Date-stamped : 27 Jul2000 - 10:23
6-10 September 1993
2nd Test: Sri Lanka v South Africa, Match Report
CricInfo
Day 1 Report
Schultz sends Sri Lanka tumbling
South African paceman Brett Schultz grabbed four wickets to leave Sri
Lanka reeling at 147 8 at tea on the first day of the second Test in
Colombo. Schultz then bagged a five wicket haul as the home side
collapsed after winning the toss and choosing to bat. Sanath
Jayasuriya propped up the innings with 44 in 79 balls but he fell in
the final over before tea and Sri Lanka were finally skittled for 168.
South African medium pacer Brett Schultz took a career best 5 48 as
Sri Lanka made 168 on the first day at the Sinhalese Sports Club.
Schultz dismissed Roshan Mahanama and Aravinda de Silva before lunch
and had two catches dropped off his bowling as the Springboks
dominated Pacemen Allan Donald and Richard Snell each took two wickets
as Sri Lanka were all out just after tea. Left hander Sanath
Jayasuriya top scored with 44 as Sri Lanka failed to capitalise on
winning the toss.
Day 2 Report
Skipper Kepler Wessels steered South African into a strong posi- tion
on the second day of the second Test against Sri Lanka in Colombo.
Wessels made 92 to help his team to 280 for two at the close in reply
to the home side's 168. Four players reached half centuries with
Andrew Hudson falling for 58 and Hansie Cronje and Darryl Cullinan
undefeated on 54 and 52 respectively.
South Africa had taken a firm grip on the match by the end of the
second day reaching 280 2. The batsmen carried on the the good work
done by their bowlers on the opening day when the Sri Lan- kans were
dismissed for a modest 168. Springboks skipper Kepler Wessels (92)
and Andrew Hudson (58) put on 132 for the first wicket before falling
to Pramodya Wickremasinghe and Muttiah Mu- ralidaran. But there was
no respite for the hosts as Hanse Cronje and Daryll knocked up
unbeaten half centuries.
Day 3 Report
South Africa look poised to beat Sri Lanka after the hosts fin- ished
the third day 278 behind with six second innings wickets in hand. The
Springboks piled up 495 in their first innings their highest Test
score since returning from the cricketing wilder- ness. Hanse Cronje
contributed 122 after occupying the crease for 18.1 hours while
Aravinda de Silva captured 3 39 his best Test return. Sri Lanka were
struggling on 49 4 at the close after being bowled out for 168 in the
first innings. Day 3, 8th Sep 1993 Colombo Second Test
South Africa are poised to defeat Sri Lanka in the second Test in
Colombo with the home side ending the third day at 49 4 still 278 runs
adrift. Earlier South Africa made 495 in their first innings their
top score since returning to the international arena Hansie Cronje
hitting 122. Allan Donald and Brett Schultz then dismissed openers
Roshan Mahanama and Chandika Hathurusingha for ducks.
Day 4 Report
South Africa's formidable four-man pace battery led by Brett Schultz
propelled the tourists to a famous innings and 208 - runs win over Sri
Lanka with more than a day to spare in the second Test here Friday.
Schultz, who carried away the man-of-the-match award by finishing with
a match-bag of nine for 106, helped South Africa bowl out the home
side for 119 just before the sche- duled lunch break on the fourth
day. This was South Africa's biggest innings win in history and their
first overseas win since being re-admitted to the international
cricket scene after a 21-year isolation due to the country's apartheid
policies.
Their previous biggest innings victory came in the pre-ban period when
they whipped New Zealand by an innings and 180 runs in the 1952-53
series.
This was also South Africa's second win in the seven Tests they played
since their come-back to Test cricket. They had beaten India, 1-0 in
the 1992 -93 four-Test home series. Sri Lanka were put out of
contention from the first day when they were bowled out for a low 168
in the first innings with the left-armer Schultz returning a career
best five for 48 in just his fourth Test.
Vice-captain Hansie Cronje, with a fluent 122, led a run- hunt as
South Africa piled up a massive first innings total of 495 to give
their side a comfortable 327-run lead on the third day.
Each of the South African pacers then took a wicket to have Sri Lanka
struggling at 49 for four at the end of the same day.
Resuming the fourth day, SriLanka expected a batting miracle from
skipper Arjuna Ranatunga and vice-captain Aravinda de Silva, but the
two lacked the patience even to see off the first session.
Their wickets in the first seven overs virtually clinched the issue
for the tourists. Ranatunga edged a ball from Schultz to
wicket-keeper Dave Richardson, while de Silva fell to a ankle-high
caught and bowled by Allan Donald.
"We have to give credit to the South Africans. They batted well and
bowled extremely well throughout," said Ranatunga after Sri Lanka's
22nd defeat, their heaviest, in 48 Tests. "My plan was to stay there
and hit the loose balls. But it was a good ball from Schultz ... he
is bowling pretty well," said the 29-year-old Sri Lankan captain. He
blamed pathetic first innings' batting for the debacle.
Sri Lanka's previous worst loss was the innings and 108 runs thrashing
they received from Australia in Perth in the 1987- 88 series.
Friday's defeat was the also the worst home result over- shadowing the
innings and 61 runs loss to New Zealand. Ranatunga admitted that the
South African pace bowlers found a lot of bounce off the slow track
but said that the team had to come up with a strategy to overcome the
threat by the touring seamers.
"We have to find ways of countering their pace bowlers ..... we have
to sit and discuss and sort out things," Ranatunga said.
Sri Lanka has now lost three and won two in 11 tests at home in the
past year under his captaincy. A delighted Schultz later said that
one thing he did not want to do in the morning was to return the ball
to skipper Kepler Wessels who kept on asking the tired bowler if he
needed a break. Schultz had four for 58 in the second innings.
Wessels said the win was a morale-booster for the side since it was
important to go one-up in the three-Test series. "Our guys bowled
very well. And we got their two big guns early .... To get Ranatunga
and de Silva out in the first half an hour was a big bonus," said
Wessels.
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