‘We know what our batting order is going to be’ - Domingo

Times Media

TELFORD VICE, Cape Town

SA have spent the first few days of their tour of Sri Lanka talking about the weather. On Tuesday, rain forced their practice session indoors. Yesterday, they were out and about in the jungle heat of one of the hottest times of the year on the Asian island.

If the weather holds today, SA will get cracking with a tour match against a President’s XI in Moratuwa in which all 15 squad members can expect to crossing the boundary.

“The guys practised with good purpose and good intensity, so it was good to get the tour started after a bit of rain,” SA coach Russell Domingo said from Sri Lanka yesterday. “That wasn’t ideal, but that’s the way it is and we’re looking forward to getting some game time.”

The real thing starts in Colombo on Sunday in the shape of the first of three one-day internationals against Sri Lanka.

SA’s players, Domingo said, still had some acclimatising to do before the weekend, what with temperatures arching above 30 degrees.

“It’s very hot and humid, so that’s one of the factors you need to get used to. It’s also important that we give everyone a bit of an outing (today) - all the bowlers can bowl some overs and we would like as many batsmen as possible to have a hit.”

But Domingo was satisfied that matters were under control.

“We’re very settled,” he said. “We’ve got a good understanding of what our batting order’s going to be, and we’ll try and be as consistent as possible with it.”

Not the least of Domingo’s reasons to be cheerful will hinge on the fact that Jacques Kallis is on tour.

“Jacques has held that (No. 3) position for a long time but he hasn’t played a lot of one-day cricket,” Domingo said. “It’s great to have him back and he will probably slot back into that position.”

Of Kallis’ 311 ODI innings, 201 have been undertaken at No. 3. But he has played just four matches in the format since re-committing himself to the national cause after last year’s Champions Trophy.