Close South Africa 421 for 9 (Gibbs 92, Kallis 84, Boucher 63, Pollock 78*) lead Sri Lanka 323 by 98 runs
Scorecard

A calculated counter-attack from Shaun Pollock and Mark Boucher gave South Africa the whip hand after their middle order had fumbled through most of the third day at Centurion.

Pollock and Boucher came together in the afternoon with South Africa still 59 behind Sri Lanka, but by the close they had a lead of 98 with one wicket left. Pollock made 78 not out and Boucher 63. It was impressive, purposeful stuff and Sri Lanka, who had done so well for much of the day, were beginning to wilt in the face of some aggressive running, conceding overthrows on more than one occasion.

Pollock certainly likes batting at Centurion. In his last Test innings here, against Sri Lanka two years ago, he leathered 111 off only 106 balls from No. 9, and he also hammered 113 off 109 in the Test that turned into a tour match against India last winter. Those were boundary-laden affairs, but today Pollock's quick feet showed that there is more than one way to seize the initiative.

South Africa had resumed on 183 for 2, and Herschelle Gibbs and Jacques Kallis took their partnership to 140 - a record for South Africa's third wicket in Tests against Sri Lanka - before Gibbs was comically run out for 92. He pushed Muttiah Muralitharan towards mid-off, and set off even though a run was never on. As Murali ran round to collect the ball, Kallis dismissively turned his back on Gibbs as a businessman might a beggar. To compound his error, Gibbs slipped and was only just getting to his feet as Kumar Sangakkara took off the bails (211 for 3).

Five overs later Kallis went, bowled for 84 by Hasantha Fernando's first ball of the day. It was a good delivery, which held its line to beat Kallis's drive and peg back the off stump (219 for 4). This was only the second time Kallis had been dismissed in his last five Test innings; in that time, he's managed the small matter of 434 runs.

The new batsman Ashwell Prince looked very nervous, as you would be if you'd made only five runs in three Test innings this season. Neil McKenzie was also badly out of nick, and the pair struggled through 22 overs in adding 39 before both fell to the second new ball.

Prince, who made 20 off 73 balls, got in a terrible mess against a short one from Chaminda Vaas and scooped a catch to Sangakkara down the leg side (258 for 5), while McKenzie (28) was plumb lbw on the walk to Chamila Gamage (264 for 6).

South Africa badly needed an injection of impetus, and it came from Boucher and, in particular, Pollock. He was the first South African to go after Murali, dancing down and driving a couple of lovely boundaries through the covers.

On 34, Boucher was fortunate to survive a stumping referral to the third umpire off Muralitharan - his foot seemed to be on the line, not behind it. It was that sort of day for Murali: he didn't manage a wicket until his 50th over of the innings, and finished with 2 for 116 from 53 overs.

Boucher sent Dilhara Fernando scudding through the covers to reach his fifty off 110 balls, and Pollock followed suit off the next delivery. His came off only 83 balls, and the pair passed their own record seventh-wicket partnership for South Africa against Sri Lanka, made at Cape Town in 1997-98. They had put on 132 when Boucher drove a sharp return catch to Gamage (396 for 7), and Murali finally got his first wicket when Andrew Hall fell lbw for 0 to a viciously spinning delivery from around the wicket (400 for 8).

That took Murali to 434 wickets, level with Kapil Dev in third place on the all-time list. He soon went ahead, when Steve Elworthy (5) pad-batted to Hashan Tillekeratne at silly point (408 for 9). There was just time for Pollock to flap Dilhara Fernando for a big six over long leg in the last over of a day which South Africa enjoyed far more than the perspiring Sri Lankans, who have already fielded through 159 overs.

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