| Mahela Jayawardene |
Despite things having not gone our way so far on this tour, team morale remains high. Heads haven't gone down and everyone believes that a welcome win is just around the corner. To date, South Africa have played well and we have not played up to our ability. In patches we may have done well, but not consistently as a team.
Perhaps the biggest disappointment has been the batting. We have failed to click as a unit and every innings only one or two batsmen have made a significant contribution. It's been one of those tours in which we have found it hard to settle into our rhythm.
I don't think the poor form of the top order can merely be explained by the different conditions in South Africa and the difficulty of adapting to the steeper bounce and quicker pace of the wickets. Albeit in patches, we have shown that we can score runs here, and that technically we possess the necessarily skills. However, too little time has been spent in the middle and confidence is a bit low.
Personally, I have enjoyed batting on the wickets here. I have been conscious to go out and play positively whenever possible and have benefited from some luck along the way. When I came here I was looking to continue where I left off against South Africa in the last series and things are feeling pretty good at the moment.
It hasn't been easy scoring runs though off the South African bowlers. They don't give you many opportunities to score and you have to be prepared to cut and pull. Fortunately, they are shots I enjoy and had worked hard on before the tour. In Sri Lanka it is difficult to consistently the pull. The bounce is low and the pitches can be two paced, which makes it difficult to time the ball.
All their fast bowlers have been consistent throughout the tour. Shaun Pollock has perhaps been the pick of them and is certainly the man to watch. Similar in style to Glen McGrath he is always at you. A patient bowler, he does not try to bowl too much variation, and sticks to the basics of a tight line and length.
Ngum is a very good young bowler and can be very nippy. However, although he can be really quickly in patches, he does not tend to sustain it. When his tail is up after a taking a wicket he can be a real handful, but when you get on top of him his head seems to drop a little and he becomes easier to play.
There is no doubt that South Africa are one of the strongest sides in the world and it is no coincidence that they can boost of enviable practice and coaching facilities. Every Province has a 'Cricket Academy' and the young players are clearly getting ample support. It helps their cricket a lot and I am sure that they will be producing many more talented cricketers in the future.
© CricInfo
| Teams | South Africa, Sri Lanka. |
| Players/Umpires | Mahela Jayawardene. |
| Tours | Sri Lanka in South Africa |
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