International Cricket Thread

[Etienne]

Tamim makes a century, the rest do fuck all as Wagner destroys the middle order. I've only heard of one Bangladeshi bowler. What's shakib doing?

[Kevin S]

Bangladesh off to a decent start with Iqbal still going in Hamilton. They've never won a Test against NZ (D3 L10) before.

[Antepli Ejderha]

The process by which athletes from non-EU countries that have association agreements with the EU can play in EU countries without being considered an overseas player. Kolpak was a Slovak handball player before Slovakia joined.

Useful piece from Cricinfo

Ah. Thanks for that. Like the Pacific Islanders playing rugby in Europe then? The ones who could be stitched up by Brexit .

[ursus arctos]

The process by which athletes from non-EU countries that have association agreements with the EU can play in EU countries without being considered an overseas player. Kolpak was a Slovak handball player before Slovakia joined.

Useful piece from Cricinfo

[Antepli Ejderha]

Duanne Olivier retires from international cricket aged 26 to play as a Kolpak for Yorkshire. Fucks sake.

Excuse my ignorance but what exactly is Kolpak?

[Levin]

Sorry, talking to myself but does the Cotonou Agreement requiring a Valid Work Permit mean that Kolpak cricketers are much more likely to be Test players now? Are the Work Permit rules for cricket the same as football? Needing to have played for the national team etc.?

[Levin]

Is it my imagination or are the majority of Kolpak cricketers South African? Or are there West Indian ones as well?

[G-Man]

Isn't any South African once they have eaten a greasy breakfast at the local caff?

[Kevin S]

Will he become eligible for England...?

[G-Man]

FFS, Olivier. He had a chance to become a straight pick once Steyn and Philander go. Chump.

[Satchmo Distel]

That's awfully sad and ominous. 48 Test wickets at 19.25, strike rate of 30.0. Test cricket can't afford to lose that class of player.

NZ fully deserve the second place. Most consistent side apart from India and would back them to beat the three sides below them in most conditions.

[Etienne]

Duanne Olivier retires from international cricket aged 26 to play as a Kolpak for Yorkshire. Fucks sake.

[Kevin S]

As a consequence, SA drop below NZ in the Test rankings. The Black Caps have never been this high before. They host a three Test series against Bangladesh starting Weds night our time.

https://twitter.com/ESPNcricinfo/status/1100153212064063488?s=19

[G-Man]

G-Man, have S Africa got any batsmen in reserve? Losing Smith and Kallis, then de Villiers and Amla's powers waning is a big drop off, a bad series for Elgar and there wasn't much substance. Markram can't do it by himself.

You can't replace Smith, Kallis and De Villiers. There is no replacement for Elgar, who is really a poor man's Gary Kirsten, Bavuma is a very average player but is the best quota batsman available, Amla has become a liability but SA keeps hoping that Old Amla will return; Faf is still great but he's getting old... so we have Markram, who is still inconsistent, and Quinton de Kock, who is a matchwinner on his day but awfully inconsistent as well. The fact that Theunis de Bruyn has been the first substitute batsman indicates just how thinly staffed SA are in that department.

There are a few youngsters who might break through.

Zubayr Hamza, who's 23, looks like a promising batsman (he has played only one test), who can also spin bowl the occasional over.

Janneman Malan is 22 and has a first-class average of 50.

Wiaan Mulder, who made his debut in the second test, is a decent middle-order batsman and a decent bowler. He's 21, so there might be promise there.

[Duncan Gardner]

They've gone from AB to LL. Not a change of era, just of initials...

[Etienne]

Kusal Mendis must be incredibly frustrating for Lankan fans. He seems to play one brilliant innings per series and do sod all the rest of it. But it was today, so no-one will give a fuck. G-Man, have S Africa got any batsmen in reserve? Losing Smith and Kallis, then de Villiers and Amla's powers waning is a big drop off, a bad series for Elgar and there wasn't much substance. Markram can't do it by himself.

[Satchmo Distel]

And it was a 'comprehensive' 8 wicket win today, albeit one that was in doubt at the start of the last session of play (the last seventh of the game, as it were).

It was too early in the day for me to follow live but I'd be interested to know when those watching it thought SL had become firm favourites - maybe when Mendis took 12 off over 25, bowled by Steyn? Or when he got to his 50 shortly after?

[diggedy derek]

Wow, what a result.

[Antepli Ejderha]

Sri Lanka had not won a match in any form of cricket since last October. To win a test was unbelievable but to win the series is miraculous. I cannot think of any greater shock in a series.

[Satchmo Distel]

This is the biggest Test series shock result I can ever recall given the form of the teams going in. The best India and Pakistan sides of the last 27 years could not win in South Africa but SL have just done it with a team that looked desperately poor only a few weeks ago.

South Africa's batting has been on the wane since Smith and Kallis retired but they have only occasionally been punished for it at home, usually by England or Australia. India couldn't quite do it 12 months ago but SL have shown how it's done: aggression. Kinda like how they won the 1996 WC with fearless strokeplay.

One of the all-time great achievements in a Test series, truly, given comparative resources.

It's some year when WI walloping England is only the second biggest story.

[Duncan Gardner]

Another Kusal Flyer

[Kevin S]

Job done, with room to spare. What a performance!

[Kevin S]

Already ahead of their first innings total with only two wickets gone. Match winning knocks from Mendis and Fernando.

[Etienne]

Comfortable so far. Aggressive approach paying off.

[Etienne]

And we're off.