Seldom can a team have so stubbornly refused to lie down and die. In a pulsating test match and a nerve racking final day, South Africa won a match that they had appeared certain to lose 48 hours before. By doing so they have leveled the series and set up an intriguing decider at the Sinhalese Sports Club on Sunday.

The match had twisted and turned throughout with ever increasing frequency. Nevertheless each day appeared to end with Sri Lanka on top and few commentators expected a South African victory. Forced to chase 177 for victory Sri Lanka were bowled out for 169 to lose the match by just seven runs.

On Tuesday morning Sri Lanka had a seven run lead with six wickets remaining and two in form batsmen at the crease. The South African fast bowlers then fought back by instigating a dramatic late order collapse and claiming the last six wickets for just 22 runs.

Having lost early wickets in their second innings, Jacques Kallis and Jonty Rhodes, kept their hopes alive with a 71-run partnership before Sri Lanka snaffled two key wickets, minutes before the close of play last night.

Beginning the day just 137 runs ahead with two wickets remaining Nicky Boje mustered 27 crucial runs in a 45 run partnership with Paul Adams to leave South Africa with a defendable lead of 176 runs.

The fast bowlers then ripped out the rump of the Sri Lankan top order, reducing the home side to 22 for four, before Arjuna Ranatunga (88) played perhaps his most brilliant innings ever. Reaching his half-century in just 36 balls he plundered the South African attack to all parts of the ground.

South Africa though still refused to give in and with Sri Lanka needing a mere 47 runs for victory with six wickets remaining, Boje, dismissed Russel Arnold (40). Sri Lanka once again collapsed losing their last six wickets for 39 runs and were left an agonisingly short of victory.

This was a test match that will long be remembered in these hilly areas. The partisan spectators had crowded into the ground today in festive mood. Every run of the chase was jubilantly cheered, every South African mistake hooted in mockery. The poor boundary hoardings became impromptu drums and were thrashed incessantly.

When Muralitharan was adjudged caught behind off his very first ball to seal South Africa’s victory, the crowd’s passion was transformed into anger with the umpires. Darryl Harper, a jovial man who had admittedly made some chronic errors, was distastefully subjected to a torrent of verbal abuse and hailed with plastic bottles as he returned to the sanctuary of the pavilion.

When Tony Greig tried to present the man of the match award, a deafening chant of ‘Darryl Harper, Darryl Harper’ drowned out the adjudicator’s voice. They were placated somewhat when their favorite cricketing son, Arjuna Ranatunga, was jointly nominated man of the match with Lance Klusner.

The award was well deserved by both parties. Lance Klusner for his composed century in the first innings and for some miserly off cutters from a five pace run-up. It was a strategy that had been concocted only in the last week. With the wickets here so slow and yet very receptive to the tweak of a the wrist, he was able to fulfill a vital role.

When Arjuna Ranatunga was running riot in partnership with Russel Arnold and the game was slipping quickly away from his team, Lance Klusner, reined them back in with his dibbly dobblies. Bowling unchanged from the Hunnasgiriya End he conceded just 34 runs from his 13 overs and took two valuable wickets: Kumar Dharmasena (1) at short leg and Upul Chandana (16) cleaned bowled with the first ball after tea.

Arjuna Ranatunga (88) had earnt his slice of man of the match cheque with a half century in the first innings, an innings that was so unjustly terminated, and a bristling 88 today. The hairs on his head may be becoming distinctly grey but the eyes are still clearly razor sharp.

His batting in recent times has been of the dogged kind, the type that suggested his skills had been blunted by the passage of time. Perhaps now unburdened after announcing his retirement, he batted with unrestrained freedom and breathtaking skill.

Both Marvan Attapattu (0) and Sanath Jayasuriya (0) had been uncontroversially adjudged LBW off their very first deliveries. Mahela Jayawardene (1) had nervously flashed to the keeper in the same over and then Kumar Sangakkara (5) was caught off a leading edge to leave Sri Lanka on 22 for four.

Less doughty cricketers would have crumpled under the pressure. Arjuna though has seen most things before, didn’t care a hoot for Sri Lanka’s dire predicament and just played his natural game.

Russel Arnold (40) held up the other end, enjoying the rare sight of watching one man totally dominant an attack. Paul Adams was brought on immediately after lunch and was promptly thrashed for 26 runs in three overs, one of which was a maiden!

Shaun Pollock dutifully returned to restore some order but was greeted with consecutive boundaries; as clean a straight drive as you can imagine and a sweetly timed flick off his pads. Kallis was cut and Klusner was driven imperiously. He hit 15 boundaries and one all run four, as rare an occasion as one can hope to see.

When he was dismissed in the 44th over, three minutes before the tea interval, caught by Rhodes at short leg off Boje, Sri Lanka needed 17 runs with three wickets remaining. Chandana was bowled with the first ball after tea, Chaminda Vaas (5) was cruelly run out with 9 runs to go and then Muralitharan (0) was caught behind of the very next delivery to end a truly great test match.

© CricInfo