Telford Vice's Blog, page 374

SA giants in land of little brothers

Times Media

TELFORD VICE, Harare

Slip catching practice does not usually draw a crowd, but it did when SA assistant coach Adrian Birrell put Quinton de Kock, Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers and Alviro Petersen through their paces on the outfield at Harare Sports Club (HSC) yesterday.

With today’s start of the one-off test against Zimbabwe less than 24 hours away, the visitors were keen to tighten whatever nuts and bolts might have loosened since they secured a series victory – and with it the No. 1...

What to get for SA team who have everything? Zimbabwe’s humanity

http://www.GOcricket.com – http://www.gocricket.com/What-to-get-for-SA-Zimbabwes-humility/Telford-Vice/columnshow/39861509.cms

TELFORD VICE, Harare

South Africa is from Mars, Zimbabwe is from Venus. That would not count for much on a geography exam, but it frames the chasm of contrast in those countries’ cricket fortunes.

For South Africa, winning Test matches comes if not naturally then fueled at least partly by the assumption that success is possible every time they step onto the field, irresp...

SA search for Zimbabwe challenge

Times Media

TELFORD VICE, Harare

Sometimes, JP Duminy’s lift does not go to the top floor. At the SA team’s Harare hotel this week, it did not even get off the ground. All in a day’s work for an international cricketer, Duminy said yesterday.

“Things don’t always go your way,” he said. “The lifts don’t work, as happened yesterday in the hotel. But those are just the challenges you have to face.”

And, unusually for people whose default focus is on clearing their path of obstacles, SA are looking t...

Stark disparities separate SA and Zimbabwe

Times Media

TELFORD VICE, Harare

For Hamilton Masakadza and Brendan Taylor, Zimbabwe’s last test series against SA, in March, 2005 will be too fresh for comfort when the teams clash in a one-off match in Harare on Saturday.

“At the team meeting before the first test at Newlands, I said, ‘Guys, Jacques Kallis is struggling with his inswinger, but he still has the one that goes the other way’,” Masakadza said yesterday.

The next day, Masakadza scratched his way to six off 37 balls. Then he shoulder...

Tall orders for Rossouw, Shezi

Times Media

TELFORD VICE

It is hard to know whether Rilee Rossouw or Mthokozisi Shezi faces the taller order in the SA squad to play Zimbabwe in three one-day internationals north of the Limpopo this month.

According to a Cricket SA statement yesterday, Rossouw has been thrust into the mix as no less than a squad replacement for Jacques Kallis, who retired from all international cricket last week. Closer to the truth is that Faf du Plessis will be first in that queue for the XI.

But, as Rossouw w...

Soon, cricket will know what Philander already does: he is a test allrounder

Sunday Times

TELFORD VICE, Kandy

Cricket tells its truths when it thinks no-one is watching. Monday afternoon at Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo, as both teams gripped the second test with knuckles white, was one of those times.

Vernon Philander flicked a delivery towards fine leg. One of the 10 Sri Lankans ranged like shark’s teeth around the bat in obsessive pursuit of SA’s last two wickets set off after the receding ball.

Two runs were there for the taking. Philander ran hard to the non-strik...

Captain Amla’s true test awaits

Times Media

TELFORD VICE, Colombo

After Hashim Amla’s two tests as SA’s captain, we know he will look for a way to win if the circumstances allow. We also know he is unafraid to work hard not to lose if the door to victory is shut.

But there is much we do not know, and neither does he. For instance, is he enjoying captaincy?

“It’s easy to say you are when you win, but it’s only been one game,” he said after SA beat Sri Lanka by 153 runs in the first test in Galle. “So, I can’t really say.”

Similar...

Kallis wakes up and smells the future

Times Media

TELFORD VICE, Kandy

Jacques Kallis has woken up and smelled the golf course. Or the beach. Or the boerie rolls at a Wynberg Boys’ High rugby match.

Whichever it is, the great allrounder will have more time to do whatever he likes in the wake of his retirement from all international cricket on Wednesday.

With that, all questions about the sense and sensibility – not to mention the sentimentality – of him playing in the 2015 World Cup no longer need be asked.

Kallis’ decision follows his...

Manner of SA’s return to No. 1 angers Aussies

Times Media

TELFORD VICE, Colombo

South Africans will be happy that their team regained the No. 1 test ranking by winning the series in Sri Lanka, but Australians are not best pleased.

Hashim Amla’s team, who won the first test in Galle convincingly, hung on with two wickets standing to draw the second and last match at Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) in Colombo on Monday.

The selectors showed what they thought of that performance yesterday when they named an unchanged squad for the one-off test agai...

A corner of a Sri Lankan field becomes forever South African

http://www.GOcricket.com – http://www.gocricket.com/blogs/telford-vice/Sri-Lanka-vs-South-Africa-2014-A-corner-of-a-Sri-Lankan-field-becomes-forever-South-African/articleshow/39211969.cms

TELFORD VICE, Colombo

It smells of incense and sounds of crows. Bats slip silently on leathery wings across its sky at all times of day and, presumably, night. It is at the mercy of micro monsoons that come and go as routinely as tuk-tuks but with much greater impact. Consequently, the ground staff are on high...