Proteas suffer injury blow
Centurion withdrawn after injuring finger in second ODI against Sri Lanka
THE Proteas have been dealt an injury blow with news that David Miller has been withdrawn from the ODI series against Sri Lanka with a finger injury. Miller‚ who will not be replaced in the squad‚ will miss the remaining three matches in Johannesburg‚ Cape Town and Pretoria.
His place is likely to be taken by another experienced middle-order batsman‚ Farhaan Behardien.
Miller cut his finger while fielding during the 121-run win over Sri Lanka in Durban on Wednesday, where he scored an unbeaten 117 from 98 balls.
“He will need seven to 10 days to recover,” Proteas team manager Mohammed Moosajee said.
“He remains available for selection for the tour of New Zealand.”
Faf du Plessis also scored a century in South Africa’s total of 307/6 on a pitch that slowed as the innings wore on.
Sri Lanka were dismissed for 186 in 37.5 overs, with the entire South African attack taking wickets and all the frontline bowlers going for less than a run a ball.
A fine performance in the field was punctuated by brilliant catches by Du Plessis and AB de Villiers‚ and a wonderful run-out by JP Duminy.
“It shows that we as a batting unit are becoming more mature‚ making the right decisions and are assessing the conditions and the situation really well‚” Du Plessis said.
He might have been describing South Afri- ca’s entire performance‚ but particularly the stand of 117 he and Miller shared for the fifth wicket in 22.2 overs.
Du Plessis scored 105 and it was the first time in 16 ODIs that two South Africans had reached centuries in the same innings.
“Dave and I complemented each other well‚” Du Plessis said.
“We ran well between the wickets and put boundaries away when there were opportunities.”
Du Plessis reached his ton off 113 balls‚ to Miller’s 94 – testament to the changing conditions and match situation as much as it was to the relative strengths of each player.
Du Plessis pulled off a backhand grab in the covers to remove Niroshan Dickwella that was reminiscent of his catch at second slip to complete Angelo Mathews’s dismissal in the third test at the Wanderers last month.
“The test [catch] will be hard to beat‚” Du Plessis said.
“The ball was travelling very quickly and it was a lot higher.
“If you look at the first 10 overs the guys that are in the ring are all brilliant fielders‚” he said.
“There’s not any fielder in the ring that is a bowler.
“All of them field at point or cover for their franchises.”
Sri Lanka coach Graham Ford‚ who has also worn South Africa’s tracksuit‚ could only admire what he saw from the visitors’ dressing room.
“Their top six are devastating and the pressure’s always on with that bowling unit‚” Ford said.
“I’m not sure there is any other side in world cricket that can field as brilliantly as they do.
“They saved plenty of runs‚ took two brilliant catches and had a real Jonty Rhodesstyle run-out. That killed it.”
Another win for South Africa at the Wanderers tomorrow will kill the series too.