously consider asking for a review. Zampa's third came when Dhananjaya de Silva drove a catch to short cover, and he finished with 3 for 42 from his 10 overs.
But then came the second of Sri Lanka's crucial - or is that Kusal? - partnerships. Kusal Perera and Mathews came together with the score at 158 for 5 and both men combined attacking strokeplay with the ability to find the gaps for ones and twos. Mathews launched a pair of sixes off Lyon in the 40th over and his fifty came up off 55 balls; Perera struck five fours and one six, and brought up his half-century from 47 deliveries.
However, they became the first two victims of Faulkner's hat-trick: on 54 Perera was lbw trying a reverse sweep from the last ball of the 46th over, and first ball of the next over Mathews, on 57, drilled a catch down the ground. Completing the feat, Faulkner had Thisara Perera bowled. But by then, the damage had been done. Starc finished off the tail in the 49th over.
Sri Lanka's wickets had fallen in clusters - 2 for 12 at the top, 3 for 21 in the middle, 5 for 27 at the end. But those collapses were offset by two century stands, and those two partnerships were the difference in the match.
3rd ODI
Sri Lanka 226 (49.2 ov)
Australia 227/8 (46.0 ov)
Australia won by 2 wickets (with 24 balls remaining)
There were reasons for Sri Lankan fans to cheer at the third ODI in Dambulla. But the result wasn't one of them. On a day when Tillakaratne Dilshan was farewelled from one-day international cricket, and Dinesh Chandimal scored his fourth ODI hundred, Australia held on for a tense victory that gave them a 2-1 series lead with two to play - and gave David Warner a 100% success rate as an international captain.
Not that it was all smooth sailing. Chasing 227, Australia relatively cruised most of the way. At 187 for 4 they needed only 40 more runs, with George Bailey and Matthew Wade both well set, but suddenly Sri Lanka's spinners came into the game. Four wickets fell in quick time and it was beginning to look like Australia might find a way to throw it away. It was Adam Zampa who struck the winning runs, a boundary behind point off Amila Aponso, and a single five balls later.
It wasn't any old single - it was cut in the air towards extra cover, where Dilruwan Perera hurled himself into the air to try for a one-handed catch. The ball didn't stick, and the result was sealed: a two-wicket win, though with four overs remaining. That Sri Lanka came that close to pulling the rug out from under Australia was a fine effort, given the solid way the chase unfolded through two key partnerships.
In the absence of captain Steven Smith, who had flown home for a rest, Australia needed a leader to steer the chase. It would not be Warner, who fell in the fifth over to a terrific diving catch from Dilshan at point off Mathews. Nor would it be Aaron Finch, lbw to Aponso for a brisk 30, nor Shaun Marsh, caught by a diving Chandimal at mid-off off Mathews for 1.
The man was Bailey, the most experienced ODI player in the side. He set about building a 62-run partnership with Travis Head, and then an 81-run stand with Wade that took Australia to within sight of their victory. It wasn't always easy; Sri Lanka's spinners were always a threat, but they needed more runs to defend, their own batting having been disappointing earlier in the day.
Head played a mature innings of 36 that ended when he went back to cut Dilruwan, only to see the ball skid on to his stumps. And Wade, a consistent performer this series, contributed 42 before he missed a sweep and was stumped off the same bowler. That was the wicket that precipitated Australia's collapse, though as it happened they were by then just close enough to get over the line.
The Sri Lankan crowd came alive as the spinners crowded Australia's batsmen. Bailey simply missed a legbreak from Seekkuge Prasanna and was bowled for 70, then in the next over James Faulkner holed out to deep square leg off Aponso. The Finisher was finished, but Australia weren't quite yet. Mitchell Starc sent Prasanna over long-on for six but was caught in the next over trying for another off Dhananjaya de Silva. Zampa walked to the crease with five runs still needed, and he got them, with John Hastings unbeaten at the other end.
Sri Lanka's own innings - all out for 226 in the 50th over - never quite looked like enough. Wickets fell regularly throughout the innings, the only half-century partnership a 73-run combination between Chandimal and Dilshan. Zampa was again a key weapon, collecting 3 for 38 from his 10 overs, and there were two victims each for Starc, Faulkner and Hastings.
The innings was built around Chandimal's fourth ODI hundred. Of late in one-day cricket, Chandimal has been batting like he's Keanu Reeves in Speed, afraid something terrible will happen if he drops below 50. He did so, marginally, in the second ODI in Colombo, where his 48 ended his hopes of becoming the first Sri Lankan to make six consecutive one-day international fifties. But in Dambulla he was back. His last seven ODI innings now read: 52, 62, 63, 53, 80*, 48 and 102.
Chandimal's approach was simple: push the ball into the gaps and rotate the strike. Repeat, and repeat. That method brought him 56 singles, although he managed seven boundaries as well, driving when the fast men overpitched or punishing them for bowling too straight. His half-century came up with a deft dab for four wide of the wicketkeeper off Hastings from his 66th ball.
His primary support came from Dilshan, the retiring hero who struck five fours on his way to an enterprising 42. But the dream of a big farewell innings ended when Dilshan whacked a Zampa full toss to midwicket and was well caught by Bailey. To the applause of players and fans, Dilshan walked off with a bow fitting for the entertainer that he was, the owner of 10,290 ODI runs, the 11th-highest tally in history.
Sri Lanka's other batsmen were disappointing. For the second time in the series Starc struck in the first over of the innings, bowling Danushka Gunathilaka, and the total wobbled to 23 for 2 when Kusal Mendis edged Josh Hazlewood to slip for 4. The wickets fell with regularity again after Dilshan departed.
Mathews was lbw for 2 to Zampa, who had pitched the ball on leg and straightened it just enough. Marsh ran and jumped to his left at mid-on to snare de Silva for 12 off Faulkner, and also held one in the deep when Thisara Perera holed out off Hastings for 9. In between those takes, Starc's brutal inswinging yorker accounted for Kusal Perera, who kept one out but could not manage two and saw his stumps rattled on 11.
Prasanna picked out deep midwicket off Zampa and Dilruwan added 17 before chipping a catch to midwicket off Hastings, which left Chandimal nervously hoping the No.11 Aponso could help him reach triple figures. He did so, and the Sri Lankan fans roared. The final result was not so pleasing for them.
4th ODI
Sri Lanka 212 (50.0 ov)
Australia 217/4 (31.0 ov)
Australia won by 6 wickets (with 114 balls remaining)
Who needs a world-record ODI total? There was plenty of breathless action in Dambulla without one. Aaron Finch smashed the equal fastest ODI fifty by an Australian. John Hastings took six wickets. Angelo Mathews limped off with a calf injury while batting. Dhananjaya de Silva entertained with a breezy 76. And Sachith Pathirana was briefly unplayable, collecting three wickets in five balls early in Australia's chase.
It all made George Bailey's unbeaten 90 off 85 seem tame by comparison, although he initially joined the party by scoring his first 20 off five balls. But in the end, Bailey's cool head - not to mention Travis Head, too - ensured an Australian victory in the series. Chasing 213, Australia raced to their goal within 31 overs, the six-wicket win meaning they would go to Pallekele for the fifth and final match with an unassailable 3-1 lead.
The contrast between the two innings of this match was stunning. After 10 overs, Sri Lanka were 32 for 3. After 10 overs, Australia were 109 for 3. Same number of wickets, but they were about as neck-and-neck as an emu and a hummingbird. Sri Lanka laboured on and eked out 212 from their allotted overs - the final wicket fell from the last ball of the 50th over. Their total would have been good for a T20, and Finch batted like he thought it was one.
One of the most remarkable things about Australia's innings was that it started with a maiden, as Thisara Perera tested David Warner. But next over Finch launched 17 runs off Amila Aponso, including four fours, and he added a further 18 off Thisara in the over after that, including one huge straight six. It led to the ridiculous situation of Australia having 35 for 0, and Finch having all 35 runs. Warner was still on 0 from six balls.
Warner got in on the action with a couple of boundaries of his own, but had no chance of keeping pace with Finch, who used the field restrictions to make a mockery of Sri Lanka's attack. He got to 49 from 15 balls and thus had the perfect chance to equal AB de Villiers' record of the fastest ODI fifty, from 16 deliveries, but Finch missed the next one, then found a fielder, and had to settle for an 18-ball half-century, equalling the Australian record shared by Simon O'Donnell and Glenn Maxwell.
Finch brought up the milestone with a fearsome six swept off Pathirana, but next ball was adjudged lbw trying another sweep; he asked for a review, and Hawkeye showed the ball just kissing the outside of leg stump. Finch was gone for 55 off 19. Usman Khawaja, dropped from the Test side earlier on this tour and now playing his first ODI of the trip, walked out and was lbw to Pathirana for a second-ball duck. Hawkeye showed the ball missing leg, but Finch had used the review.
Next came Bailey, who punched two off Pathirana's last ball and then plundered three fours and a six off the next over from Dilruwan Perera, sweeping and reverse sweeping with ease. But as soon as Pathirana had the ball again in the next over, he had Warner deceived in flight and bowled for 19 off 16. Australia were flying, but were they be about to crash back down to earth? Pathirana's next few overs were key, and while he beat the bat several times, there were no more wickets.
There should have been - Dilruwan bowled Head for 13 off a no-ball - but Bailey eased his tempo, Head assisted, and their 100-run partnership put Australia on the brink of victory. Dilruwan eventually did remove Head, lbw for 40, but by then it was too late. Australia needed only 16 more runs and got them with ease, the winning strike a Matthew Wade six over long-on off the bowling of Dilruwan. Home with 114 balls to spare.
Australia's batting completely overshadowed the earlier achievement of Hastings, who used the slowish surface to his advantage and collected 6 for 45. In 45 years of ODI history, he was just the seventh Australian to claim at least six wickets in an innings, after Gary Gilmour, Ken MacLeay, Glenn McGrath, Andy Bichel, Mitchell Johnson and Mitchell Starc, who has done so twice. Here, Starc had to settle for one wicket - in the first over, as usual.
Starc trapped 18-year-old debutant Avishka Fernando lbw with a quick inswinger with the fourth ball of the game, and Sri Lanka's start went from bad to worse when their two best batsmen of the series to date - Kusal Mendis and Dinesh Chandimal - fell cheaply. Mendis was caught behind on review off Hastings for 1 and Chandimal was caught behind for 5, beaten by a little extra bounce from Scott Boland.
Despite the wickets, de Silva remained keen to entertain, driving and flicking off his pads, and dominating the Sri Lankan scorecard. At the other end, Mathews was battling along slowly having been struck on the helmet by a Boland bouncer. But on 28, Mathews was forced to retire hurt, hobbling off after injuring his right calf while taking off for a run. Not only did it hurt Sri Lanka's batting, but he was one of only two seamers in their attack, and could not bowl.
De Silva moved to his half-century from 62 deliveries but fell when he pulled Hastings to midwicket. He had taken risks throughout his innings and finally one had not paid off, but Sri Lanka could still be pleased that they had found an opener after the retirement of Tillakaratne Dilshan.
The rest of the innings rather petered out. Angelo Perera and Kusal Perera gave their wickets up limply to the spin of Adam Zampa and Head respectively, and although a few lower-order contributions pushed Sri Lanka above 200, Hastings finished off the remaining four wickets. The last of them was Mathews, who had limped back to the crease at the fall of the eighth wicket in an effort to pinch a few more boundaries.
Mathews was out for 40, skying the last ball of the innings, a Hastings cross-seamer. He had added 12 since retiring hurt, and it was tempting to wonder if those 12 runs might be the difference in the match. As it turned out, Finch negated them with the first three balls of his innings. From then on, the match was in Australia's grasp.
5th ODI
Sri Lanka 195 (40.2 ov)
Australia 199/5 (43.0 ov)
Australia won by 5 wickets (with 42 balls remaining)
For the fifth time in the series Sri Lanka batted first and a vaguely familiar match played out as Australia ran down the hosts' 195 in the 43rd over, zipping up the series 4-1. Mitchell Starc was denied his customary early wicket this time, but Sri Lanka's middle-order collapse happened anyway, as it often has in the past two weeks. Australia's top order then delivered another consummate performance on a spinning track; the margin of victory was five wickets, but it seemed even more comfortable than that.
It was David Warner, who provided the spine to this particular chase. He capped an outstanding eight days as captain by scoring Australia's first ODI century in Sri Lanka - his 106 from 126 balls measured and delicate, in contrast to his usual maurauding style. Warner's 132-run third-wicket stand with George Bailey effectively ended the contest. The pair had come together at 25 for 2, but Sri Lanka's score always seemed about 40 runs light.
The hosts had squandered their best start of the tour in their own innings, losing batsmen in clusters, then failing to produce significant partnerships before the next cascade of wickets came around. Dhananjaya de Silva and Danushka Gunathilaka were surging along happily against the new ball - making 73 for the first wicket - then three wickets fell for five runs. Before they had properly recovered from that dive, the next set of rapids was upon them. Sri Lanka lost their fourth and fifth wickets for eight runs, and sixth and seventh wickets for 20. And the last three fell within 11 runs of each other. Sachith Pathirana scored a fourth 30-odd of the innings, in the company of the tail, to go with those from the openers and Kusal Mendis.
Starc made up for missing out on his customary early wicket by helping blast out the tail and taking 3 for 40. Each of the other five Australia bowlers also made at least one breakthrough.
As has been the case for much of the tour, Australia's bowling was disciplined rather than devilish, but Sri Lanka's batsmen folded alarmingly when even a little pressure had built up. De Silva mis-hit James Faulkner to mid-on in the 14th over to set the collapse in motion. Six balls later, Gunathilaka misjudged the line of an Adam Zampa ball, and had his leg stump rattled when he missed a lap sweep. Dinesh Chandimal and Mendis were both out poking outside the off stump - though the latter did play some sublime strokes before the dismissal. Upul Tharanga slapped a Travis Head ball to point, and Dasun Shanaka was bowled by a Zampa slider. Starc's full and straight deliveries were beyond the skill of Sri Lanka's lower order to defuse.
The new ball nipped around under lights for Suranga Lakmal, and Dilruwan Perera immediately had the ball spinning sharply, but beyond the first 12 overs, Sri Lanka failed to exert substantial pressure. Having opened the innings in place of Aaron Finch, who had injured a finger while fielding in the slips, Matthew Wade gloved a ball behind as he attempted to sweep, and Usman Khawaja was soon caught off the leading edge.
Warner and Bailey had close calls themselves in the initial period, but soon began to sweep, reverse sweep, and advance down the track, with increasing confidence. Bailey was merely tapping into a body of strokes that has brought him success right through the tour, but Warner's attempt to return to form was the more compelling of the two innings. He collected his first four with a reverse-lap off Dilruwan in the second over, but was content to score in singles and twos for much of his early stay - his second boundary did not come until the 21st over.
Dinesh Chandimal rifled through his many spin options, and though half chances were created throughout the partnership, edges continued to fall into space, and marginal decisions went against the hosts. By mid-innings, the track had begun to take dramatic turn, yet Warner and Bailey marched on, scoring off the loose balls, and scratching together runs - the ball sometimes traveling to unguarded spaces off unintended parts of the bat. Warner reached his first half-century of the series off his 72nd delivery, then hit three fours off the next five balls to herald a more attacking approach. His second fifty came off 39 balls, and the celebration upon reaching his first ODI ton in Asia was uncharacteristically restrained, as the innings had been.
Bailey fell with 39 runs to get, then Head and Warner followed not long after, but the wickets merely served to narrow the winning margin, rather than provide Sri Lanka with any real hope.
Just about the only area of success for Sri Lanka was their opening partnership, which survived past the fifth over for the first time on tour. De Silva was particularly good against Starc again, driving him gracefully through the covers in the first over, then cutting and flicking him to the fence in the fifth. Gunathilaka was punchier, putting John Hastings into the sightscreen in the fourth over then leaning back to slap him over the point region soon after. Sri Lanka's first 50 runs came in 9.1 overs, but once the wickets began to fall, they could not arrest the slide.
Sunday, 4 September 2016
Tuesday, 30 August 2016
2nd Test SA V NZ
Day 1
South Africa 283/3 (88.0 ov)
New Zealand
A day of thorough domination, something South Africa's Test team hasn't enjoyed for a few months. Their top four batsmen - Quinton de Kock, Stephen Cook, Hashim Amla and JP Duminy - all struck fifties as the hosts finished at 283 for 3 after they had been put into bat by Kane Williamson at Supersport Park.
South Africa's newest opening combination, de Kock and Cook, laid the groundwork for the middle order to capitalise by adding 133, South Africa's best first-wicket partnership since 2014. Amla and Duminy were initially circumspect after the tea break, but runs flowed as the final session wore on. In between a number of delectable boundaries, which included an upper cut over third man for six, Amla brought up his fourth successive fifty-plus score in Centurion.
At a time when batting seemed easiest, however, left-arm seamer Neil Wagner brought one back in sharply from around the wicket and kissed Amla's outside edge. It required such a delivery to leave Amla in disbelief.
Duminy's place in South Africa's Test side was under scrutiny going into the Test, and he had an immediate stroke of luck when a first-ball edge of Doug Bracewell did not carry to second slip, because of the slowness of the surface. Duminy used his luck to compile a diligent and unbeaten 67, an innings laced with sweetly-timed drives and flicks, his confidence and footwork improving with every stroke.
The differences from Durban were stark when play had begun under a blue Centurion sky. The absence of cloud cover and the slower nature of the pitch meant South Africa's openers were comfortable off the back foot as long as they did not waft at inviting lengths.
In the first session, they thrived after weathering a testing spell from Southee and Boult, both of whom hit exemplary lengths. After being watchful during the first hour, de Kock - opening because Dean Elgar had sprained his ankle while training on the eve of the Test - and Cook capitalised in the second. As de Kock got bolder and Cook more resolute, regular offerings of width coupled with pick-off-the-pads deliveries helped them score boundaries on both sides of the wicket. South Africa were 100 for 0 at lunch.
New Zealand's bowlers were forced to use the most trusted plan of their African journey, a barrage of short balls, to stall the hosts during the middle session.
Both Southee and Wagner resorted to bouncers to de Kock with a leg gully and deep square leg in place. De Kock, though, did not shy away. Wagner, bowling from around the wicket, delivered three successive short balls, one of which de Kock backed away from and ramped over the slip cordon. Wagner was mature and experienced, de Kock was young and exuberant. It was a test, and Wagner's next well-directed bouncer accounted for de Kock, who pulled compulsively and was caught at fine leg.
After bringing up his half-century, Cook seemed to lose his discipline in leaving deliveries he did not need to play. A couple of loose drives, bat away from the body and feet rooted in the crease, whistled through cover but another such shot ended his innings. A thick skew off the outside half carried low to Kane Williamson at gully, and New Zealand had an opening. Until Amla closed it again.
About ten overs after Amla fell with the score on 246 for 3, New Zealand took the new ball as soon as it was available. Barring gentle swing, though, they found nothing to trouble Faf du Plessis and Duminy, both of whom were intent on keeping straight deliveries out and leaving whenever they could.
The Decision Review System did not aid New Zealand either, with two lbw decisions - Duminy on 44 and Amla on 17 - reversed. There were two more lbw appeals that replays indicated would have been overturned but Williamson chose not to review. As a result, New Zealand endured the worst day of their African sojourn and needed to make a strong comeback if they are to challenge for their first Test series win against South Africa.
Day 2
South Africa 481/8d
New Zealand 38/3 (16.0 ov)
New Zealand trail by 443 runs with 7 wickets remaining in the 1st innings
Faf du Plessis scored his first century in 17 innings since December 2014 and South Africa's seamers picked from where they left off in Durban to give the hosts control of the series decider. Du Plessis was one of a quintet of batsmen to cross fifty - only the second time all of South Africa's top five have done so - as they wore New Zealand out before declaring on a day of toil for the visitors.
The current New Zealand crop have never been kept in the field for more overs than the 154 they were during South Africa's innings. As a team, they have spent more time on the park eight times before in the first innings, most recently in 1999. The consolation for them was that Neil Wagner claimed his fourth five-wicket haul on his first Test appearance at his former home ground while the rest of the attack went largely luckless. Trent Boult will be particularly envious of the returns the other seamers enjoyed after he went wicketless despite creating numerous chances, beating the bat, finding movement and several edges.
Instead, it was South Africa who reaped reward, as they plucked out New Zealand's openers early. This time Vernon Philander was in on the action too. He created the first chance when he squared Martin Guptill up with a delivery that straightened from leg stump and took the edge but went over the slips where Stiaan van Zyl was reaching for it. Van Zyl only had to wait until Philander's next over to make amends. Guptill was fishing outside off again and van Zyl took the catch off the edge.
At the other end, Dale Steyn was trying to force the batsmen to drive, and got one to nip back into Tom Latham and appealed for caught behind. Umpire Paul Reiffel gave it not out but Steyn was insistent and South Africa reviewed. Replays suggested the ball had brushed the pocket but a thin spike on Ultra Edge convinced the third umpire Richard Illingworth Latham was out off the inside edge.
The decision fired Steyn up even more. He greeted Ross Taylor with a 140kph bouncer that struck him on the shoulder and another, even faster, at 145 kph, on the arm. Taylor weathered the storm but the the pressure got to him. As the first change was made - Kagiso Rabada took over from Philander - he nudged into the leg side set off a single. Temba Bavuma swooped to his left from short leg and his direct hit found Taylor short of his ground and dismissed for the first time on New Zealand's African tour.
Kane Williamson batted to the close but the "oh no," he uttered when he squandered a review earlier in the day - agreeing to go upstairs when Wagner thought he had Philander out lbw - could have applied to the whole day for New Zealand.
They started strongly when Boult continued his blistering new-ball spell and threatened a wicket in almost every over. He could have had one off the first ball of the morning, which nipped back into du Plessis and almost took out off stump. Later he drew an inside-edge, rapped du Plessis on the pads and had him pulling to deep square leg where Henry Nicholls let it slip through his grasp.
Fortune was with South Africa as JP Duminy survived too. He could have been caught in the slips but the edge fell short and he was regularly beaten but he fought his way into form. Duminy seemed destined for a first Test hundred in two years but then got a bottom edge off a rash pull to finish 12 short.
Wagner used a signature short ball to remove Temba Bavuma, the only batsmen not to get into double figures, but South Africa's long line-up meant New Zealand were not through. Stiaan van Zyl - now batting in the middle order after an unsuccessful stint at the top - joined du Plessis in circumspection and batted most of the second session while du Plessis patiently played for a century.
His strike rate only climbed when he moved from 60 to 80 in 15 deliveries. For the rest of his innings, du Plessis was willing to wait and it was only after van Zyl and Philander were dismissed that he got there. In two emotional overs, Wagner celebrated a five-for in front of friends and family from his hometown and du Plessis was vindicated after being dropped in the last Test series and brought back as stand-in captain for this one. Personal performance aside, du Plessis doubtless ended the day the happier man.
Day 3
South Africa 481/8d & 105/6
New Zealand 214
South Africa lead by 372 runs with 4 wickets remaining
South Africa gained control of the second Test in Centurion after their seamers made light work of New Zealand's middle and lower order to bowl them out for 214. On a 13-wicket third day at SuperSport Park, South Africa's lead ballooned to 372 despite New Zealand's quicks scything through their top order to leave them 105 for 6 at stumps.
Kane Williamson's diligent work ethic helped weather a testing period in the morning, but regular breakthroughs meant South Africa ripped through New Zealand's largely untested middle order, and took a first-innings lead of 267.
Having chosen not to enforce the follow-on, South Africa began their second innings in sprightly fashion after an early tea, with Quinton de Kock hitting five fours and a six off the first 11 balls he faced. But Trent Boult and Tim Southee utilised appreciable lateral movement to nip out three wickets in two overs: Stephen Cook lbw after being pinned in the crease to a Boult inswinger, Hashim Amla caught at second slip off Southee, and JP Duminy playing around his front pad. After five overs, South Africa were 32 for 3.
Just like in the first innings, New Zealand persisted by bowling short at de Kock, but he didn't shy away from pulling. He made use of any width on offer and brought up his second fifty of the Test, off 42 balls. But an unplayable bouncer from Doug Bracewell, jagging into the left-hander from around the wicket and rearing towards his head, caused him to glove a catch to gully. By then, though, South Africa were 349 ahead.
It looked like Temba Bavuma and Stiaan van Zyl would play out the overs remaining till stumps, but just when they seemed set to achieve that objective, Wagner produced a lovely delivery in the channel outside off to have van Zyl caught behind.
In the morning, Williamson displayed exemplary technique - head over the ball, soft hands at point of contact and bat near pad - to quell Dale Steyn, Kagiso Rabada and Vernon Philander, all of whom got the ball to move both ways through the day. Williamson repeatedly left deliveries on a testing line outside off stump, forcing the quicks straighter and then picking them off through midwicket - his modus operandi for most of his innings. He scored 77, his first Test fifty in South Africa.
At the other end, South Africa peppered Henry Nicholls with short balls. Despite looking awkward while fending or avoiding the bouncers, Nicholls seemed largely untroubled against the ensuing full deliveries until he missed a drive off Rabada. Umpire Paul Reiffel adjudged Nicholls to be not out but on review, Hawkeye indicated that the ball had pitched in line and would have hit middle stump.
The short-pitched plans continued after Nicholls' dismissal with a leg gully and short leg in place. Williamson and BJ Watling, two of New Zealand's better-equipped batsmen to tackle the bouncer, ducked or swayed out of the line.
Steyn persevered and reaped reward when he had Watling fending off his ribs, the ball grazing his glove on the way to wicketkeeper de Kock. A thin spike on the Snickometer resulted in South Africa's second wicket of the day, via their second successful review. With Mitchell Santner inside-edging Philander onto his stumps shortly before lunch, and Bracewell and Southee falling within six overs of each other after the break, New Zealand were 169 for 8.
Rabada, regularly clocking 150 kph, discomfited Wagner with a series of bouncers, one of which took the edge of his bat and lobbed to second slip via his shoulder. However, replays indicated Rabada had overstepped. Thereafter, Wagner changed tack from wearing blows to all-out attack, and heaved three fours and a six in the space of five Steyn deliveries to hurry New Zealand past 200.
He kept playing the pull, and eventually, one took his leading edge on the way to de Kock and Steyn duly directed Wagner back to the dressing room. Williamson was last man out in the next over, top-edging a pull just as Wagner had done.
Day 4
South Africa 481/8d & 132/7d
New Zealand 214 & 195
South Africa won by 204 runs
A masterful display of swing bowling from Dale Steyn, who picked up his first five-wicket haul in international cricket since December 2014, helped South Africa bowl New Zealand out for 195 in their chase of 400 on the fourth day in Centurion. Steyn and Vernon Philander, abetted by exaggerated variable bounce on a deteriorating SuperSport Park surface, set up South Africa's first Test series win since early 2015 by ripping through New Zealand's top order in a devastating seven-over period before lunch.
Despite an impressive half-century from Henry Nicholls, New Zealand never really recovered from being 18 for 4 at lunch, and they were eventually bowled out half an hour from stumps.
Steyn landed the first ball of the fourth innings in the channel outside off stump - it was wide enough for Tom Latham not to play but the extra bounce caught him unawares, and the ball clattered into the stumps off Latham's withdrawing bat. It was the third time in three innings on this tour that Steyn had dismissed Latham.
Five balls later, Martin Guptill got an unplayable outswinger: it pitched on off and swerved away to take the outside edge to Hashim Amla at first slip.
The variable bounce kept troubling New Zealand. In the second over, Kane Williamson was rapped on the glove by an inswinger from Philander that reared at him from a good length. In the next over, Steyn got one to land on a similar length and scoot along the surface to Ross Taylor, trapping him in front. Could New Zealand's situation get worse?
It did. Williamson, perhaps still suffering the after-effects of the blow to his left hand, wafted at a wide delivery from Philander. He had avoided playing that line throughout the first innings. The ball swung further away and took his outside edge, and wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock completed a stunning one-handed catch low to his right.
Nicholls offered New Zealand's only real resistance with 76, his highest Test score. He was particularly effective square on either side of the wicket, picking off straight deliveries and punishing width outside off. When the bowlers overpitched, he collected runs through vacant areas down the ground.
After weathering a tough period before lunch, he added 68 with Watling for the fifth wicket. With the ball moving both ways, Nicholls and Watling left well outside off, forcing the seamers towards the stumps. The quicks were continually rotated and batting became gradually easier as the middle session wore on.
Just when it looked like New Zealand would get through the session unscathed, the offspinner Dane Piedt got one to spin back viciously. Watling shuffled across, missed his flick, and was struck in front of off stump. Watling reviewed, but umpire's call on impact meant South Africa had their only wicket of the session.
Kagiso Rabada, hitting the high 130-kph range as opposed to the 150 mark he regularly clocked in the first innings, struggled for fluency, rhythm and accuracy before tea. A number of wayward deliveries on either side of the wicket were easily avoided or dispatched to the boundary. However, he returned late in the day to pick up two-lower order wickets: he had Tim Southee bowled with a spearing yorker on off stump and beat Neil Wagner for pace to pin him in front of middle and leg.
Mitchell Santner, Doug Bracewell and Southee all got off to starts, but could not stay long enough at the crease to help Nicholls to a maiden Test ton. At 195 for 9, Nicholls was quickly running out of partners and du Plessis recalled Steyn. A top-edged pull off a short delivery, aimed at Nicholls' ribs, was taken at fine leg to end New Zealand's resistance.
In the morning, resuming from a score of 105 for 6, overnight batsmen Temba Bavuma and Vernon Philander were patient early, leaving and blocking Trent Boult and Tim Southee, both of whom generated appreciable lateral movement like they had on the third evening. Philander looked untroubled until he left a good-length delivery from Southee that jagged back prodigiously to uproot the off stump. South Africa declared at 132 for 7, having added 27 in the first hour.
South Africa 283/3 (88.0 ov)
New Zealand
A day of thorough domination, something South Africa's Test team hasn't enjoyed for a few months. Their top four batsmen - Quinton de Kock, Stephen Cook, Hashim Amla and JP Duminy - all struck fifties as the hosts finished at 283 for 3 after they had been put into bat by Kane Williamson at Supersport Park.
South Africa's newest opening combination, de Kock and Cook, laid the groundwork for the middle order to capitalise by adding 133, South Africa's best first-wicket partnership since 2014. Amla and Duminy were initially circumspect after the tea break, but runs flowed as the final session wore on. In between a number of delectable boundaries, which included an upper cut over third man for six, Amla brought up his fourth successive fifty-plus score in Centurion.
At a time when batting seemed easiest, however, left-arm seamer Neil Wagner brought one back in sharply from around the wicket and kissed Amla's outside edge. It required such a delivery to leave Amla in disbelief.
Duminy's place in South Africa's Test side was under scrutiny going into the Test, and he had an immediate stroke of luck when a first-ball edge of Doug Bracewell did not carry to second slip, because of the slowness of the surface. Duminy used his luck to compile a diligent and unbeaten 67, an innings laced with sweetly-timed drives and flicks, his confidence and footwork improving with every stroke.
The differences from Durban were stark when play had begun under a blue Centurion sky. The absence of cloud cover and the slower nature of the pitch meant South Africa's openers were comfortable off the back foot as long as they did not waft at inviting lengths.
In the first session, they thrived after weathering a testing spell from Southee and Boult, both of whom hit exemplary lengths. After being watchful during the first hour, de Kock - opening because Dean Elgar had sprained his ankle while training on the eve of the Test - and Cook capitalised in the second. As de Kock got bolder and Cook more resolute, regular offerings of width coupled with pick-off-the-pads deliveries helped them score boundaries on both sides of the wicket. South Africa were 100 for 0 at lunch.
New Zealand's bowlers were forced to use the most trusted plan of their African journey, a barrage of short balls, to stall the hosts during the middle session.
Both Southee and Wagner resorted to bouncers to de Kock with a leg gully and deep square leg in place. De Kock, though, did not shy away. Wagner, bowling from around the wicket, delivered three successive short balls, one of which de Kock backed away from and ramped over the slip cordon. Wagner was mature and experienced, de Kock was young and exuberant. It was a test, and Wagner's next well-directed bouncer accounted for de Kock, who pulled compulsively and was caught at fine leg.
After bringing up his half-century, Cook seemed to lose his discipline in leaving deliveries he did not need to play. A couple of loose drives, bat away from the body and feet rooted in the crease, whistled through cover but another such shot ended his innings. A thick skew off the outside half carried low to Kane Williamson at gully, and New Zealand had an opening. Until Amla closed it again.
About ten overs after Amla fell with the score on 246 for 3, New Zealand took the new ball as soon as it was available. Barring gentle swing, though, they found nothing to trouble Faf du Plessis and Duminy, both of whom were intent on keeping straight deliveries out and leaving whenever they could.
The Decision Review System did not aid New Zealand either, with two lbw decisions - Duminy on 44 and Amla on 17 - reversed. There were two more lbw appeals that replays indicated would have been overturned but Williamson chose not to review. As a result, New Zealand endured the worst day of their African sojourn and needed to make a strong comeback if they are to challenge for their first Test series win against South Africa.
Day 2
South Africa 481/8d
New Zealand 38/3 (16.0 ov)
New Zealand trail by 443 runs with 7 wickets remaining in the 1st innings
Faf du Plessis scored his first century in 17 innings since December 2014 and South Africa's seamers picked from where they left off in Durban to give the hosts control of the series decider. Du Plessis was one of a quintet of batsmen to cross fifty - only the second time all of South Africa's top five have done so - as they wore New Zealand out before declaring on a day of toil for the visitors.
The current New Zealand crop have never been kept in the field for more overs than the 154 they were during South Africa's innings. As a team, they have spent more time on the park eight times before in the first innings, most recently in 1999. The consolation for them was that Neil Wagner claimed his fourth five-wicket haul on his first Test appearance at his former home ground while the rest of the attack went largely luckless. Trent Boult will be particularly envious of the returns the other seamers enjoyed after he went wicketless despite creating numerous chances, beating the bat, finding movement and several edges.
Instead, it was South Africa who reaped reward, as they plucked out New Zealand's openers early. This time Vernon Philander was in on the action too. He created the first chance when he squared Martin Guptill up with a delivery that straightened from leg stump and took the edge but went over the slips where Stiaan van Zyl was reaching for it. Van Zyl only had to wait until Philander's next over to make amends. Guptill was fishing outside off again and van Zyl took the catch off the edge.
At the other end, Dale Steyn was trying to force the batsmen to drive, and got one to nip back into Tom Latham and appealed for caught behind. Umpire Paul Reiffel gave it not out but Steyn was insistent and South Africa reviewed. Replays suggested the ball had brushed the pocket but a thin spike on Ultra Edge convinced the third umpire Richard Illingworth Latham was out off the inside edge.
The decision fired Steyn up even more. He greeted Ross Taylor with a 140kph bouncer that struck him on the shoulder and another, even faster, at 145 kph, on the arm. Taylor weathered the storm but the the pressure got to him. As the first change was made - Kagiso Rabada took over from Philander - he nudged into the leg side set off a single. Temba Bavuma swooped to his left from short leg and his direct hit found Taylor short of his ground and dismissed for the first time on New Zealand's African tour.
Kane Williamson batted to the close but the "oh no," he uttered when he squandered a review earlier in the day - agreeing to go upstairs when Wagner thought he had Philander out lbw - could have applied to the whole day for New Zealand.
They started strongly when Boult continued his blistering new-ball spell and threatened a wicket in almost every over. He could have had one off the first ball of the morning, which nipped back into du Plessis and almost took out off stump. Later he drew an inside-edge, rapped du Plessis on the pads and had him pulling to deep square leg where Henry Nicholls let it slip through his grasp.
Fortune was with South Africa as JP Duminy survived too. He could have been caught in the slips but the edge fell short and he was regularly beaten but he fought his way into form. Duminy seemed destined for a first Test hundred in two years but then got a bottom edge off a rash pull to finish 12 short.
Wagner used a signature short ball to remove Temba Bavuma, the only batsmen not to get into double figures, but South Africa's long line-up meant New Zealand were not through. Stiaan van Zyl - now batting in the middle order after an unsuccessful stint at the top - joined du Plessis in circumspection and batted most of the second session while du Plessis patiently played for a century.
His strike rate only climbed when he moved from 60 to 80 in 15 deliveries. For the rest of his innings, du Plessis was willing to wait and it was only after van Zyl and Philander were dismissed that he got there. In two emotional overs, Wagner celebrated a five-for in front of friends and family from his hometown and du Plessis was vindicated after being dropped in the last Test series and brought back as stand-in captain for this one. Personal performance aside, du Plessis doubtless ended the day the happier man.
Day 3
South Africa 481/8d & 105/6
New Zealand 214
South Africa lead by 372 runs with 4 wickets remaining
South Africa gained control of the second Test in Centurion after their seamers made light work of New Zealand's middle and lower order to bowl them out for 214. On a 13-wicket third day at SuperSport Park, South Africa's lead ballooned to 372 despite New Zealand's quicks scything through their top order to leave them 105 for 6 at stumps.
Kane Williamson's diligent work ethic helped weather a testing period in the morning, but regular breakthroughs meant South Africa ripped through New Zealand's largely untested middle order, and took a first-innings lead of 267.
Having chosen not to enforce the follow-on, South Africa began their second innings in sprightly fashion after an early tea, with Quinton de Kock hitting five fours and a six off the first 11 balls he faced. But Trent Boult and Tim Southee utilised appreciable lateral movement to nip out three wickets in two overs: Stephen Cook lbw after being pinned in the crease to a Boult inswinger, Hashim Amla caught at second slip off Southee, and JP Duminy playing around his front pad. After five overs, South Africa were 32 for 3.
Just like in the first innings, New Zealand persisted by bowling short at de Kock, but he didn't shy away from pulling. He made use of any width on offer and brought up his second fifty of the Test, off 42 balls. But an unplayable bouncer from Doug Bracewell, jagging into the left-hander from around the wicket and rearing towards his head, caused him to glove a catch to gully. By then, though, South Africa were 349 ahead.
It looked like Temba Bavuma and Stiaan van Zyl would play out the overs remaining till stumps, but just when they seemed set to achieve that objective, Wagner produced a lovely delivery in the channel outside off to have van Zyl caught behind.
In the morning, Williamson displayed exemplary technique - head over the ball, soft hands at point of contact and bat near pad - to quell Dale Steyn, Kagiso Rabada and Vernon Philander, all of whom got the ball to move both ways through the day. Williamson repeatedly left deliveries on a testing line outside off stump, forcing the quicks straighter and then picking them off through midwicket - his modus operandi for most of his innings. He scored 77, his first Test fifty in South Africa.
At the other end, South Africa peppered Henry Nicholls with short balls. Despite looking awkward while fending or avoiding the bouncers, Nicholls seemed largely untroubled against the ensuing full deliveries until he missed a drive off Rabada. Umpire Paul Reiffel adjudged Nicholls to be not out but on review, Hawkeye indicated that the ball had pitched in line and would have hit middle stump.
The short-pitched plans continued after Nicholls' dismissal with a leg gully and short leg in place. Williamson and BJ Watling, two of New Zealand's better-equipped batsmen to tackle the bouncer, ducked or swayed out of the line.
Steyn persevered and reaped reward when he had Watling fending off his ribs, the ball grazing his glove on the way to wicketkeeper de Kock. A thin spike on the Snickometer resulted in South Africa's second wicket of the day, via their second successful review. With Mitchell Santner inside-edging Philander onto his stumps shortly before lunch, and Bracewell and Southee falling within six overs of each other after the break, New Zealand were 169 for 8.
Rabada, regularly clocking 150 kph, discomfited Wagner with a series of bouncers, one of which took the edge of his bat and lobbed to second slip via his shoulder. However, replays indicated Rabada had overstepped. Thereafter, Wagner changed tack from wearing blows to all-out attack, and heaved three fours and a six in the space of five Steyn deliveries to hurry New Zealand past 200.
He kept playing the pull, and eventually, one took his leading edge on the way to de Kock and Steyn duly directed Wagner back to the dressing room. Williamson was last man out in the next over, top-edging a pull just as Wagner had done.
Day 4
South Africa 481/8d & 132/7d
New Zealand 214 & 195
South Africa won by 204 runs
A masterful display of swing bowling from Dale Steyn, who picked up his first five-wicket haul in international cricket since December 2014, helped South Africa bowl New Zealand out for 195 in their chase of 400 on the fourth day in Centurion. Steyn and Vernon Philander, abetted by exaggerated variable bounce on a deteriorating SuperSport Park surface, set up South Africa's first Test series win since early 2015 by ripping through New Zealand's top order in a devastating seven-over period before lunch.
Despite an impressive half-century from Henry Nicholls, New Zealand never really recovered from being 18 for 4 at lunch, and they were eventually bowled out half an hour from stumps.
Steyn landed the first ball of the fourth innings in the channel outside off stump - it was wide enough for Tom Latham not to play but the extra bounce caught him unawares, and the ball clattered into the stumps off Latham's withdrawing bat. It was the third time in three innings on this tour that Steyn had dismissed Latham.
Five balls later, Martin Guptill got an unplayable outswinger: it pitched on off and swerved away to take the outside edge to Hashim Amla at first slip.
The variable bounce kept troubling New Zealand. In the second over, Kane Williamson was rapped on the glove by an inswinger from Philander that reared at him from a good length. In the next over, Steyn got one to land on a similar length and scoot along the surface to Ross Taylor, trapping him in front. Could New Zealand's situation get worse?
It did. Williamson, perhaps still suffering the after-effects of the blow to his left hand, wafted at a wide delivery from Philander. He had avoided playing that line throughout the first innings. The ball swung further away and took his outside edge, and wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock completed a stunning one-handed catch low to his right.
Nicholls offered New Zealand's only real resistance with 76, his highest Test score. He was particularly effective square on either side of the wicket, picking off straight deliveries and punishing width outside off. When the bowlers overpitched, he collected runs through vacant areas down the ground.
After weathering a tough period before lunch, he added 68 with Watling for the fifth wicket. With the ball moving both ways, Nicholls and Watling left well outside off, forcing the seamers towards the stumps. The quicks were continually rotated and batting became gradually easier as the middle session wore on.
Just when it looked like New Zealand would get through the session unscathed, the offspinner Dane Piedt got one to spin back viciously. Watling shuffled across, missed his flick, and was struck in front of off stump. Watling reviewed, but umpire's call on impact meant South Africa had their only wicket of the session.
Kagiso Rabada, hitting the high 130-kph range as opposed to the 150 mark he regularly clocked in the first innings, struggled for fluency, rhythm and accuracy before tea. A number of wayward deliveries on either side of the wicket were easily avoided or dispatched to the boundary. However, he returned late in the day to pick up two-lower order wickets: he had Tim Southee bowled with a spearing yorker on off stump and beat Neil Wagner for pace to pin him in front of middle and leg.
Mitchell Santner, Doug Bracewell and Southee all got off to starts, but could not stay long enough at the crease to help Nicholls to a maiden Test ton. At 195 for 9, Nicholls was quickly running out of partners and du Plessis recalled Steyn. A top-edged pull off a short delivery, aimed at Nicholls' ribs, was taken at fine leg to end New Zealand's resistance.
In the morning, resuming from a score of 105 for 6, overnight batsmen Temba Bavuma and Vernon Philander were patient early, leaving and blocking Trent Boult and Tim Southee, both of whom generated appreciable lateral movement like they had on the third evening. Philander looked untroubled until he left a good-length delivery from Southee that jagged back prodigiously to uproot the off stump. South Africa declared at 132 for 7, having added 27 in the first hour.
Sunday, 28 August 2016
2 T20I's WI 1-0 IND (in USA)
1st T20I
West Indies 245/6 (20/20 ov)
India 244/4 (20/20 ov)
West Indies won by 1 run
A hurriedly arranged exercise to take a glimpse into the future of cricket economy provided a giddying look into the future of Twenty20 cricket on the field. This was a future of fearless, relentless, calculated, almost unhurried hitting taken to the next level as West Indies first amassed their personal best of 245 only for India to come within two runs of mounting the highest successful T20I chase almost without breaking a sweat.
Evin Lewis and KL Rahul, replacing regular openers Chris Gayle and Shikhar Dhawan, smashed hundreds, but in this future bowlers did deal the consequential blows. India bowled superb wide yorkers to concede just 40 in the last four and 64 in the last seven, but the wily Dwayne Bravo outfoxed MS Dhoni and the centurion Rahul by defending seven runs in the last over. India needed two off the last ball, but Bravo made Dhoni wait and wait before bowling a slower ball that was caught by Marlon Samuels at short third man.
On a day that some batting records were broken and all sorts of others, and low-flying aircrafts, were under threat - Richard Levi's fastest hundred off 45 balls thrice, most runs in an over, most runs in boundaries in a team innings, highest T20I score, highest successful T20I chase - the bowling was the story of the day. In particular the last over of the day.
When Bravo began it, 483 runs had been scored in 39 overs. Thirty-two sixes and 35 fours had been hit on a flat deck surrounded by short boundaries. Johnson Charles had looted 79 off 33, playing only five scoring shots on the off side. Playing only his second T20I, replacing Gayle, Lewis had hit five sixes in a Stuart Binny over. Rohit Sharma looked like he could cream his way to another hundred when he scored 62 off 28. Andre Russell, the best T20 cricketer going around today, had just been mercilessly taken for 36 runs in his last two overs.
Bravo had no business even hoping to save this one, especially when bowling to a man batting on a smooth hundred and the other renowned to be one of the best finishers in ODI cricket, Dhoni. In ran Bravo, a nine-run 18th over behind his back, hoping to not concede a boundary first ball, to "try to get into the over". He had reason to just hope: 20 of the 39 previous overs had been taken for at least a boundary in the first two balls.
Bravo did way better, though, bowling a bewitching slower ball, dipping on Dhoni - 40 off 21 at that time - drawing a big edge, but at short third man Marlon Samuels dropped what Ian Bishop called was the "sittest of sitters". This was the second catch West Indies had dropped; Russell had reprieved Rahul when he was only 36. Rahul had gone on to play a chanceless innings, continuing to run hard despite having been hit on the toe twice.
Back to the frustrated Bravo then. This one was full and outside off, Rahul smashed it into the off side, and now was the time to hope this went to a fielder. Straight to the sweeper-cover fielder it went. Seven required off five now. Still a matter of hoping. Bravo's next ball was on a length, but smartly he followed Dhoni, cramping him up, conceding just the leg-bye.
If Bravo and Russell were the big boys West Indies went to with only 53 required off the last four overs, Bravo now went to the big boys of death bowling. No more mucking around. Bowl them yorkers. The first one was a low full toss, the original call was two as this went to long-on, but finally, at long last, Rahul had had enough up haring up and down with a badgered toe. Also if there had been a run-out - and there could only have been one at Rahul's end - India would have had a new batsman facing up with four required off two balls.
Instead we had the cool head of Dhoni. Against his trusted lieutenant for years at Chennai Super Kings. Bravo bowled the near perfect yorker, Dhoni dug it out powerfully, the ball bounced over Bravo's head, who got a hand to it, slowing it down. Was this absorbing of the blow that cost West Indies the second run here? Would this have been a single had Bravo not intercepted or would it have beaten long-off to end the game right there? We won't know.
Now time stood still. Dhoni has often destroyed many an inexperienced bowler by bringing the contest to a one-on-one from the 11-on-1 that it is for major durations of the match. The hunter had become the hunted now. Bravo had begun the over with nothing to lose, and now he had left Dhoni in the spotlight. And he left Dhoni on a slow burn. About five minutes went by before he bowled the next ball, but it seemed like an eternity. First a man from the off side was moved to midwicket inside the circle to block that Dhoni bunt into the leg side for a couple. Then once the field was set, once Dhoni was ready to face, Bravo walked back all the way to long-on for another conference with Kieron Pollard and new captain Carlos Brathwaite.
Dhoni had met an equal at mindgames. He had only recently outfoxed Bangladesh when they needed two off the last ball. He was now being given enough time and more whether to go for a boundary or the safe route of getting bat on ball for a single to tie and then see if they could get the bonus second? Bravo, and those who know Dhoni, knew the answer. "Knowing MS," Bravo said in a flash interview, "I knew he was going to take the safer route."
Bravo said he wasn't always sure of bowling the slower ball, but once he saw Dhoni move towards him a little, he pulled out that slower dipping offcutter again. Destiny's child Samuels, twice Man of the Match in World T20 semi-finals, got another chance as Dhoni edged while trying to push this into the off side for the safer route. Samuels caught it this time. Bravo had taken a stunning catch earlier to get rid of Ajinkya Rahane and had taken the crucial wicket of Virat Kohli without pulling out his Champion Dance, but turns out he had saved it for something special: this.
2nd T20I
West Indies 143 (19.4/20 ov)
India 15/0 (2/20 ov)
No result
International cricket has lost valuable time in strange circumstances in recent weeks - bright daylight but non-drying outfields in rainy months - but what happened in Lauderhill on Sunday might just be too bizarre for even cricket to come up with. For 40 minutes at the start of the day, on another beautiful sunny morning, the full house at the ground was denied cricket because the broadcasters suffered an "unavoidable" and "technical" problem. Once the game began India bowled superbly to bowl West Indies out for 143, but two overs into the chase, a 20-minute shower was enough to ensure the three remaining overs required to constitute a result would not be bowled.
This two-match series, which West Indies won 1-0, was supposed to be an exercise to take the game into a new market, a market where fans are used to being treated better than cricket tends to treat fans in India. They would have been in for a rude surprise when, after paying steep prices for their tickets, they didn't even get a proper public announcement explaining the delayed start. The broadcasters had paid massive sums for the rights and deserved some consideration, but there was rain expected later in the afternoon. You can imagine the eggshells the match officials would have walked on while sanctioning that delay.
That was not the last bizarre act of the day. At around 12.40pm, with India looking to be on their way to a win having restricted West Indies, it rained for around 20 minutes. The ground didn't have a Super Sopper, and wasn't covered fully. The business area was promptly ready for play and the deep parts of the outfield drained well too, but the top of the bowlers' run-ups, around the area where the painted advertisements are, didn't dry up. The captains were seen looking at that particular area with concern minutes before the game was called off at 2pm.
The official presentation was carried out in gloomy circumstances with the official interviewer steering clear of even mentioning the delayed start, without which the crowd would have had a result. The studio shows and the official interviewer only spoke of how humans are helpless against "mother nature" and "weather". Without being prompted, the West Indies captain Carlos Brathwaite said he hoped the drainage and equipment would improve at the ground, which he said was a wonderful venue otherwise.
It would have been particularly disappointing for the India fans who would have been expecting to celebrate a bowling comeback after their side went for 245 on Saturday, and the comeback of Amit Mishra. He last played a Twenty20 international during the World T20 in 2014. In the next year-and-a-half India only played bilateral Twenty20 internationals, not bothering with flying in T20 specialists for one or two three-hour matches. By the time India started taking T20 internationals seriously again, in the lead-up to the 2016 World T20, Mishra had lost out to Pawan Negi and Harbhajan Singh without being given a chance to build on his impressive bowling in 2014.
Now, perhaps precisely because India didn't bother to fly in T20 specialists for another bilateral series, Mishra got another chance, and made immediate impact to help India bowl West Indies out for 143.
Mishra removed Johnson Charles with the first ball he bowled, inside the Powerplay. Charles had run away to 43 off 24 in the first five overs, but Mishra began with a front-of-the-hand legbreak that followed Charles as opposed to turning away, cramping him up, getting him caught at long-on. After that the spinners choked the life out of the West Indies batting. Ravindra Jadeja zipped through with quiet overs, and R Ashwin bowled cleverly to take the wickets of Lendl Simmons and Kieron Pollard.
The fact that spinners bowled so well just after the Powerplay meant India could afford to introduce Jasprit Bumrah after the 10th over. He prefers the ball to be as old as possible. Bumrah responded immediately with the wicket of Marlon Samuels, and the others tightened the screws around him. West Indies, with Brathwaite coming in at No. 9, kept coming hard at India even though they kept losing wickets. India still kept taking wickets, bowling West Indies out for a below-par score, but they were powerless against the "weather".
West Indies 245/6 (20/20 ov)
India 244/4 (20/20 ov)
West Indies won by 1 run
A hurriedly arranged exercise to take a glimpse into the future of cricket economy provided a giddying look into the future of Twenty20 cricket on the field. This was a future of fearless, relentless, calculated, almost unhurried hitting taken to the next level as West Indies first amassed their personal best of 245 only for India to come within two runs of mounting the highest successful T20I chase almost without breaking a sweat.
Evin Lewis and KL Rahul, replacing regular openers Chris Gayle and Shikhar Dhawan, smashed hundreds, but in this future bowlers did deal the consequential blows. India bowled superb wide yorkers to concede just 40 in the last four and 64 in the last seven, but the wily Dwayne Bravo outfoxed MS Dhoni and the centurion Rahul by defending seven runs in the last over. India needed two off the last ball, but Bravo made Dhoni wait and wait before bowling a slower ball that was caught by Marlon Samuels at short third man.
On a day that some batting records were broken and all sorts of others, and low-flying aircrafts, were under threat - Richard Levi's fastest hundred off 45 balls thrice, most runs in an over, most runs in boundaries in a team innings, highest T20I score, highest successful T20I chase - the bowling was the story of the day. In particular the last over of the day.
When Bravo began it, 483 runs had been scored in 39 overs. Thirty-two sixes and 35 fours had been hit on a flat deck surrounded by short boundaries. Johnson Charles had looted 79 off 33, playing only five scoring shots on the off side. Playing only his second T20I, replacing Gayle, Lewis had hit five sixes in a Stuart Binny over. Rohit Sharma looked like he could cream his way to another hundred when he scored 62 off 28. Andre Russell, the best T20 cricketer going around today, had just been mercilessly taken for 36 runs in his last two overs.
Bravo had no business even hoping to save this one, especially when bowling to a man batting on a smooth hundred and the other renowned to be one of the best finishers in ODI cricket, Dhoni. In ran Bravo, a nine-run 18th over behind his back, hoping to not concede a boundary first ball, to "try to get into the over". He had reason to just hope: 20 of the 39 previous overs had been taken for at least a boundary in the first two balls.
Bravo did way better, though, bowling a bewitching slower ball, dipping on Dhoni - 40 off 21 at that time - drawing a big edge, but at short third man Marlon Samuels dropped what Ian Bishop called was the "sittest of sitters". This was the second catch West Indies had dropped; Russell had reprieved Rahul when he was only 36. Rahul had gone on to play a chanceless innings, continuing to run hard despite having been hit on the toe twice.
Back to the frustrated Bravo then. This one was full and outside off, Rahul smashed it into the off side, and now was the time to hope this went to a fielder. Straight to the sweeper-cover fielder it went. Seven required off five now. Still a matter of hoping. Bravo's next ball was on a length, but smartly he followed Dhoni, cramping him up, conceding just the leg-bye.
If Bravo and Russell were the big boys West Indies went to with only 53 required off the last four overs, Bravo now went to the big boys of death bowling. No more mucking around. Bowl them yorkers. The first one was a low full toss, the original call was two as this went to long-on, but finally, at long last, Rahul had had enough up haring up and down with a badgered toe. Also if there had been a run-out - and there could only have been one at Rahul's end - India would have had a new batsman facing up with four required off two balls.
Instead we had the cool head of Dhoni. Against his trusted lieutenant for years at Chennai Super Kings. Bravo bowled the near perfect yorker, Dhoni dug it out powerfully, the ball bounced over Bravo's head, who got a hand to it, slowing it down. Was this absorbing of the blow that cost West Indies the second run here? Would this have been a single had Bravo not intercepted or would it have beaten long-off to end the game right there? We won't know.
Now time stood still. Dhoni has often destroyed many an inexperienced bowler by bringing the contest to a one-on-one from the 11-on-1 that it is for major durations of the match. The hunter had become the hunted now. Bravo had begun the over with nothing to lose, and now he had left Dhoni in the spotlight. And he left Dhoni on a slow burn. About five minutes went by before he bowled the next ball, but it seemed like an eternity. First a man from the off side was moved to midwicket inside the circle to block that Dhoni bunt into the leg side for a couple. Then once the field was set, once Dhoni was ready to face, Bravo walked back all the way to long-on for another conference with Kieron Pollard and new captain Carlos Brathwaite.
Dhoni had met an equal at mindgames. He had only recently outfoxed Bangladesh when they needed two off the last ball. He was now being given enough time and more whether to go for a boundary or the safe route of getting bat on ball for a single to tie and then see if they could get the bonus second? Bravo, and those who know Dhoni, knew the answer. "Knowing MS," Bravo said in a flash interview, "I knew he was going to take the safer route."
Bravo said he wasn't always sure of bowling the slower ball, but once he saw Dhoni move towards him a little, he pulled out that slower dipping offcutter again. Destiny's child Samuels, twice Man of the Match in World T20 semi-finals, got another chance as Dhoni edged while trying to push this into the off side for the safer route. Samuels caught it this time. Bravo had taken a stunning catch earlier to get rid of Ajinkya Rahane and had taken the crucial wicket of Virat Kohli without pulling out his Champion Dance, but turns out he had saved it for something special: this.
2nd T20I
West Indies 143 (19.4/20 ov)
India 15/0 (2/20 ov)
No result
International cricket has lost valuable time in strange circumstances in recent weeks - bright daylight but non-drying outfields in rainy months - but what happened in Lauderhill on Sunday might just be too bizarre for even cricket to come up with. For 40 minutes at the start of the day, on another beautiful sunny morning, the full house at the ground was denied cricket because the broadcasters suffered an "unavoidable" and "technical" problem. Once the game began India bowled superbly to bowl West Indies out for 143, but two overs into the chase, a 20-minute shower was enough to ensure the three remaining overs required to constitute a result would not be bowled.
This two-match series, which West Indies won 1-0, was supposed to be an exercise to take the game into a new market, a market where fans are used to being treated better than cricket tends to treat fans in India. They would have been in for a rude surprise when, after paying steep prices for their tickets, they didn't even get a proper public announcement explaining the delayed start. The broadcasters had paid massive sums for the rights and deserved some consideration, but there was rain expected later in the afternoon. You can imagine the eggshells the match officials would have walked on while sanctioning that delay.
That was not the last bizarre act of the day. At around 12.40pm, with India looking to be on their way to a win having restricted West Indies, it rained for around 20 minutes. The ground didn't have a Super Sopper, and wasn't covered fully. The business area was promptly ready for play and the deep parts of the outfield drained well too, but the top of the bowlers' run-ups, around the area where the painted advertisements are, didn't dry up. The captains were seen looking at that particular area with concern minutes before the game was called off at 2pm.
The official presentation was carried out in gloomy circumstances with the official interviewer steering clear of even mentioning the delayed start, without which the crowd would have had a result. The studio shows and the official interviewer only spoke of how humans are helpless against "mother nature" and "weather". Without being prompted, the West Indies captain Carlos Brathwaite said he hoped the drainage and equipment would improve at the ground, which he said was a wonderful venue otherwise.
It would have been particularly disappointing for the India fans who would have been expecting to celebrate a bowling comeback after their side went for 245 on Saturday, and the comeback of Amit Mishra. He last played a Twenty20 international during the World T20 in 2014. In the next year-and-a-half India only played bilateral Twenty20 internationals, not bothering with flying in T20 specialists for one or two three-hour matches. By the time India started taking T20 internationals seriously again, in the lead-up to the 2016 World T20, Mishra had lost out to Pawan Negi and Harbhajan Singh without being given a chance to build on his impressive bowling in 2014.
Now, perhaps precisely because India didn't bother to fly in T20 specialists for another bilateral series, Mishra got another chance, and made immediate impact to help India bowl West Indies out for 143.
Mishra removed Johnson Charles with the first ball he bowled, inside the Powerplay. Charles had run away to 43 off 24 in the first five overs, but Mishra began with a front-of-the-hand legbreak that followed Charles as opposed to turning away, cramping him up, getting him caught at long-on. After that the spinners choked the life out of the West Indies batting. Ravindra Jadeja zipped through with quiet overs, and R Ashwin bowled cleverly to take the wickets of Lendl Simmons and Kieron Pollard.
The fact that spinners bowled so well just after the Powerplay meant India could afford to introduce Jasprit Bumrah after the 10th over. He prefers the ball to be as old as possible. Bumrah responded immediately with the wicket of Marlon Samuels, and the others tightened the screws around him. West Indies, with Brathwaite coming in at No. 9, kept coming hard at India even though they kept losing wickets. India still kept taking wickets, bowling West Indies out for a below-par score, but they were powerless against the "weather".
Tuesday, 23 August 2016
1st Test SA V NZ - Draw
Day 1
South Africa 236/8 (77.4 ov)
New Zealand
The first day of Test cricket in August at Kingsmead felt like a play. There was the roguish charmer, Trent Boult, making the new ball weave shapes the batsman couldn't fathom. There was the graceful warrior, Hashim Amla, finding the boundary with the softest of touches. There was the man who defies pain, Neil Wagner, summoning bouncers late in the day. There was guts from Temba Bavuma. And finally there was Mitchell Santner, the sneaky saboteur who ensured the curtains came down with New Zealand smiling.
South Africa, having opted to bat, lurched from 102 for 2 to 160 for 5 and were finally holding on at 236 for 8 at stumps, with Kagiso Rabada and Dale Steyn at the crease.
There was a distinct narrative in each session of play. The first was for the purists, and for those moved by drama, for Boult was slaying an old demon. Ever since a back injury in June 2015, he had looked a paler force. His average bobbed over 36, he leaked three runs an over, and some were worried he had lost his inswing. Considering a stress fracture to his back had threatened his career before it even began - he was set to make his Test debut as a 19-year-old in Australia in 2009, instead he spent two years out of the game - Boult running in and hunting for the top of off stump at 140 kph was a pleasing sight. His first spell of eight overs included three maidens, plenty of jaffas, and the wicket of opener Stephen Cook.
In walked Amla. The ball cringed at the sight of him and hid beyond the boundary every chance it could. He looked in such ominous touch that his batting average of 18.62 at Kingsmead, his home ground, seemed like a computer error. He had contributed 40 of the 53 runs South Africa accumulated in the ten overs leading to lunch, favouring the cover drive. Six of his ten fours came in that region as New Zealand attempted to stay off his pads and ended up overcompensating.
So Kane Williamson called on Boult again, who promptly confounded the opposition's best batsman. An inswinger demanded Amla come forward - he couldn't - nibbled on the inside edge and settled in wicketkeeper BJ Watling's gloves. Boult wasn't able to turn the tide like that on the tours to Australia in late 2015, nor was he his usual self in the home Tests that followed. But at Kingsmead, he pitched the ball on off stump with remarkable precision and the batsman did not know whether it would carry on with the angle or veer back at him. He was a sitting duck.
So it was important that South Africa took the time to find stable ground. That responsibility fell on Temba Bavuma and the stand-in captain Faf du Plessis. The runs came at a trickle but their 54-run partnership was the second-biggest of the day. South Africa had expressed a desire not to accept mediocrity on the eve of the match and though each of their specialist batsmen spent at least 30 minutes at the crease it wouldn't please them that only one managed a fifty. Bavuma came within four runs of the mark, driving serenly and pulling authoritatively. But he was trapped lbw by Santner soon after Quinton de Kock ran down the track and spooned a catch to cover.
New Zealand had been patient, they had strangled run-flow when wickets weren't forthcoming and gave themselves the chance to pounce at the slightest opening. Literally, as it turned out.
In the fourth over after tea, Williamson flew to his right at gully and came up with a one-handed screamer to dismiss du Plessis. The bowler was Wagner, who had already caused frustration for South Africa and in particular JP Duminy by bouncing him out minutes after lunch. No one springs the leg-side trap quite like Wagner, going wide of the crease, summoning effort from some secret dimension very few fast bowlers have access to. He surprised Philander with another short one on what became the fourth over before bad light ended the day.
Things were tough at the start too. Like freshmen at a college party, Cook and Dean Elgar had spent the first several minutes assessing conditions. They tried to keep to their little corner and hoped they eventually would feel comfortable enough to shake a leg or two. Boult hit the perfect spot in the 14th over. Cook was caught in the crease, defending inside the line and with soft hands. Had that ball carried on with the angle, he would have been safe, but Boult brought it back in and claimed the edge. Quite unplayable.
Elgar was worked over in a similar manner by Doug Bracewell, who switched around the wicket to draw the batsman into pushing outside his off stump and edging to second slip. Williamson at gully put his head down and clapped his hands hard. He had said his bowlers had to be "creative" to get their wickets in Zimbabwe a few weeks ago. Nothing of that sort was required at Kingsmead, where the red ball swung just enough to play on the nerves of a top order that hadn't played Test cricket in seven months.
Day 2
South Africa 263
New Zealand 15/2 (12.0 ov)
New Zealand trail by 248 runs with 8 wickets remaining in the 1st innings
It seemed the only thing Dale Steyn's angry eyes did not have power over was the weather. While the grey clouds gave him swing, and he controlled it so well that South Africa's total of 263 assumed excellent proportions, they also brought rain which allowed only 16 overs to be bowled on the second day at Kingsmead.
New Zealand were 15 for 2 at lunch and they stayed 15 for 2 when play was called off at tea time.
The day had begun a little late with South Africa's tail batting. Trent Boult designed a beauty - away swing that almost bowled Kagiso Rabada around his legs. Tim Southee, playing his first Test in South Africa, kissed the top of leg stump. The man he dismissed, that old pro Steyn, took four balls when New Zealand batted to make clear his having played no Tests in eight months would only serve to embellish his legend. It was a fast-bowling fashion show in Durban.
Martin Guptill was distracted by a bevy of outswingers before one moved in and struck the front pad. Steyn whirled around, his veins popping and spit flying in appeal. Umpire Richard Illingworth calmly shook his head in response.
"Crack it open, boy," leered the slip cordon. Tom Latham found himself ganged up on. Then he was sucked in by one that pretended to be a half-volley.
Steyn had watched Latham playing with extreme care, making sure his bat didn't stray too far from his body and committing himself to a shot as late as possible. But a batsman's instinct is to score runs and that instinct flared up when the second ball of the seventh over was pitched wide. Latham fished outside off. Steyn bagged him, tagged him and would have instagrammed him if he was allowed to.
Guptill's front pad and Steyn's inswing went out on a second date right in front of middle stump. The romance was so compelling that even umpire Illingworth had to give his blessing.
Steyn's first spell read 6-4-3-2. After a point he felt he was getting too much movement and began bowling cross-seamers to have a better chance at snatching the outside edge. He was on 408 wickets and needed 14 more for the South African record.
Into this walked Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor, their averages of 10.75 and 11 in South Africa hanging over them along with the dark clouds. They had only played three matches in this country, but they were New Zealand's two best batsmen. Regrouping on day three with them at the crease may just be the best of a bad situation for the visitors.
New Zealand will need some luck though because overcast conditions are forecast on the third day as well and South Africa have an attack capable of exploiting them. Vernon Philander, coming back to Test cricket for the first time since injuring his ankle in November 2015, bustled in to string together balls on a good length and jerk them this way and that. There was one delivery that came down perfectly straight, pitched a few inches in front of Taylor's front foot and seamed away so sharply it seemed like a freakishly quick legbreak.
The stage was … wet after the break. Gloomy conditions - despite the floodlights - meant New Zealand were confined to their dressing room, which they wouldn't have minded. It was safe indoors, and the All Blacks were thumping the Wallabies in the Rugby Championship.
It wasn't rain that kept the players out for the rest of the day. For the most part the light just wasn't good enough, leaving the 2543 people at Kingsmead, approximately one-tenth its capacity, equally frustrated. Helpfully, play was called off with an hour remaining for them to scramble and catch the start of the Springboks' Championship campaign.
The outfield in Durban had been relaid last year and a few chunks did come out when fielders slid to retrieve the ball. With more rain expected at night, there was concern over whether it would be ready in time for play to restart tomorrow at 10 am.
Day 3
South Africa 263
New Zealand 15/2 (12.0 ov)
New Zealand trail by 248 runs with 8 wickets remaining in the 1st innings
Looks deceived at Kingsmead when despite blue skies and sunshine, no play was possible on day three. A wet outfield, which has not recovered from the recent relaying process, took 65mm of rain overnight and did not dry out over the course of the morning and early afternoon. It has received a full day of sunshine and, barring any further mishaps, should be ready for play on Monday morning.
Dale Steyn, Vernon Philander and the rest of South Africa's attack will find conditions completely different to what they were when they took the field on Saturday afternoon. The overcast skies and persistent drizzle have moved away and after a full day of sun, the pitch would have flattened out.
After rain interrupted play on Saturday afternoon, a steady drizzle turned into a downpour and although the showers had abated by 6am, the outfield was covered with water. Conditions improved significantly between then and 9:30, when it was announced that the morning session would be lost and an inspection would take place at noon.
The umpires asked for no artificial measures to be used in drying the outfield in that time, preferring to use the natural processes of sunlight and wind. The super-sopper was not brought out because the muddy patches were too soft and using it would only have worsened the damp outfield.
By 12pm, there was further improvement but areas outside the square - which were in pristine condition - and along the perimeter of the outfield, where scant grass had left the sandy patches exposed, were still too wet. Underfoot conditions were deemed "treacherous," and a second inspection was planned for 2pm. Even then, the damp patches had not improved enough for play to resume.
Of particular concern were patches where puddles had gathered at the edge of the covers, which will lead to questions over the number of covers at Kingsmead. Currently, Kingsmead's covers keep the pitch and square protected but do not extend to the rest of the outfield. It is estimated that Kwa-Zulu Natal Cricket Union would need around R400,000 (US$30000). Should cricket be played in winter again, that investment may have to be made but this time, few would have expected it was needed.
Winter rainfall has been prevalent this year despite it being an unusual occurrence in Durban. In the last three weeks, the same amount of rain has fallen that the city usually gets over the three months from August to October. The excessive rain, along with the delayed start to the relaying of the outfield which took place in June, left the outfield unable to cope with the unexpected moisture. Light was also a concern with early sunsets threatening to eat away at playing time, but play continued until 5:20pm on the first day. Still, 12.2 overs were lost on day one and 68 on day two, bringing the total number of overs lost to 170.2.
Still, 180 overs remain and with good weather forecast for the next two days, there may be enough time for a result other than a draw. Sunday's tickets will be valid for the remaining two days or for a Dolphins domestic match later this season.
Day 4
South Africa 263
New Zealand 15/2 (12.0 ov)
New Zealand trail by 248 runs with 8 wickets remaining in the 1st innings
By Monday, when there was no cricket played again, eight of 12 sessions in the Kingsmead Test had been lost to rain and an outfield that had become quite soft underfoot. Conditions should brighten up for the final day of the first Test between South Africa and New Zealand, but considering the match is barely into its second innings, the likelihood of a result appears quite bleak.
There has been no rain over the past 48 hours. But the damage caused by a substantial downpour after the second day's play when a recently relaid outfield took on 65 mm of water could not be overcome. Considering it was winter in Durban, the prospect of the outfield drying out under the sun was also relatively low.
The existing facilities at Kingsmead allow only the square to be covered in case of rain. When the umpires inspected the ground prior to the start of play - 10 am - on Monday, they found patches of the unprotected outfield still gave way to pressure sparking concern for the safety of the players.
A second inspection was scheduled for 12 pm, the only outcome of which was the time of the next inspection at 2pm. The match officials conferred together again and called play off at 2.18 pm.
Two days ago, when last there was cricket at Kingsmead, New Zealand were 15 for 2, with Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor at the crease, trailing South Africa's 263 by 248 runs.
Day 5
South Africa 263
New Zealand 15/2 (12.0 ov)
Match drawn
The Durban Test was called off on day five, more than half an hour before the scheduled start of play, as the issues with the soft, damp outfield persisted. That meant 11 of the 15 sessions were lost to rain and the subsequent wetness and softening of the outfield.
The damage was caused by a substantial downpour after the second day's play when the recently relaid outfield took on 65 mm of water. Since then, there had been no rain, but the outfield - which was not fully covered when the rain came down - did not recover in the weak, winter Durban sun.
Three days ago, when the last of the cricket was played, New Zealand were 15 for 2 in response to South Africa's 263 with the ball swinging around significantly and the Test promising to be an interesting contest.
South Africa 236/8 (77.4 ov)
New Zealand
The first day of Test cricket in August at Kingsmead felt like a play. There was the roguish charmer, Trent Boult, making the new ball weave shapes the batsman couldn't fathom. There was the graceful warrior, Hashim Amla, finding the boundary with the softest of touches. There was the man who defies pain, Neil Wagner, summoning bouncers late in the day. There was guts from Temba Bavuma. And finally there was Mitchell Santner, the sneaky saboteur who ensured the curtains came down with New Zealand smiling.
South Africa, having opted to bat, lurched from 102 for 2 to 160 for 5 and were finally holding on at 236 for 8 at stumps, with Kagiso Rabada and Dale Steyn at the crease.
There was a distinct narrative in each session of play. The first was for the purists, and for those moved by drama, for Boult was slaying an old demon. Ever since a back injury in June 2015, he had looked a paler force. His average bobbed over 36, he leaked three runs an over, and some were worried he had lost his inswing. Considering a stress fracture to his back had threatened his career before it even began - he was set to make his Test debut as a 19-year-old in Australia in 2009, instead he spent two years out of the game - Boult running in and hunting for the top of off stump at 140 kph was a pleasing sight. His first spell of eight overs included three maidens, plenty of jaffas, and the wicket of opener Stephen Cook.
In walked Amla. The ball cringed at the sight of him and hid beyond the boundary every chance it could. He looked in such ominous touch that his batting average of 18.62 at Kingsmead, his home ground, seemed like a computer error. He had contributed 40 of the 53 runs South Africa accumulated in the ten overs leading to lunch, favouring the cover drive. Six of his ten fours came in that region as New Zealand attempted to stay off his pads and ended up overcompensating.
So Kane Williamson called on Boult again, who promptly confounded the opposition's best batsman. An inswinger demanded Amla come forward - he couldn't - nibbled on the inside edge and settled in wicketkeeper BJ Watling's gloves. Boult wasn't able to turn the tide like that on the tours to Australia in late 2015, nor was he his usual self in the home Tests that followed. But at Kingsmead, he pitched the ball on off stump with remarkable precision and the batsman did not know whether it would carry on with the angle or veer back at him. He was a sitting duck.
So it was important that South Africa took the time to find stable ground. That responsibility fell on Temba Bavuma and the stand-in captain Faf du Plessis. The runs came at a trickle but their 54-run partnership was the second-biggest of the day. South Africa had expressed a desire not to accept mediocrity on the eve of the match and though each of their specialist batsmen spent at least 30 minutes at the crease it wouldn't please them that only one managed a fifty. Bavuma came within four runs of the mark, driving serenly and pulling authoritatively. But he was trapped lbw by Santner soon after Quinton de Kock ran down the track and spooned a catch to cover.
New Zealand had been patient, they had strangled run-flow when wickets weren't forthcoming and gave themselves the chance to pounce at the slightest opening. Literally, as it turned out.
In the fourth over after tea, Williamson flew to his right at gully and came up with a one-handed screamer to dismiss du Plessis. The bowler was Wagner, who had already caused frustration for South Africa and in particular JP Duminy by bouncing him out minutes after lunch. No one springs the leg-side trap quite like Wagner, going wide of the crease, summoning effort from some secret dimension very few fast bowlers have access to. He surprised Philander with another short one on what became the fourth over before bad light ended the day.
Things were tough at the start too. Like freshmen at a college party, Cook and Dean Elgar had spent the first several minutes assessing conditions. They tried to keep to their little corner and hoped they eventually would feel comfortable enough to shake a leg or two. Boult hit the perfect spot in the 14th over. Cook was caught in the crease, defending inside the line and with soft hands. Had that ball carried on with the angle, he would have been safe, but Boult brought it back in and claimed the edge. Quite unplayable.
Elgar was worked over in a similar manner by Doug Bracewell, who switched around the wicket to draw the batsman into pushing outside his off stump and edging to second slip. Williamson at gully put his head down and clapped his hands hard. He had said his bowlers had to be "creative" to get their wickets in Zimbabwe a few weeks ago. Nothing of that sort was required at Kingsmead, where the red ball swung just enough to play on the nerves of a top order that hadn't played Test cricket in seven months.
Day 2
South Africa 263
New Zealand 15/2 (12.0 ov)
New Zealand trail by 248 runs with 8 wickets remaining in the 1st innings
It seemed the only thing Dale Steyn's angry eyes did not have power over was the weather. While the grey clouds gave him swing, and he controlled it so well that South Africa's total of 263 assumed excellent proportions, they also brought rain which allowed only 16 overs to be bowled on the second day at Kingsmead.
New Zealand were 15 for 2 at lunch and they stayed 15 for 2 when play was called off at tea time.
The day had begun a little late with South Africa's tail batting. Trent Boult designed a beauty - away swing that almost bowled Kagiso Rabada around his legs. Tim Southee, playing his first Test in South Africa, kissed the top of leg stump. The man he dismissed, that old pro Steyn, took four balls when New Zealand batted to make clear his having played no Tests in eight months would only serve to embellish his legend. It was a fast-bowling fashion show in Durban.
Martin Guptill was distracted by a bevy of outswingers before one moved in and struck the front pad. Steyn whirled around, his veins popping and spit flying in appeal. Umpire Richard Illingworth calmly shook his head in response.
"Crack it open, boy," leered the slip cordon. Tom Latham found himself ganged up on. Then he was sucked in by one that pretended to be a half-volley.
Steyn had watched Latham playing with extreme care, making sure his bat didn't stray too far from his body and committing himself to a shot as late as possible. But a batsman's instinct is to score runs and that instinct flared up when the second ball of the seventh over was pitched wide. Latham fished outside off. Steyn bagged him, tagged him and would have instagrammed him if he was allowed to.
Guptill's front pad and Steyn's inswing went out on a second date right in front of middle stump. The romance was so compelling that even umpire Illingworth had to give his blessing.
Steyn's first spell read 6-4-3-2. After a point he felt he was getting too much movement and began bowling cross-seamers to have a better chance at snatching the outside edge. He was on 408 wickets and needed 14 more for the South African record.
Into this walked Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor, their averages of 10.75 and 11 in South Africa hanging over them along with the dark clouds. They had only played three matches in this country, but they were New Zealand's two best batsmen. Regrouping on day three with them at the crease may just be the best of a bad situation for the visitors.
New Zealand will need some luck though because overcast conditions are forecast on the third day as well and South Africa have an attack capable of exploiting them. Vernon Philander, coming back to Test cricket for the first time since injuring his ankle in November 2015, bustled in to string together balls on a good length and jerk them this way and that. There was one delivery that came down perfectly straight, pitched a few inches in front of Taylor's front foot and seamed away so sharply it seemed like a freakishly quick legbreak.
The stage was … wet after the break. Gloomy conditions - despite the floodlights - meant New Zealand were confined to their dressing room, which they wouldn't have minded. It was safe indoors, and the All Blacks were thumping the Wallabies in the Rugby Championship.
It wasn't rain that kept the players out for the rest of the day. For the most part the light just wasn't good enough, leaving the 2543 people at Kingsmead, approximately one-tenth its capacity, equally frustrated. Helpfully, play was called off with an hour remaining for them to scramble and catch the start of the Springboks' Championship campaign.
The outfield in Durban had been relaid last year and a few chunks did come out when fielders slid to retrieve the ball. With more rain expected at night, there was concern over whether it would be ready in time for play to restart tomorrow at 10 am.
Day 3
South Africa 263
New Zealand 15/2 (12.0 ov)
New Zealand trail by 248 runs with 8 wickets remaining in the 1st innings
Looks deceived at Kingsmead when despite blue skies and sunshine, no play was possible on day three. A wet outfield, which has not recovered from the recent relaying process, took 65mm of rain overnight and did not dry out over the course of the morning and early afternoon. It has received a full day of sunshine and, barring any further mishaps, should be ready for play on Monday morning.
Dale Steyn, Vernon Philander and the rest of South Africa's attack will find conditions completely different to what they were when they took the field on Saturday afternoon. The overcast skies and persistent drizzle have moved away and after a full day of sun, the pitch would have flattened out.
After rain interrupted play on Saturday afternoon, a steady drizzle turned into a downpour and although the showers had abated by 6am, the outfield was covered with water. Conditions improved significantly between then and 9:30, when it was announced that the morning session would be lost and an inspection would take place at noon.
The umpires asked for no artificial measures to be used in drying the outfield in that time, preferring to use the natural processes of sunlight and wind. The super-sopper was not brought out because the muddy patches were too soft and using it would only have worsened the damp outfield.
By 12pm, there was further improvement but areas outside the square - which were in pristine condition - and along the perimeter of the outfield, where scant grass had left the sandy patches exposed, were still too wet. Underfoot conditions were deemed "treacherous," and a second inspection was planned for 2pm. Even then, the damp patches had not improved enough for play to resume.
Of particular concern were patches where puddles had gathered at the edge of the covers, which will lead to questions over the number of covers at Kingsmead. Currently, Kingsmead's covers keep the pitch and square protected but do not extend to the rest of the outfield. It is estimated that Kwa-Zulu Natal Cricket Union would need around R400,000 (US$30000). Should cricket be played in winter again, that investment may have to be made but this time, few would have expected it was needed.
Winter rainfall has been prevalent this year despite it being an unusual occurrence in Durban. In the last three weeks, the same amount of rain has fallen that the city usually gets over the three months from August to October. The excessive rain, along with the delayed start to the relaying of the outfield which took place in June, left the outfield unable to cope with the unexpected moisture. Light was also a concern with early sunsets threatening to eat away at playing time, but play continued until 5:20pm on the first day. Still, 12.2 overs were lost on day one and 68 on day two, bringing the total number of overs lost to 170.2.
Still, 180 overs remain and with good weather forecast for the next two days, there may be enough time for a result other than a draw. Sunday's tickets will be valid for the remaining two days or for a Dolphins domestic match later this season.
Day 4
South Africa 263
New Zealand 15/2 (12.0 ov)
New Zealand trail by 248 runs with 8 wickets remaining in the 1st innings
By Monday, when there was no cricket played again, eight of 12 sessions in the Kingsmead Test had been lost to rain and an outfield that had become quite soft underfoot. Conditions should brighten up for the final day of the first Test between South Africa and New Zealand, but considering the match is barely into its second innings, the likelihood of a result appears quite bleak.
There has been no rain over the past 48 hours. But the damage caused by a substantial downpour after the second day's play when a recently relaid outfield took on 65 mm of water could not be overcome. Considering it was winter in Durban, the prospect of the outfield drying out under the sun was also relatively low.
The existing facilities at Kingsmead allow only the square to be covered in case of rain. When the umpires inspected the ground prior to the start of play - 10 am - on Monday, they found patches of the unprotected outfield still gave way to pressure sparking concern for the safety of the players.
A second inspection was scheduled for 12 pm, the only outcome of which was the time of the next inspection at 2pm. The match officials conferred together again and called play off at 2.18 pm.
Two days ago, when last there was cricket at Kingsmead, New Zealand were 15 for 2, with Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor at the crease, trailing South Africa's 263 by 248 runs.
Day 5
South Africa 263
New Zealand 15/2 (12.0 ov)
Match drawn
The Durban Test was called off on day five, more than half an hour before the scheduled start of play, as the issues with the soft, damp outfield persisted. That meant 11 of the 15 sessions were lost to rain and the subsequent wetness and softening of the outfield.
The damage was caused by a substantial downpour after the second day's play when the recently relaid outfield took on 65 mm of water. Since then, there had been no rain, but the outfield - which was not fully covered when the rain came down - did not recover in the weak, winter Durban sun.
Three days ago, when the last of the cricket was played, New Zealand were 15 for 2 in response to South Africa's 263 with the ball swinging around significantly and the Test promising to be an interesting contest.
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