Sri Lanka need a fifth and sixth bowler
Pat Symcox - 28 November 2002
The Wanderers bullring must seem like the Coliseum to the Sri Lankan team. With the Test match ending in three days and now the first one-day match ending in a one-sided contest, the pressure mounts all the time.
Of course many will say the pitch was a poor one for limited overs cricket; too much lateral movement and no opportunities for batsmen to get on top of the bowlers and spank them for all they are worth to every part of the ground. Well that may be so but that's cricket for you. Cricketers know that they can't have a flat deck every day. Incidentally, I also think the pitch was not ideal and believe it or not, so do the South African bowlers!
The toss was important, but then I saw movement throughout the match and the South Africans got the ball in the right area more often with good pace.
For the Sri Lankans to be competitive on any type of surface in South Africa, they have to have a fifth and sixth bowler they can bank on. Flat spinners, like Sanath Jayasuriya bowls, are just not going to do the job. No pitch is going to be low, slow and turn like a top.
Again Kumar Sangakkarra looked the part. He is a cut above the rest right now. Jayasuria just cannot adjust to the bounce and at some stage will need to start making a valuable contribution. He didn't do it for the entire tour last time and one only hope's that for the many fans all over the world that enjoy his style, he finds some touch soon.
Being one nil down is not the end of the world right now, but, and it's a huge but, if the Sri Lankans lose the next match in Centurion on Friday 29th, not only is the series almost gone but also the pressure on the youngsters will begin to heighten.
Touring South Africa is a tough job because there will be no let up of pressure on the playing field. It can either make or break a player.
© Viva Cricket
