Atapattu stars as Sri Lanka strike back at Benoni
Charlie Austin - 1 December 2002
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 a 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 fast bowlers 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.
© CricInfo Ltd
