Peter Robinson
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2nd Test: South Africa v Sri Lanka at Cape Town, 2-6 Jan 2001 Peter Robinson |
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Sri Lanka 1st innings:
Pre-game: South Africa 1st innings: |
At stumps the home side were 130 for two in reply to Sri Lanka’s woeful 95 all out. South Africa have already taken a firm grip on the match and with Jacques Kallis on 49 and Daryll Cullinan on 17, they are poised to run away with it on the second day.
After the hubbub of Herschelle Gibbs’ second-ball dismissal had faded during the tea interval, Gary Kirsten and Kallis steadily pressed home South Africa’s advantage. They put on 96 for the second wicket – a South African record against Sri Lanka – despite vastly improved efforts from the Sri Lankan new ball pair, Chaminda Vaas and Nuwan Zoysa.
Kallis signified his intentions by placing the first ball after tea from Vaas past mid on for four and Kirsten hit the left-armer for successive boundaries in the third over after the interval.
But Kirsten had a let off on 36 when a flying edge off Vaas was spilled by the Sri Lankan captain Sanath Jayasuriya in the gully. It was a mistake the tourists could ill afford.
Kirsten, fresh from his 180 at Kingsmead, reach his second half-century of the series with a three off his pads off Nuwan Zoysa. He had taken 140 minutes and hit seven fours and shortly afterwards Kallis took South Africa into the lead when he pulled Zoysa for four in the 35th over of the innings.
But Sri Lanka finally broke through before another run had been added at 97 when Kirsten pushed forward to Muttiah Muralitharan and was caught by Tillekeratne Dilshan at silly point off pad and bat for 52.
Cullinan, whose last Test innings against Sri Lanka at Newlands produced a century, looked in ominously good form, imperious pulling Vaas past square leg for in the last over of the day while Kallis was left one run short of his 50 when stumps were drawn.
Gibbs was caught at the wicket off Chaminda Vaas as South Africa began their reply to Sri Lanka’s 95 all out. He pushed tentatively at the second ball he faced and Kumar Sangakkara took a routine catch behind the stumps. There were no further successes for Sri Lanka before tea, however, with the home side ending the session at 28 for one with Gary Kirsten on 17 and Jacques Kallis on 6.
Gibbs was making his first appearance for South Africa since his six-month ban from international cricket for his part in the match-fixing scandal. There is no doubt that many of the Newlands crowd had turned up to welcome back a local hero, but Gibbs could at least take some comfort from the fact that he chose a good ball to get out to.
Sri Lanka nearly had a second success in the second over of the innings when Gibbs’ opening partner, Kirsten, sparred at a lifting ball from Nuwan Zoysa, but the edge flew high and through the outstretched hands of Mahela Jayawardene at first slip to run away for four.
Both Vaas and Zoysa looked far more impressive than had been the case during the first Test at Kingsmead, but despite one or two anxious moments, the South African batsmen lasted through to the tea interval. Kallis edged Zoysa just short of Jayawardene at first slip, but Sri Lanka had to be satisfied with just the one wicket.
The Sri Lankan innings lasted just 38.4 overs as Pollock’s new ball partner Mfuneko Ngam chipped in with three wickets after lunch as Sri Lanka made their lowest score against South Africa.
But it was Pollock’s day as his claimed his 11th five-wicket haul in Test matches, bowling with characteristic accuracy and no little aggression on a pitch which, while it offered some bounce, could scarcely be blamed for Sri Lanka’s woeful batting.
The tourists went into lunch at 63 for five and were quickly 66 for six five balls after play resumed. Kumar Sangakkara was given a life on 32 when Gary Kirsten dropped a sharp one-handed chance at short leg off Ngam, but he was out next ball, dabbing at one from Ngam to give Daryll Cullinan the catch at first slip.
Avishka Gunawardene had looked relatively comfortable until Pollock softened him up, hitting him on the ear piece with a bouncer that was onto the batsman quicker than he expected. Gunawardene was clearly rattled and in Ngam’s next over he had a slash at a lifting ball to give Jacques Kallis a high, leaping catch at second slip.
Gunawardene lost his wicket for 24 with Sri Lanka 84 for seven and the innings did not take long to fold.
Chaminda Vaas made seven before contriving to steer Ngam to Pollock at a wide fourth slip and then Pollock wrapped up the innings in the 39th over. He had seen Nuwan Zoysa escape when a bouncer took the helmet and the back of the bat before looping over first slip and then hook the next ball for six.
Pollock got his man, though, when Zoysa tried to pull him and the bowler was able to take a return catch off a high top edge. Muttiah Muralitharan lasted just three balls before lifting a drive to mid off to give Pollock his sixth wicket of the innings.
Apart from Pollock’s six, Ngam took three for 26 with all three wickets coming in the post-lunch session.
Pollock smashed through the top order in his opening spell, taking the first four wickets to fall as Sri Lanka crashed to 13 for four and then held a low catch at third slip to reduce the islanders to 33 for five. At lunch Sri Lanka had limped to 63 for five, but they were still in danger of being overwhelmed by the home side.
Sanath Jayasuriya’s decision to bat first after winning the toss was clearly inspired by the prospect of Muttiah Muralitharan bowling at the South Africans in the last innings of the match, but as it transpired the morning could not have gone better for the South Africans.
After an untidy opening over as he loosened up, Pollock struck in his third over when Marvan Atapattu nudged a knee high catch to Jacques Kallis at second slip. Atapattu made five with the score at 12 for one.
In his next over Pollock slid one across Jayasuriya to find the outside edge and Mark Boucher pouched the catch to have Sri Lanka 13 for two with Jayasuriya gone for eight.
Three balls later it was 13 for three as Mahela Jayawardene was caught by Kallis, again at second slip, in a replay of Atapattu’s dismissal. It was a low catch and the umpires referred the decision to third umpire Wilf Diedricks before Jayawardene was given out.
Pollock was not finished. Russel Arnold was out to the third ball he faced, turning Pollock straight into the hands of Gary Kirsten at short leg. Pollock had four for none in the space of 13 balls and the Sri Lankan innings was in tatters.
And even when he rested himself, with figures of 8-5-9-4, he still had a part to play in the fifth wicket as Tillekeratne Dilshan drove at Kallis and Pollock took a diving catch low at third slip.
Kumar Sangakkara, meanwhile, had led something of a charmed life. Coming in at three, he was sent sprawling before he had scored as he swayed out of the way of an Mfuneko Ngam bouncer. He got off the mark with a glance for four down the leg side that went dangerously close to Boucher and when he had 13 he was fortunate to survive a confident lbw appeal off Kallis. And then on 14 an inside edge off Makhaya Ntini flew centimetres over his off bail before racing away for four.
But together with Avishka Gunawardene, in the side for Romesh Kaluwitharana, Sangakkara managed to survive until lunch. At the interval Sangakkara had 30 with Gunawardene on 13.
The Sri Lankans made one change to the team that drew the first Test at Kingsmead. Wicketkeeper Romesh Kaluwitharana was replaced by Avishka Gunawardene with Kumar Sangakkara taking over behind the stumps.
In the South African side Herschelle Gibbs came in for Boeta Dippenaar.
The umpires are Edward Nicholls of the West Indies and Ian Howell of South Africa. Howell is making his Test match debut.
Teams
South Africa: Gary Kirsten, Herschelle Gibbs, Jacques Kallis, Daryll Cullinan, Neil McKenzie, Mark Boucher, Lance Klusener, Nicky Boje, Shaun Pollock (capt), Makhaya Ntini, Mfuneko Ngam.
Sri Lanka: Sanath Jayasuriya (capt), Marvan Atapattu, Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara, Russel Arnold, Tillekeratne Dilshan, Avishka Gunawardene, Chaminda Vaas, Nuwan Zoysa, Muttiah Muralitharan, Dilhara Fernando.
Umpires: Edward Nicholls (West Indies) and Ian Howell (South Africa). Third umpire Wilf Diedricks. Match referee: Raman Subba Row.
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Date-stamped : 02 Jan2001 - 18:36