SPORT: Big T20 chance for Mosehle
Lions keeper takes the gloves for first match with Sri Lanka
LIONS wicket-keeper Mangaliso Mosehle will be thrust into the spotlight when he takes the gloves in the Proteas first T20 cricket match against Sri Lanka in Centurion this afternoon. Proteas stand-in captain Farhaan Behardien has also confirmed that explosive batsman David Miller will move a few places higher in the batting order to possibly number four, while a decision on who will take the new ball will depend on the state of the pitch.
The promotion of Miller is seen as an attempt by the Proteas think tank to pressurise the Sri Lankans, who are still smarting from a 3-0 test series whitewash.
“Mangi [Mosehle] is definitely the No 1 glove man at the moment because that role is familiar to him‚ so he will wear the gloves‚” Behardien said during his captain’s media conference yesterday.
“With regard to David Miller‚ I will grant him his wish of batting higher because he has been very destructive over the last few months and the Knights have used him slightly up the order at number four.
“They have given him time to face more balls and we all know that if Miller faces about 50 balls he will most probably score a hundred or any score in that region.
“He likes to attack and that is his nature and the way he bats‚ so in these three matches you will definitely see Miller bat higher.”
Behardien said he was happy with the composition of the squad because they had options as most of the players could perform different roles.
“Heino Kuhn has opened the batting for a long time at the Titans in white and red ball cricket and if he is asked to open the batting‚ it’s not something that he will be unfamiliar with,” Behardien said.
“Mangi [Mosehle] could slot in at number three and he has also batted at six‚ and most guys can perform different roles.
“We will decide on the day with regard to the lineup and a lot depends on the way the team shape up and what conditions are going to be like.”
He said all the players in the squad deserved to be there because they had been on form during the CSA T20 Challenge.
“All the players who have been selected have shown unbelievable form during the T20 Challenge and Jon-Jon Smuts comes to mind because he led the run-scoring charts.
“Heino Kuhn has also been in fantastic form‚ Lungi Ngidi has been one of the stand-out bowlers and all the players who have been selected deserve to be there‚” he said‚ adding that their intention was to win the series.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka are eager to regain some pride. “Hopefully, we can start afresh,” Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews said after the 3-0 test series whitewash, which he said was the worst defeat of his captaincy.
“We have some fresh faces in the T20 team and hopefully we can beat South Africa. We have still got a long way to go in South Africa so we need to keep our heads high.”
All three tests were played on pitches designed to help South Africa’s fast bowlers, but the tourists can look forward to more batsmen-friendly pitches.
Sri Lanka will also be relieved about not having to face Kagiso Rabada and Vernon Philander, the bowlers most responsible for their destruction in the tests.
Left-arm fast bowler Wayne Parnell is the only current test player in the South African T20 squad, which includes five international newcomers.
Sri Lanka’s recent record in T20 internationals is not encouraging.
Since beating Afghanistan in their first match of the World T20 in India in March, they have lost their most recent six matches.
Mangi [Mosehle] is definitely the No 1 glove man at the moment