But then what looked to be the final wicket was overruled for an overstep, and SL waste both reviews. Is FdP going to make them pay? Final wicket, lead of 193.
This is the 22nd time South Africa have hosted a Test series against an Asian team. The first was in 1992-93, incidentally. Their record in these series is 19-2-0.
New Zealand have never won a series in South Africa either, 7-1-0.
Nor have West Indies (4-0-0) or Zimbabwe (2-0-0). And neither Afghanistan nor Ireland have played a Test there yet.
So in fact Sri Lanka could become the first team other than England and Australia to win away in South Africa.
I don't think SA will win, unless one of the bowlers does something really special. Sri Lanka look like they believe they can win; SA look like they know they won't.
In a series of low scores, it was that incredible Perera innings turned the whole world upside down. This isn't a bad SA side, as recent results at home showed. There are a few passengers -- and Amla and Bavuma hardly pay the fare -- but it's a decent side which can manage well even with two first-choice bowlers out of the side.
SA has, as is well-known, a chronic inability to manage pressure. Perera exploited that when the bowling attack was mostly concerned with keeping him off-strike and bowl to the tailenders. If in the tenth wicket-stand you don't fancy your chances to take a wicket at both ends, then you are running scared, and you deserve to lose.
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.
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.
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?
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.
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