Sri Lankans misfiring

THE Sri Lankans will presumably find themselves in the coming days, but they started off their tour against an SA Invitation X1 in Benoni here yesterday a tad undercooked.

Their bowling lines were variable, their ground fielding sloppy, their intent difficult to see. They will galvanise themselves before the first test on Thursday but on the current evidence their attack is spluttering like an old Volkswagen Beetle. They will surely find 20 wickets awfully hard to come by.

They were not helped by losing Nuwan Pradeep to a hamstring strain early in the day, as the Invitation side rolled easily to 245/3 by tea, the entire day's play on Friday being lost to rain.

Batting after winning the toss in heavy overhead conditions , Reeza Hendricks and Dean Elgar made merry against an attack apparently committed to bowling at least one four-ball per over. The perpetually busy Elgar was off the mark with a crisp four through midwicket off Pradeep and Hendricks was similarly assertive, playing well square of the wicket and bringing up his 50 with a heave off Ajuntha Mendis for six over square leg.

After a breezy innings he was yorked by Dilhara Fernando for an eye-catching 66. Elgar was out shortly afterwards for 78, well caught by Mahela Jayawardene at first slip off Mendis. It was a beefy innings of punchy drives and regal on-driving.

With the opening pair out, Stiaan van Zyl and Rilee Rossouw carried on the good work. Rossouw swept the spinners like a man possessed and Van Zyl played some lovely drives off both the front and the back foot. He and the small crowd were disbelieving when, just before tea, he was bowled by Thilan Samarweera's innocuous spin for an imperious 53.