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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