Times Media
TELFORD VICE, Cape Town
If your glass is half-full, Hashim Amla’s century was the most important aspect of SA’s 50-over tour match against a President’s XI in Moratuwa yesterday. If it is half-empty, the fact that Jacques Kallis did not make it onto the park because of a stiff back will make you take an alarmed gulp from that glass.
“After the warm-up (yesterday) he felt some discomfort and a lot of stiffness,” SA team manager Mohammed Moosajee said. “But we’re quite hopeful some of the stiffness will settle down.
“If he doesn’t respond to therapy we plan to get a scan done. He’s the ultimate professional in his preparation, but from time to time his back does seize up.”
SA totalled 297/9 and dismissed their opponents for 189 in 39.2 overs to win by 108 runs. AB de Villiers’ men, all 15 of them, 11 of whom batted, were up against a decent side.
They were captained by Dinesh Chandimal - freshly dropped for the Sri Lankan squad for the first two matches of a one-day series that starts on Sunday - only two of them have not been capped internationally, and of the other nine only two have not played test cricket.
All of SA’s frontline batsmen, bar Kallis, saw time in the middle. Four of the top five of Amla, Quinton de Kock, Faf du Plessis, De Villiers and JP Duminy faced at least 40 balls.
The exception was De Villiers, who took only 27 deliveries to reach 41 and retire. However, David Miller will be miffed that he faced just seven balls before being dismissed.
Amla needed eight balls to get off the mark but went to his half-century briskly enough off 54 deliveries and to his ton off 79. He brought up three figures with a six off leg spinner Jeevan Mendis, and promptly also retired.
Yesterday’s conditions, Amla suggested, were not what SA expected to encounter on the rest of their tour.
“(The pitch) wasn’t that slow,” Amla said. “It wasn’t too different from a UK wicket but certainly different from wickets we normally see in Sri Lanka.”
Dale Steyn had Upul Tharanga caught behind with the fifth legitimate ball of the President XI’s reply, but most of the nine bowlers SA used preferred to keep the revs consistent rather than hit the afterburners.
Morne Morkel, though, was in destructive mood and took 3/29 in seven overs. Only Wayne Parnell and Aaron Phangiso took more than one wicket.
Chandimal and Suraj Randiv were the only two Sri Lankans to reach 50, and the best of the rest was Anuk Fernando’s 21.
Beuran Hendricks, who went for 21 runs in his three overs, was the only SA bowler to concede more than a run a ball. But bowling coach Allan Donald will not be pleased with the five no-balls and 12 wides his charges sent down.
Sunday’s first ODI will be played at the R. Premadasa stadium in Colombo.
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