Life on a Wanderers Green Mamba Can Be Fun
14 Monday 28th September, 2009 It is all about technique and adapting to conditions... Life on a Wanderers green mamba can be fun here has always been and this time of year, it is usu- something sporty about ally very dry, although The Tthe Wanderers pitch. And Wanderers is subject to heavy history as well as tradition dew as well. should have prepared Sri Lanka The surface can be just as for this small fact of life. diabolically tricky even in So far, there have been vocif- January. In 1998, De Villiers and erous grumbling, feet stamping the left-arm fast bowler Greg and any number of misguided Smith reduced Gauteng to an accusations over Sri Lanka’s embarrassing rout by the capitulation to England at the Northerns Titans. Checking a Wanderers on Friday. The report written of that nation’s captain, Kumar SuperSport game, it shows how Sangakkara, complained how De Villiers, well supported with batting on it was like the first some class left-arm bowling by day of a Test. Smith had, in a matter of 34 Even a couple of family balls, reduced Gauteng to 12 for members as well as some media seven during a spell of 34 deliv- yokels were sounding off and eries in their second innings which, Yahaluweni, brought a and all the dismissed batsmen smile as one knows The had played for their country at Wanderers well, Sri Lanka were by Trevor Chesterfield some stage in their careers. fortunate to have reached 212. Many months later, as a In the only Test the island’s won the toss, came as a surprise build up to the Millennium Test team has played at the fame to those who know how dodgy series between South Africa Illovo venue in Corlett Drive, in the surface can be for the bats- and England, it had for weeks early November 2002, they were men, especially if a bowler hits been billed as the Donald and dismissed for 192 and 130, losing the right length.
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