3rd ODI: South Africa v Sri Lanka at Benoni, 1 Dec 2002 CricInfo Live Report

3rd ODI: South Africa v Sri Lanka at Benoni, 1 Dec 2002
Charlie Austin

Sri Lanka innings: End of Match,
Pre-game: Toss,
South Africa innings: Lunch,

ATAPATTU STARS AS SRI LANKA STRIKE BACK AT BENONI
Opener Marvan Atapattu scored his seventh one-day century as Sri Lanka kept their hopes alive in this five-match series with a seven-wicket victory against South Africa at Benoni on Sunday.

Chasing the 253 for seven scored by South Africa earlier in the day, Sri Lanka’s batsmen finally hit form, eventually coasting past the target with 8.2 overs to spare.

Atapattu, the vice-captain, finished the game with a straight driven six having scored brilliant 123 from just 121 balls including 15 fours and one six.

He added 140 runs with De Silva, who also threw off the shackles off poor form with an industrious 71 from 77 balls with 10 boundaries.

After humiliating defeats at Wanderers and Centurion, where they were bowled out for 128 and 140, the visitors still trail 2-1 needing to win the last two games to take the series.

Crucially, Unlike those two games, the tourists survived the initial new ball burst from Shaun Pollock and Makhaya Ntini without substantial damage, losing just two wickets: Sanath Jayasuriya (22) brilliantly caught in the gully by the irrepressible Jonty Rhodes and Kumar Sangakkara (10) caught at slip.

Atapattu and De Silva then consolidated on a good batting pitch offering South Africa’s no lateral movement whatsoever once the ball had lost its initial hardness.

De Silva looked rusty at the start and Atapattu was cautious, but once established the pair rattled along at nearly a run a ball.

When De Silva was eventually clean bowled trying to pull a good length delivery from Pollock, Sri Lanka were home and dry needing just 41 runs with 13.1 overs remaining.

Earlier, Sri Lankan captain Sanath Jayasuriya won his first toss of the series, raising eyebrows as he bravely elected to bowl first on a flat looking pitch. But the gamble was justified as Sri Lanka’s bowlers wobbled the new ball and took early wickets.

Chaminda Vaas, playing in his 200th ODI, struck first, winning a diabolical lbw decision from umpire Russell Tiffen against Herschelle Gibbs (0). Medium pacer Chamila Gamage, playing his first game of the series after a knee injury to Pulasthi Gunaratne, then knocked back Boeta Dippenaar’s (5) off-stump.

Vaas cleaned bowled inform opener Graeme Smith (16) with a delivery that cut back through the left-hander’s bat and pad. Next over, Gamage produced a perfect leg-cutter to have Jonty Rhodes (0) caught at the wicket to leave South Africa tottering on 35 for four.

But Sri Lanka were unable to press home their advantage as Kallis, who exudes aura of invincibility whenever he walks to the crease these days, fought back with a burst of rollicking cover drives.

Kallis added 36 with Mark Boucher (14) before the wicket-keeper batsman dragged a short delivery onto his stumps and then 81 from 103 balls with Pollock, who scored 39 from 48 deliveries, hitting four boundaries.

Sri Lanka paid the penalty for bowling too short after their early success as Kallis and Pollock wrestled away the initiative from the visitors after a period of consolidation.

When Pollock dragged a short delivery from Jayasuriya straight into the hands of short cover, Lance Klusener helped maintain the momentum, adding a further 57 off 81 balls with Kallis.

Kallis missed out on ninth one-day century when Jayawardene held on to a stinging catch at mid-off but that only set the stage for Klusener to state his credentials for a place in the World Cup.

Dropped for the first two games, Klusener had endured a lean spell with the bat and was under severe pressure for his place. But the left-hander seized his opportunity with an unbeaten 60 from 57 balls, hitting seven fours and a six, his first fifty in 11 matches.

Vaas was the pick of the Sri Lankan bowlers, finishing with two for 39 from 10 overs, but Jayasuriya was also economical, conceding just 37 runs in 10 overs, the first time he has completed his full quota since dislocating his shoulder during the Morocco Cup in August.

KLUSENER POWERS SOUTH AFRICA TO 253
Jacques Kallis scored 87 from 117 balls to rescue South Africa after a top order collapse against Sri Lanka in the third One-Day International at Benoni on Sunday.

Sri Lanka, who need to win here to keep their hopes alive in the series, reduced South Africa to 35 for four and then 71 for five after winning the toss and electing to bowl first.

But Kallis, who scored a fifty off just 26 balls in the last game at Centurion, fought back with his 40th one-day half-century, ensuring South Africa a competitive 253 for seven total.

The 27-year-old right-hander shared crucial partnerships with skipper Shaun Pollock for the sixth wicket (81 off 103 balls) and then out-of-form Lance Klusener for the seventh (57 off 81 balls).

Klusener, fighting for a place in the World Cup squad after a lean run with the bat, finished off the innings powerfully with 60 from 57 balls, hitting seven fours and a six, his first fifty in 11 matches.

Sri Lanka had started the morning brilliantly, fully justifying Sanath Jayasuriya’s surprise decision to bowl first on a good batting pitch.

Chaminda Vaas, playing in his 200th ODI, was the first to strike, winning a diabolical lbw decision from umpire Russell Tiffen against Herschelle Gibbs (0). Replays showed that the ball would have comfortably missed leg-stump.

Medium pacer Chamila Gamage, playing his first game of the series after an injury to Pulasthi Gunaratne, then knocked back Boeta Dippenaar’s (5) off-stump to leave South Africa under real pressure for the first time in the series on 15 for two.

With South Africa tottering on 35 for four after ten overs, Kallis fought back with a series of imperious cover drives, taking 28 runs off the next five overs.

Sanath Jayasuriya belatedly changed the bowling in the 16th over of the innings, bringing on fast bowlers Dilhara Fernando and Prabath Nissanka.

Nissanka - surprisingly left out at Centurion after an impressive performance at Wanderers - needed just four balls to break through as Mark Boucher dragged a short delivery onto his stumps.

But Kallis and Pollock then consolidated. They started cautiously, picking up singles easily as the Sri Lankans bowled too short, before raising the tempo and wrestling back the initiative.

Jayasuriya had gambled on making further inroads with his specialist bowlers and was eventually forced to use his left-arm spin.

He broke through when Pollock dragged a short delivery straight into the hands of Mahela Jayawardene at short cover, ending a sixth wicket partnership that had yielded 81 runs in 103 balls.

But Klusener and Kallis continued the fightback, adding 57 for the seventh wicket before Kallis was caught at mid-off off Prabath Nissanka.

Vaas was the pick of the Sri Lankan bowlers, finishing with two for 39 from 10 overs, but Jayasuriya was also economical, conceding just 37 runs in 10 overs.

SRI LANKA WON THE TOSS, SOUTH AFRICA BAT
Sri Lanka captain Sanath Jayasuriya won his first toss of the series and elected to bowl first at Benoni on Sunday.

Sri Lanka are already 2-0 down after games at Wanderers and Centurion need to win today to avoid a series defeat.

Out-of-form all-rounder Lance Klusener has been given a chance to regain his form, playing ahead of Easterns all-rounder Andrew Hall.

Sri Lanka left out leg-spinning all-rounder Upul Chandana, who proved expensive at Centurion, conceding 47 runs in his seven overs.

He was replaced by veteran left-hander Hashan Tillakaratne, who plays his first ODI for three years.

Chamila Gamage plays his first game of the series in place of the injured Pulasthi Gunaratne who damaged his knee whilst fielding in the last game.

Sri Lanka:

Sanath Jayasuriya (Capt), Marvan Atapattu, Kumar Sangakkara, Russel Arnold, Mahela Jayawardene, Aravinda de Silva, Hashan Tillakaratne, Hasantha Fernando, Chamila Gamage, Chaminda Vaas, Dilhara Fernando

South Africa:

Shaun Pollock (Capt), Mark Boucher, Nicky Boje, Boeta Dippenaar, Allan Donald, Herschelle Gibbs, Jacques Kallis, Lance Klusener, Makhaya Ntini, Jonty Rhodes, Graeme Smith