SOUTH AFRICA DOMINATE THE SECOND DAY OF THE 2ND TEST

At stumps on the second day the home team were 426 for six, 331 ahead and with three days' play still remaining, a heavy defeat for the Sri Lankans seems unavoidable. Even intervention by the weather seems unlikely after a second, gloriously sunny day on which the South Africans pounded the Sri Lankan bowling throughout the final session.

Boucher was the only wicket to fall after tea, dismissed when a fourth Test century seemed certain. He had 92 when he crashed a long hop from Russel Arnold into the deep where Mahela Jayawardene held the catch.

But still at the crease were Klusener on 44 and Nicky Boje on seven, and with South Africa certain to bat on in the morning, Sri Lanka can look forward only to more punishment.

Boucher and Klusener put on 94 for the sixth wicket in rollicking style as the Sri Lankans began to wilt in the field. Boucher was in irrepressible mood, treating spin and seam alike contemptuously as he made his runs off 143 balls in 200 minutes.

He was particularly disdainful of Dilhara Fernando who, for reasons not readily apparent, persisted in digging it in short. The result was a succession of hooks and pulls as Boucher milked the bowling.

Finally, though, with a hundred in sight, Boucher contrived to hole out when it almost seemed easier to hit the ball for six.

Klusener, too, was in splendid form, often allowing Boucher to take the strike, but he was quick to capitalise on anything wide or short.

It was another excellent session for the South Africans, their sixth in a row, as the Sri Lankans found themselves almost completely shut out of the game.

CULLINAN CENTURY AS SOUTH AFRICA PROSPER

The elegant right-hander was run out shortly before tea for 112 as South Africa pressed home the advantage given them by bowling Sri Lanka out for 95 on the first day. At tea the home team were 323 for five with Mark Boucher on 43 and Lance Klusener three for a lead of 228.

Starting in 1998, Cullinan has made Newlands hundreds against Sri Lanka, the West Indies, England and Sri Lanka again. It was his 12th Test century overall and his fifth in ten Tests against the Sri Lankans. And it was an innings that almost seemed predestined from the moment he arrived at the crease on Tuesday afternoon.

He reached three figures by leaning back and crashing Russel Arnold through the off-side field for four, his tenth boundary in an innings that also contained three sixes at that point, two of them lofted over long on off Arnold.

Cullinan had shared in a 101-run partnership for the fourth wicket with Neil McKenzie who looked in equally good form in making 47 before he went down the pitch to Arnold to lift a return catch that the bowler took going to his left. McKenzie batted for two hours and ten minutes, hitting five fours and a six and his wicket fell with South Africa 231 for four.

Although the pitch had offered bounce to the fast bowlers of both sides, the Sri Lankans clearly felt that spin was their best option, employing Arnold and Muttiah Muralitharan until the 109th over when they took the second new ball.

To be fair, Muralitharan always looked the bowler most likely to trouble the South Africans, causing problems for Cullinan whenever he bowled the one that left the right-hander.

But it was Chaminda Vaas who finally got rid of Cullinan after an innings that had lasted 283 minutes. Cullinan played Vaas out on the leg side and went for the single, but Vaas was quick to field the ball and throw down the stumps at the bowler’s end. Cullinan did not wait for the third umpire’s decision, continuing through towards the dressing room.

He had added 86 for the fifth wicket with Boucher, who was another to play with supreme confidence and for their pains, the Sri Lankans were rewarded for the dismissal of Cullinan by the sight of the big-hitting Klusener striding out to the wicket.

CULLINAN, MCKENZIE BUILD SA LEAD

A burgeoning fourth wicket partnership of 84 between Daryll Cullinan and Neil McKenzie took South Africa to lunch at 214 for three with Cullinan on 56 and McKenzie 42. The overall lead was 119 after Sri Lanka had been bowled out for 95 on the first day.

Kallis went before most of the crowd had settled into their seats. He had found himself stuck on 49 on the first evening and, obviously wanting to reach 50, drove at the second ball of the morning from Dilhara Fernando. Mahela Jayawardene pouched the catch comfortably at first slip and South Africa were 130 for three.

Kallis’ quick departure clearly caught McKenzie with his pants down. He took an age to emerge from the pavilion and looked uncertain as he played out the remaining four balls of the over.

But a sweetly timed on-drive for four off Chaminda Vaas in the next over settled McKenzie and with Cullinan also in formidable mood, the South Africans were able to put the early setback behind them.

With Muttiah Muralitharan on at the Kelvin Grove end, Cullinan used the space over mid-wicket’s head to help himself to four. McKenzie, meanwhile, swept the off spinner for two and then hit him for six and four towards Cow Corner to take 12 off three deliveries.

This forced Muralitharan to change ends and he looked more dangerous bowling with the wind at his back and at one point McKenzie almost dragged a sweep around his legs and onto his stumps.

McKenzie was on 23 and on the same score he had to dive to regain his ground after being sent back by Cullinan, with Vaas’ direct hit shattering the stumps at the bowler’s end, but together the pair brought up their 50 partnership in 68 minutes.

Cullinan went to his 50 in grand style, pulling Vaas over square leg for six and he underlined the point by hammering the next ball for four in the same direction. He had taken 146 minutes and hit six fours and the six.

McKenzie brought up the South African 200 after 311 minutes by sweeping Sanath Jayasuriya for four before tucking the left-arm spinner for another boundary wide of mid-on in the same over.

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Date-stamped : 04 Jan2001 - 10:40