Sports FRIDAY, AUGUST 19, 2016

Steyn, Philander seek S African resurgence

DURBAN: Fast pair and will reunite as seek to start the long climb back up the rankings in the first Test against in Durban today. When Steyn and Philander last shared the new ball, in the first Test against in Mohali last November, South Africa were the top-ranked side. Now they are a lowly seventh, two places behind New Zealand. Steyn strained a groin in the first innings of the Mohali match and did not bowl in the second innings. Since then he has played only one Test, against in Durban last December, when he suffered a shoulder injury which ruled him out of the second innings. Philander had an ankle injury before the second Test in India and has missed South Africa’s last seven Tests. At Kingsmead, Steyn and Philander are set to team up for the first time with , South Africa’s 21-year-old phenomenon, who was named the country’s cricketer of the year last month. With the tall Morne Morkel ruled out of the two-match series because of a back injury, the selectors have been spared having to decide which one of four fine fast bowlers to omit. Pitch conditions for the bowlers, however, are an unknown factor. It is the first time a Test series has been played in South : ’s (R) celebrates with teammate (C) after victory in the third and Africa in August, at least two months earlier than usual, and final Test match between Sri Lanka and Australia at The Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) Ground. — AFP the pitches in Durban, and Centurion next week, could be slower than normal. Five things we learned from While South Africa have slipped backwards with series loss- es against India and England, New Zealand have surged ahead. It was four seasons ago when the Black Caps were out Sri Lanka v Australia series for 45 on the first day of their previous series in South Africa, going on to lose both Tests by an innings. Then- COLOMBO: Five things we learned from failed to deliver as a whole in Galle and from the most succesful bowler in Test Brendon McCullum identified that low as a turning point, with Sri Lanka’s first series whitewash against Pallekele where they managed a solitary match history had only a limited impact on the players getting together and appraising honestly their atti- Australia after the hosts won the third and half- between them. Australia gave the Australian spinners who were outclassed tude to cricket and why they played it. Out of the depths of final Test in Colombo. themselves a fortnight to acclimatise to by their Sri Lankan counterparts, as well as despair came a positive attitude and improved performances, local conditions and Smith was at a loss to by Starc. bowled his heart out as well as an obvious enjoyment of the game which has made Future’s bright for explain why the batsmen’s woes. “Can’t but his 16 cost nearly 32 runs apiece. them one of the most popular sides in cricket. Sri Lankan cricket fault the prep, got here early, worked as Jon Holland managed just five wickets in his After the mauling by South Africa, they lost a series in Sri Lanka’s youngsters belied expecta- hard as we can,” he said after suffering his two Tests while Steve O’Keefe-who looked England later in 2013 but since then have only lost two series tions with a string of match-winning per- first series defeat as captain. “It’s a hard good in the warm-ups-took just three scalps out of 11, both against Australia, who also beat them in the formances against a side who came into one to grasp really... What we are doing in the opener before flying home with a 2015 World Cup final. McCullum has retired, with the captain- the series as world number one. After a isn’t working.” pulled hamstring. “Simply because I coach, cy passing to , 26, one of cricket’s most talent- poor tour of England, players such as Kusal they can’t win. It’s a process and you need ed young batsmen. His first venture in charge was the recent Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva and Lakshan Class-act Starc is a cut above to master that process over a long period of series in Zimbabwe, where New Zealand won both Tests com- Sandakan came of age back home. A maid- If one player can return home with their time,” Muralitharan told AFP after the first fortably. It will be a battle of inexperienced captains, with Faf en century from Mendis and the debutant head held high, it’s . The left- Test. du Plessis standing in for the injured AB de Villiers, who him- Sandakan’s seven wickets in the match laid arm speedster claimed 24 wickets at an self has only captained South Africa twice since being the platform for victory in the opener in average of just over 15, including three Herath needs to hang on appointed midway through the series against England last Pallekele. The 24-year-old de Silva scored a five- hauls, on pitches that gave no While Sri Lanka’s batsmen began to season. — AFP century in the final Test in Colombo to help help to pace bowlers. Starc, who had only show that Sangakkara and Jayawardene clinch the whitewash. Their emergence is a just recovered from an ankle injury, are not entirely irreplaceable, the selectors huge boost for a team that had been strug- showed admirable stamina in the draining must be praying Rangana Herath hangs on gling to come to terms with the retire- mid-summer temperatures. Now the a bit longer. The 38-year-old has already ments of star batsmen undisputed leader of Australia’s attack, retired from T20s and ODIs but remained and and reverses Starc claimed his 100th Test wicket in the skipper go-to man their slide down the rankings. second Test in Galle. Coach Darren throughout the series. His 28 wickets came Lehmann’s pre-series prediction that Starc at an average of just 12.75, including a hat- No end to Aussie can join Glenn McGrath, , trick in the second Test. Sri Lanka’s next batsmen’s Asia woes and in the 300 assignment is at the end of the year in The Australian batsmen’s inability to wicket club now looks prescient. South Africa when Herath could overtake handle spin on Asian tracks was once again as his country’s second exposed. After being whitewashed by A wizard can only highest wicket-taker. Sri Lanka’s South India and , it was the third time in work so much magic African coach Graham Ford will be doing a row that the Australians lost all their Tests Sri Lanka spin legend Muttiah all he can to persuade Herath to stay on. in an away series against teams from the Muralitharan’s agreement to act as a con- “He just shows so much guts and fight. sub-continent. Skipper and sultant to the Australian bowlers was seen as And for an older guy to show that, it just did manage to score hun- a major coup and caused some alarm ignites the fight within the younger Dale Steyn dreds in Colombo but the batting unit among his former employers. But the advice group,” said Ford. — AFP England team security in to decide tour DHAKA: England cricket officials inspect- on September 30 for three one-day inter- Cricket Board) and government for their Bangladesh are desperate for the tour to ed Bangladesh’s main stadium yesterday nationals and two Test matches. cooperation and assistance,” said Carr, go ahead and have promised England as part of a security probe to determine Concerns mounted at home over the who inspected the Sher-e-Bangla the highest level of security. The country whether to go ahead with a tour in the safety of the squad following an attack National Stadium in Dhaka and met the has been reeling from months of grue- country next month. The officials, who by Islamist militants on a Dhaka cafe last home minister. some killings of religious minorities and include England and Wales Cricket Board month that left 22 people, mostly for- “We have to go back and report to the secular activists, with many of the attacks (ECB) security director Reg Dickason, will eigners, dead. “We are here for three ECB board before anything is made pub- claimed by the Islamic State group. tour facilities in the capital Dhaka and days, seeing all the facilities, hotels and lic.” England cricketers will be given the Australia cancelled their tour of the southern port city Chittagong over cricket grounds,” ECB director of opera- option of missing the Bangladesh leg of Bangladesh last October for security rea- three days. The England squad are await- tions John Carr told reporters. “We are the tour that also includes India should sons and then withdrew their side from ing the outcome of the probe before meeting with the security providers. We the trip be given the green light, accord- the Under-19 World Cup in the country deciding whether to fly to Bangladesh are grateful to the BCB (Bangladesh ing to media reports in Britain. at the start of the year. — AFP