Kallis fit for first Test
14 Dec 2009
Jacques Kallis has been declared fit for the Centurion Test starting Wednesday, but is unlikely to bowl.
Kallis has been plagued by a rib injury in the past couple of months, which has badly effected the balance of the South African ODI side as they have had to fill Kallis’ role with two players. His fitness is great news for Mickey Arthur and co, but the all-rounder says it is highly unlikely he will bowl in the first Test.
However, Arthur said Kallis could still play a role with the ball and his bowling fitness will be assessed closer to the start of play.
The South African attack’s ability to regularly claim the 20 wickets required to win Tests has been questioned in the build-up, and this should mean Morne Morkel is selected ahead of Ryan McLaren or Wayne Parnell. Dale Steyn has also been passed fit after a niggling hamstring injury and he should line-up with Makhaya Ntini, Morkel and Paul Harris.
70 Comments
14 Dec 2009, 09:28 am
Thank Goodness cause we need him as the rock in our batting line up..
14 Dec 2009, 16:49 pm
Will this slow scoring dragon ever score a double hundred?
14 Dec 2009, 17:05 pm
My money says he’ll do it,he has achieved just about everything else except that and a World Cup victory,he’s too good not to do it before he calls it a day.
14 Dec 2009, 17:49 pm
Very pleased Kallis will be fit to bat. Just hope that he is really over that injury otherwise long term it wont be good for him.
Actually needed him to bowl too but if he can bat and field then I will still have Kallis in my team, as long as he is 100% over that injury.
The weather going to play a part again. See for Wed until Friday sun the whole day, for Sat and Sun rain the whole day. Really unusual weather for the highveld. Normally you just get the thunderstorms up there.
This could be another game ruined by the weather.
14 Dec 2009, 17:53 pm
Good for you JACQUEKALLAS!!!
14 Dec 2009, 21:36 pm
Let’s hope he is really fit to bat and not playing half fit. If he misses the first test to be 100% for the second (batting and bowling) then that is the way to go.@Jozi: Probably will not happen he will use up too much time. Play to win no personal agendas.
14 Dec 2009, 23:46 pm
It’s a poor myth that Kallis bats slowly. He has scored quite a few 160s and 170s in quick time. and hopefully he will get a 200, he certainly deserves it.
He is simply the greatest all rounder ever to have walked the face of the earth.
14 Dec 2009, 23:58 pm
time for kallis to go now,the boys from gelvandale are ready to take his place!
15 Dec 2009, 08:23 am
@WP_: Greatest Saffa all rounder yes.
Greatest in the world eeerm I think a certain Garfield Sobers wins that one hands down.
Jakes better score that double hundred quick, even Jason Gillespie has a test double ton
15 Dec 2009, 09:10 am
Only way he’ll score 200 is if SA have to fight of an innings defeat with about two days to bat.
Having said that, he did up his scoring rate the past couple of years but it is still just only 44,15. That is way of the rate that people like Ponting, Tendulkar etc score at. He needs to get his strike rate up into the late fifties or even sixties before he will be named in the same breath as those guys.
15 Dec 2009, 09:19 am
Makaya use to be good yes …. but I must be a quota looking @ my stats this season : Too old now – lost his pace :
M Ntini
Games 7
Overs 169
Runs Against 427
Wickets 11
Average 38.81
Now a average of 39 in our “very weak” domestic league is simply not good enough. He is number 19 in SA …
15 Dec 2009, 09:29 am
India became the 4th team, I think, to score more than 400 runs in a 50 over match. India are 414/7 after 50 0vers leaving Sri Lanka to score 415 for a win. Teams that done it before are Aus, SA and Sri Lanka.
No doubt that SL will try to chase down this score. If the don’t lose too many early wickets this game can turn out to be in the 438 game mould.
15 Dec 2009, 09:33 am
@nama1: Who top scored, the last I heard Tendulkar had just reached his 92nd ODI fifty.
Did Yuvraj go beserk again….that guy makes hitting sixes look effortless…..what a player.
15 Dec 2009, 09:40 am
I must say,Yuvraj is my favourite player to watch when he is on song,his timing of the ball is amazing,I’m just hoping he can make the step up in test cricket because I think he has all the attributes to become a legend..
15 Dec 2009, 09:49 am
@Winston: Ja me too. I also like Chris Gayle, Varinder Sehwag (spelling) and Herchelle Gibbs….on their day all these guys make batting look ridiculously easy.
15 Dec 2009, 09:49 am
@Makaya_No_Wicket_Ntini:
After Pollock’s retirement it became Ntini’s job to keep the runs quiet at the one end while Steyn take the wickets from the other. You will find that Ntini’s economy rate is much better the past few seasons than it has ever been. If you look at it from that perspective, he is doing the job that is expected of him.
I know the stats you show here refer to domestic cricket but I would venture that Ntini uses those games to practice for what he has to do in the test matches.
Also, would you really deny the guy the chance of playing in 100 test matches for his country?
15 Dec 2009, 10:01 am
Sewagh scored 146 of 102 balls, Tendulkar 69, Dhoni 72.
Yuvraj is not in the team, it seems. You right, he is probably the most destructive batsman when on song.
I thought Sewagh was on to become the first man to score an ODI double hundred. Unfortunately it was not to be.
15 Dec 2009, 10:09 am
I just love batters that play like they dont have a care in the world and want to dominate and entertain crowds..
15 Dec 2009, 10:16 am
The asking rate for SL at the start of their innings was 8,28 runs per over. They are currently scoring at 6,4 rpo.
32/0 after 5 overs.
15 Dec 2009, 10:23 am
The key with chasing totals is not to lose any wickets in the beginning then you are always in with a chance.
15 Dec 2009, 10:24 am
Interesting thing about the SL batting line-up is that Jayasuriya did not open the batting. He is penned down to come in at #7.
15 Dec 2009, 10:27 am
Sri Lankans need a big knock from Jayasuriya.
15 Dec 2009, 10:28 am
@nama1: Oh ok….I guess it’s Dilshan that needs to play the big knock then.
15 Dec 2009, 10:35 am
Agree Winston. The problem you have in chasing a big total like this however, is that you are forced to take risks while at the same time trying to not get out. Therefore lady luck comes into it as well.
15 Dec 2009, 11:20 am
SL 139/0 AFTER 17 overs.
@Jozi:
And how! Dilshan currently 94 runs from 67 balls.
15 Dec 2009, 11:24 am
@nama1: It’s game on…I just love the way the sub-continent teams play their cricket. Full value for money I tell you.
Do you think a guy like Sehwag or Jayasuriya with his highly unothordox style of batting or even Ajantha Mendis would have flourished as a youngster in SA……some how I doubt, we try too hard to get our players to conform to a particular manual and in so doing we kill their natural flair.
15 Dec 2009, 11:30 am
Dilshan scored his hundred of 73 balls, Sewagh his of 66.
Must have been great to be a spectator at the grounds.
SL 160/0 after 20 @ 8 rpo. They are keeping up nicely with the asking rate.
15 Dec 2009, 11:31 am
Like I was saying no wickets lost so its game on. And they still got Jayasuria waiting in the wings..
15 Dec 2009, 11:36 am
Agree re Sewagh or Jaya in SA. We like them playing orthodox ala Kallis. Not that it is always a bad thing. We are just losing out on the entertainers.
Tharanga reach his 50 from 51 balls and yet Dilshan has scored more that double his runs.
SL 179/0 after 23 overs.
15 Dec 2009, 11:43 am
Tharanga out for 67 from 60 balls. Stumped by Dhoni of Raina.
SL 188/1. It was Raina’s first over.
Sangakara at the wicket. Just hope that Dilshan does not lose his wicket soon.
15 Dec 2009, 11:48 am
192/1 after 25 overs. India reached 200 in their 25th over. SL not too far off though. Just don’t need to lose wickets.
Harbhajan has only conceded 18 runs of his 5 overs amongst all of this. He is probably the key for an Indian victory.
15 Dec 2009, 11:57 am
@nama1: Sounds like an exciting game. A few years back, it was unimaginable that teams could score 400+ in 50 overs. These days it’s not only become a norm but teams are also starting to chase down such big targets.
My guess is, the day somebody scores a double hundred in ODI’S, we’ll suddenly see more batsmen follow suit.
I wonder what the odds are on Dilshan to score that double hundred.
15 Dec 2009, 12:13 pm
Second wicket partnership of 50 from 29 balls.
Sangakara is really cracking it on. His strike rate is 200. Outscoring the centurion.
SL reach 250 runs in 29.6 overs while India reached their 250 in 29.2 overs. They are dead even.
SL currently 260/1 after 30.6 overs.
Dilshan on 141, Sangakara on 47
15 Dec 2009, 12:18 pm
Go on Dilshan make history young man!!!
15 Dec 2009, 12:21 pm
@Jozi:
Sewagh blew his chance earlier today. It was really on for him. Now Dilshan has the opportunity. Here’s hoping he can do it.
You’re right, if one player can do it just to break that psychological barrier, other players will follow suit.
Can you imagine captains saying at the post match presentation, “no, we were probably about 20 runs light” after they have set a target of 415 or something like that. It is coming, just you watch.
Sangakara reaches his 50 of 24 balls. The quickest of the 6 fifties in the match so far.
15 Dec 2009, 12:31 pm
@nama1: The arrival of 20/20 cricket has a lot to do with it.
Guys suddenly became inventive and more courageous, case in point being the outrageous shot that Dilshan himself invented; where he goes down on one knee and paddle sweeps a 140 K/M delivery over the keepers head for six
15 Dec 2009, 12:32 pm
100 run partnership for the second wicket in 63 balls.
Harbhajan has conceded 32 runs in his last three overs. He is now o/50 from 8. Sangakara really took a liking to him.
15 Dec 2009, 12:40 pm
SL reach 300 in 35,3 overs. India reached their’s in 34.1
Dilshan is stuck on 146 for a while now. Sangakara seems to get all the bowling. He is on 86 from 39.
SL now 316/1 from 36.2
Just another 99 from 13 overs with 9 wickets in hand. They can actually play “normal” cricket now.
15 Dec 2009, 12:44 pm
Sangakara’s 90 include 10 x fours and 5 x sixes. That means 70 of his runs came in boundaries.
Must be absolutely awesome to be at the grounds. People who were at the Wanderers can probably relate to what is going on there.
15 Dec 2009, 12:47 pm
Dilshan now reaches his 150 of 118 balls. It include 19 x 4′s and 3 x 6′s.
Sangakara out for 90. In comes Jaya.
SL 328/2 after 37.2 overs
15 Dec 2009, 12:52 pm
Keep the updates coming Nama. This is exciting.
I reckon Dilshan is probably fatigued…the bokke can relate
Sri Lanka should win easily.
15 Dec 2009, 12:53 pm
Jaya out for 5. Another stumping this time from Harbhajan’s bowling.
SL 330/3 now after 38 overs.
85 runs in 12 overs with 7 wickets in hand. SL has to be favourites here in my view.
15 Dec 2009, 13:00 pm
Dilshan out, bowled by Harbahjan.
Cat’s among the pigeons now. Fortunately Harbahjan has only 5 more balls to bowl.
SL341/4 after 39.2 overs.
Will still leave them to score at about 7.5 in the last 10 overs. Really doable if they keep their heads.
15 Dec 2009, 13:01 pm
@nama1: Yip, Unless they do a proteas/All Blacks specialty…cough cough!
15 Dec 2009, 13:06 pm
I’m taking my lunch break now.
Here’s hoping for a Sri Lankan victory when I return.
Pity about Dilshan’s dismissal….ah well I guess they’re leaving it to AB De Villiers to be the first player to score a double hundred in ODI’S.
15 Dec 2009, 13:09 pm
SL is throwing this away after the hard work done by the top 3 batsman.
They lost another wicket and is now 347/5 after 41 overs. They are still ahead of India as far as run rate is concerned.
15 Dec 2009, 13:20 pm
@Jozi:
Enjoy your lunch.
15 Dec 2009, 13:28 pm
SL 383/5 after 45 overs.
32 runs in 5 overs with 5 wickets in hand.
Don’t chuck it away now, boys.
15 Dec 2009, 13:39 pm
394/7 after 47 overs.
21 runs needed from 18 balls.
15 Dec 2009, 13:43 pm
SL just become the first team to score 400+ runs twice.
Still need 14 runs in 2 overs.
15 Dec 2009, 13:51 pm
Zaheer Khan is having a magic second last over, it seems. Only three runs conceded. Leaves SL with 11 runs to win in the last over.
Reminds me of the over Fanie bowled to Alan Border some years back. It was the 48th over in that case. Set us up for a win after it looked improbable at the start of that over.
15 Dec 2009, 13:56 pm
SL 409/8.
6 runs needed of 2 balls with 2 wickets in hand.
Who will be/wants to be a hero?
15 Dec 2009, 13:58 pm
What a pity Sri Lanka didnt pull it out of the fire..
15 Dec 2009, 14:10 pm
SL ends on 411/8.
India win by 3 runs. I think they win it in the last five overs. They only conceded 28 runs in that 5 overs. Unheard of for the last five overs of an ODI especially if you take into consideration how many runs were scored in this game.
Hard luck for SL but I think one must give credit to Khan and Nehra. They won it for India in the end.
Will this game now be regarded as the second best one day game of all time?
15 Dec 2009, 14:19 pm
@nama1: 54 – Sounded like a brilliant game. Pity I missed it.
If that is the score and SL almost got it probably the 2nd best of all time. Must have been great to watch.
15 Dec 2009, 14:59 pm
When man of the match, Sewagh was asked whether he was tense near the end of the match, he responded, “Not at all. I was actually supporting Sri Lanka. My superstition is that whenever I support India, they lose. So I was supporting Sri Lanka.”
Death bowling by Khan and Nehra was what won it for them. The figures of 0/88 and 1/81 respectively is not a true reflection of what they did in the last five overs.
15 Dec 2009, 15:10 pm
I was incorrect in saying that Kallis is the greatest all rounder ever to have walked the earth. Sobers was amazing, but before my time, hence I didnt gather how good he was. He was outstanding.
I have no doubt that Kallis is the 2nd greatest of all time and the greatest in the modern era.
Daylight third
15 Dec 2009, 15:25 pm
Classic choke by Sri Lanka.
Nama thanks for the running commentary.
It was a great game of cricket and I’m sure the fans thoroughly enjoyed themselves.
Sri Lanka lost this game as opposed to India winning it.
@WP_: WP I gather that you like old Jakes. He’s right up there with the best of em’ but he’s still not the second best ever.
15 Dec 2009, 15:37 pm
BJ Watling
“A right-handed opening batsman and part-time wicket-keeper, Bradley-John Watling spent his early years in Durban, South Africa, before moving to New Zealand as a ten-year-old. He was part of the Under-19 squad for the World Cup in Bangladesh in 2003-04″
Made his test début against Pakistan in the third test. Scored 60* in the second innings before rain stopped play with NZ in a good position to win the test.
Question is, can he be regarded as a South African having moved to NZ at the age of ten?
15 Dec 2009, 15:45 pm
@Jozi:
Pleasure Jozi. It was a great game.
Cricket actually needed an ODI like this to stop the perception that 50 over cricket is boring in comparison to 20/20.
15 Dec 2009, 15:53 pm
@nama1: No, if he’s got NZ citizenship he’s a kiwi.
The day he plays against SA, the jibes will be out in full force
@nama1: I agree, the law makers will have to get very creative with the 50 over game though. The threat posed by 20/20 is real.
One swallow doesn’t make a summer…..of so iets.
15 Dec 2009, 16:42 pm
The stats I gave earlier re teams that have scored 400+ are wrong. Here are the correct stats.
Sri Lanka 443/9 v Netherlands 4 Jul 2006
South Africa 438/9 v Australia 12 Mar 2006
Australia 434/4 v South Africa 12 Mar 2006
South Africa 418/5 v Zimbabwe 20 Sep 2006
India 414/7 v Sri Lanka 15 Dec 2009
India 413/5 50.0 v Bermuda 19 Mar 2007
Sri Lanka 411/8 v India 15 Dec 2009
New Zealand 402/2 v Ireland 1 Jul 2008
International teams have now scored 400+ on 8 occasions. SA, SL and India have now scored 400+ twice in an ODI.
15 Dec 2009, 17:14 pm
jozi
Who is then genius? I’d be very suprised to hear
16 Dec 2009, 17:24 pm
sorry Valkyrie …. Gelvandale players must stay with their koek liga for now … Kallis is here to stay.
16 Dec 2009, 17:58 pm
Kallis is superb and is here to stay for a very long time.
Dont hate the best in the world.
I’m tipping him for a 200
17 Dec 2009, 07:48 am
@WP_: Give me a moment to deliberate….will let you know. I first have to consult all my contacts to get their input
@WP_: Would be nice for him to score that double century. He’s a good player and he saved our asses yesterday.
17 Dec 2009, 09:29 am
jozi
haha
I’ll be very interested to see who you come up with bud!
The fact that you couldnt think of somebody tells you that there probably is no one mate!
The only all rounder that comes close to Kallis these days is Dan Vettori, but even there is a gulf in class between the two.
17 Dec 2009, 09:42 am
@WP_: Kallis is the best All-rounder of all time. Sir Garfield doesn’t even get close. His batting is good (not same league as the others like Lara, because of the nature of 100s), but his bowling is highly under-rated. Everyone looks at his batting, cause he’s one of the best, but forgets about his bowling. Truly a great. Best ever, no doubt. Look at the stats, he’s about as far ahead as Bradman is in the batting!!
17 Dec 2009, 09:45 am
50 overs is tired. Get rid of it, it got the worst of the other 2 forms with few of the advantages. 20/20 and test cricket are brilliant and are so different that they both stay new and exciting. Nobody wants to watch Kallis anchoring the ODI innings for the middle 30 overs, its boring, but to watch him bat in a test match is awesome, shows the true genius.
17 Dec 2009, 11:12 am
@Ratel Brussow (MSIUR):
#68
IMO Gary Sobers was the greatest all rounder ever.
He has a higher batting average than Jacques but Jacues has a better bowling average but we need to look further than that.
Sobers was much more versatile, influential and dynamic than Kallis. He got his runs at a much faster rate (there is not even a comparison here), as a bowler his versatility enabled him to bowl all varieties of left-arm bowling from spin to medium fast depending on the situation, he was a very successful captain and he was an exceptional fielder both close to the bat and in the outfield.
The best “bowling all rounder” ever was probably Imran Khan who took 362 test wickets at the ridiculously low average of 22.29 rpw and also averaged at 38 as a batsman. He was also a hugely influential world cup winning captain etc.
It is difficult to argue that Kallis is better as an all rounder than Khan ever was or vice versa.
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