Monday, 24 March 2014 01:04
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South Africa will play a Test series in Sri Lanka for the first time since 2006, following the confirmation of the venues and dates for a short tour comprising two Tests and three ODIs. Cricket South Africa (CSA) has stated that the team will arrive on June 30 and begin the tour with the ODIs, followed by the Tests.
The three ODIs will be played at different venues across the country, with Colombo’s R. Premadasa Stadium hosting the first game on 6 July. Only the second ODI, in Pallekele, will be a day-night contest. The two Tests will be played in Galle (starting 16 July) and Colombo’s SSC (starting 24 July).
This will be Sri Lanka’s first home Test series since they hosted Bangladesh in March 2013. The original schedule had specified three Tests, in addition to the five ODIs and three Twenty20s that had already been played last year. But Sri Lanka Cricket had requested the Tests be moved to 2015, ostensibly to vacate the schedule for a Sri Lanka Premier League, but space in both teams’ schedule in July has allowed a change of plans.
In February, SLC and CSA had agreed to bring it forward to 2014 and one Test was dropped to accommodate ODIs.
“The Test series is the one that was postponed from last year at Sri Lanka’s request and is indicative of the good progress we are making in finalising commitments with all countries in terms of the ICC Future Tours Program,” said CSA Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat.
In the limited-overs series played last year, Sri Lanka won the ODIs 4-1 while South Africa took the T20s 2-1.
