Telford Vice's Blog, page 378

Historic win can’t hide Kallis, De Kock truths

Sunday Times

TELFORD VICE, Cape Town

King Kallis’ reign is history. Long live king De Kock. Not even the precedents SA set in Hambantota yesterday could hide the fact that the careers of Jacques Kallis and Quinton de Kock are moving in opposite directions.

SA won the third one-day international by 82 runs to clinch their first series in the format in Sri Lanka, and to banish memories of the 4-1 hiding they took there last year. And that with a World Cup coming in February.

Stop right there, said...

Another fine Saffer the Poms have gotten themselves into

Sunday Times

TELFORD VICE, Cape Town

Andrew Samson does not have Kevin Pietersen’s tattoos, Allan Lamb’s naughtiness or Basil d’Oliveira’s silky strokes, but like them he is a South African made good in English cricket.

Cape Town-educated, Johannesburg-based Samson has been appointed to the most covetable position in the sub-culture of cricket geeks: statistician in residence on Test Match Special (TMS), the BBC radio programme that after 57 years on the air remains the benchmark for all broadca...

World Cup rainbow fades as Kallis struggles to summon his greatness

Times Media

TELFORD VICE, Cape Town

Jacques Kallis is the finest cricketer SA has yet produced, and he has had the time and the opportunities to prove it. But, with the hard work of batting, bowling and shutting the opposition out of his mind in 166 tests and 327 one-day internationals sunk deep into his body and psyche, he is in the twilight of his career.

Pertinently, he has not used his most recent chances to summon what SA need most from him – his greatness.

Less than a week ago, the prospect...

Errors mean more than achievements as Lankans level series

Times Media

TELFORD VICE, Cape Town

Hashim Amla scored another century. Ryan McLaren delivered another telling bowling performance. But SA did not claim another victory. Instead, Sri Lanka squared the one-day series in Pallekele yesterday.

The home side seemed bound for 300 before they were dismissed 267 in 49.2 overs. SA should have forged far closer to their target than the 180 they were bowled out for in 38.1 overs, which gave Sri Lanka victory by 87 runs.

Errors were more significant than ach...

CSA score in test series against big three

Times Media

TELFORD VICE, Cape Town

What cricket’s brave new world will mean for South Africans was revealed yesterday in a confidential draft version of the binding future tours programme (FTP) that will be in force until 2023.

SA have been slated to play the big three – India, England and Australia – in 11 test series between 2015 and 2022. Ten of those rubbers could consist of four tests and the other, against England in 2019-20, would feature five tests. Five of the series would be played in...

SA hope to add to happy Pallekele memories

Times Media

TELFORD VICE, Cape Town

Pallekele is that rare place – a ground in Sri Lanka where SA have won a match. In fact, it was the only place they won during their 4-1 mauling in last year’s one-day series.

So there are reasons to be cheerful for SA supporters that their team have the opportunity to clinch what would be their first ODI series win in Sri Lanka at Pallekele today.

“We did the right things, gave ourselves a chance at the end, put runs on the board and managed to bowl them out,”...

There is no such thing as a national cricket team

http://www.GOcricket.com – http://www.gocricket.com/There-is-no-such-thing-as-a-national-cricket-team/Telford-Vice/columnshow/37994465.cms

TELFORD VICE, Cape Town

So, all set for the Test series? The proper one, of course – Sri Lanka versus South Africa, starting next Wednesday at Galle’s grand old ground. Can’t hardly wait.

Who wouldn’t put that prospect at the top of their priority list? It is a contest between a team who have, not before time, made the leap from winning the 1996 World Cup to...

McLaren refuses credit for SA win

Times Media

TELFORD VICE, Cape Town

Ryan McLaren deserved much of the credit for SA’s victory over Sri Lanka in the first one-day international in Colombo on Sunday, but good luck trying to get him to take it.

McLaren’s 22 not out boosted SA to a total of 304/5, and he claimed the key wicket of Kumar Sangakkara as Sri Lanka were dismissed for 229 to clinch a 75-run win.

But it was all almost all about the team for McLaren yesterday. “We set it up well with the bat with the massive partnership (of...

McLaren outshines stars in SA win

Times Media

TELFORD VICE, Cape Town

Ryan McLaren would not stick out in a line-up of SA’s more conspicuous cricketers, particularly not when Hashim Amla scores a century and Imran Tahir counts Mahela Jayawardene among his three victims.

Not for McLaren the tattooed terror that is Dale Steyn nor the hurricane hitting of AB de Villiers. In another life, McLaren would earn a living behind a desk.

But yesterday, in this life, more than anyone else, McLaren clinched SA’s 75-run win over Sri Lanka in t...

SABC gives cricket audience the finger

Sunday Times

TELFORD VICE, Cape Town

South Africans who discovered this morning that the SABC is not broadcasting commentary on the first one-day international between Sri Lanka and SA in Colombo had better get used to radio silence on sport events.

The state broadcaster has pulled the plug on live ball-by-ball cricket commentary on Radio 2000 in favour of periodic voice reports, and Sunday Times has learnt that it plans to do the same with its coverage of major soccer and rugby matches.

Not only...