Date-stamped : 07 Nov97 - 06:22 Report- Daily News Klusener sends Lanka crashing to defeat Ranjan Anandappa reporting from Pakistan LAHORE, PAKISTAN, Thursday - In a match tagged as a dress rehearsal prior to the final on Saturday, South Africa scored an emphatic 66 run win over Sri Lanka without too many alarms in the penultimate Independence Cup match here today. Arjuna Ranatunga won the toss for the third time in succession and South Africa rattled up an imposing target of 311 for 9 in their 50 overs. In reply Sri Lanka were 245 for 9, with Lance Klusener capturing 6 for 49. Almost all the South African batsmen were among the runs. Opener Gary Kirseten scored 50 off 60 balls with five fours, Lance Klusener had a top all-round effort with 54 and 6 for 49 and Skipper Hansie Cronje (50) off 45 balls did the bulk of the scoring. Daryll Cullinan (36) and Klusener had a stand of 64, for the third wicket off 69 balls and Shaun Pollock (37) off 41 balls with four boundaries gave a vigorous twist to the Springboks' tail. Sri Lanka left out Jayasuriya, Muraliltheran and Vaas and brought in Liyanage, Arnold and Chandana in this game which was only of academic interest. In the Sri Lankan innings medium paceman Lance Klusener followed up his 54 with an inspiring bowling spell (6 for 49) to mark his best one day bowling effort. Sri Lanka's top order batsmen failed to produce anything noteworthy. Only Kumara Dharmasena (69 n.o.) off 83 balls with 9 fours and Lanka de Silva (57) did something noteworthy. Dharmasena was engaged in two half century stands with de Silva and Liyanage. The 26-year old Natal all-rounder Klusener finished with his best one-day figures of 6-49 to restrict Sri Lanka to 245-9. after South Africa made a record 311-9 in 50 overs, their highest agaisnt Sri Lanka. Klusener became only the second South African to score a fifty and take four or more wickets in a one-day match. Source :: Daily News (http://www.lanka.net) Report- Dawn Klusener helps S. Africa maintain unbeaten record By Ilyas Beg LAHORE, Nov 6: A memorable all-round performance by Lance Kluesener helped South Africa keep their unblemished record in the Golden Jubilee Quadrangular Floodlit Cricket Tournament at the Qadhafi Stadium on Thursday as it inflicted a 66-run defeat on the World Cup champions Sri Lankain last of the single-league match. First Lance Kluesener top-scored (54) for the South African side through some lusty hitting to help it amass the highest total of this tournament thus far. It scored 311 for 9 in their quota of 50 overs after being put in to bat by Captain Arjuna Ranatunga. Later in the evening Lance Kluesener ripped apart the Sri Lanka top and middle-order batting with his controlled hostility to register a career-best performance of 6 for 49 in one-day international matches. Kluesener improved upon his earlier best figures of five for 42. Alan Donald is the only South African bowler, who can boast of a better performance than him as he had taken six for 23 in a match. Kluesener's destructive bowling restricted Sri Lanka side to 245 for 9 in 50 overs and the side crashed to first defeat of the competition. No doubt, Sri Lanka team management, seeing that the match will have no bearing on the tournament because both sides had already qualified for the final to be played on Saturday, played all their reserve players namely, Upul Chandana, Dulip Liayanage and Russel Arnold to give necessary rest to their star players Sanath Jayasuriya, Chaminda Vaas and Mutiah Muralitharan. But that should not detract from the shining performance by the South African side in which Kluesener shined like a luminary! He was declared Man-of-the-Match. Shaun Pollock again made an early breakthrough by having Russel Arnold caught by wicketkeeper Dave Richardson (11) at the total of 35. Thereafter lance Kluesener dealt blows at regular intervals and did not allow the Sri Lankan innings flourish. The only batsmen who faced his bowling with confidence were the top-scorer Kumara Dharamasena (69 off 83 balls with four fours) and wicketkeeper Lanka de Silva (5 off 66 balls with nine fours) who fell leg before wicket to Fannie de Villiers at the total of 165. He was seventh batsman out. The Sri Lankan team would have been bundled out for a dismal total but for two good stands. Lanka de Silva and Dharamasena added 93 runs for the seventh wicket partnership on 99 balls in 94 minutes. Later in the innings, Dharamsena and Liyanage (22 off 31 balls) added 55 runs for theninth wicket partnership. Kluesener started the demolition act by claiming Atapattu (25) caught by Shaun Pollock Mahanama (9) fell leg-before wicket. Aravinda de Silva (6) was caught by Pat Symcox. Arjuna Ranatunga played three balls before falling lbw to him on the fourth one for a duck. Chandana (2) was caught by Jonty Rhodes at point. When Kluesener dived to his left to hold a brilliant left-handed catch of Liyanage, the defeat was staring into the eyes of the World Cup champion side. Playing at a fast pace, South Africa side hit the best total of the tournament. It scored 311 for the loss of nine wickets in 201 minutes in its quota of 50 overs. Captain Hansie Cronjee planned the innings intelligently, himself hitting a fine fifty at a crucial stage, to prop up the total when chips were down and wickets were falling. Gray Kirsten hit another sedate knock of 50 while Lance Kluesener top-scored for South Africa with a flamboyant knock of 54. Hansie Cronje's intentions were clear as he knew that his side must put up a big total if it were to maintain their unbeaten record during the tournament by beating Sri Lanka team in last game of the single league. Team bowling second has be3en at a disadvantage because the bowlers toll hard to get the opposing side out on a low score as dew in the evening has been making the gripping of ball difficult for bowlers. The soaked ground has been hampering the players in catching the wet bail and also stopping it from running to the boundary line as it tends to slip out of their hands. Sri Lanka made three changes in the side from the one which beat Pakistan team y a comfortable margin of eight wickets on Wednesday. Dulip Liyanage was brought in place of main attack-bowler Chaminda Vaas. Right-arm leg-spinner Upal Chandana replaced the star opener Sanath Jayasuriya while the opener and off-spinner Russel Arnold replaced star bowler of his type Mutiah Muralitharan Captain Arjuna Ranatunga sent in the South Africa side to bat after winning the toss. But the decision backfired despite an early breakthrough by the new bowler Liyanage. The South African team lost opener Andrew Hudson (10 on 15 balls with two fours) at the total of 12. Trying to push an outswinger from Liyanage, he snicked the ball to be caught by wicketkeeper Lanka de Silva. Opener Gary Kirsten chose only loose deliveries to dispatch them to the ropes. On the other end, Lance Kluesener performed the role of pinch-hitter. Both added 78 precious runs for the second wicket partnership in only 43 minutes, consuming only 56 deliveries. At the total of 90. Kluesener tried to hit an off-break boundary. Kluesener hit nine boundaries and a big six in his stay of 43 minutes at the crease in which he played 41 deliveries. Kirsten found another good partner in Daryll Cullinan who also went for his shots, perhaps under the instruction of his skipper. Kirsten however, maintained his effort to steady the innings. both added 64 runs in the third-wicket stand to take the total to 154 before being separated. Cullinan was also out while pushing the run-rate. He had a swipe at Chandana's delivery but was caught by Liyanage near the boundary-line. Cullinan played 36 balls and hit as many runs with the help of four boundaries in his stay of 48 minutes at the crease. Kirsten's resistance also came to an end at the total of 165. he was deceived by an off-break from Aravinda de Silva, pushed it uppishly and Arnold held an easy catch. Kirsten played 60 balls in his long stay of 117 minutes at the crease and hit five boundaries. Hansie Cronje hit three huge sixes in his 70-minute stay at the pitch in which he played 45 deliveries. His lusty hitting bolstered the South African innings as he was seventh batsman out at the totals of 274. Trying another big hit off Aravinda de Silva, Cronje was caught by Chandana. Jonty Rhodes made 24 on 26 balls with two fours before offering a catch to the bowler Dharamsena who took it in his follow-through. Shaun Pollock (37 on 41 balls with four fours) was caught by Arnold off Dharamsena. Wicketkeeper Dave Richardson (5 on 11 balls) mistimed a pull and Arjuna Ranatunga held a simple catch. He was eighth batsman out at the total of 299. Sanjeeva rattled the middle and leg stump of Fannie de Villiers (6 on 9 balls) with an inswinger at the total of 30s. Pat Symcox who, of late, has been in tremendous form hit two huge sixes and a fine boundary in his brisk, unbeaten knock of 22. He occupied the crease for 23 minutes, playing 15 balls. When the south African innings ended, lastman Paul Adams (0) was also not out. Dharamsena picked three wickets for 46 runs. Sanjeeva de Silva conceded 51 and Aravinda de silva 61 for his two scalps, each. Source:: Dawn (http://dawn.com/) Contributed by The Management (help@cricinfo.com)