Elmo Rodrigopulle reporting
Skipper Arjuna Ranatunga and Roshan Mahanama two of the most experienced batsmen, performed a gallant rescue act to take Sri Lanka from a perilous 68 for 3 to 165 for 3 at tea, when rain and bad light prevented any further play after tea on the first day of the Final Test against South Africa here today. Ranatunga and Mahanama patiently worked their way through the entire second session and added 97 runs which was invaluable considering the position that they were in. Both batsmen drove and pulled powerfully to pocket their runs.
Mahanama who was returning to form at the right time was on 44 with 4 fours and a six in 123 balls and 157 minutes. Ranatunga's 40 came in 95 balls off 134 minutes with 7 fours. The weather is expected to remain overcast today too.
Sri Lanka tossed in paceman Nuwan Zoysa for the injured Chaminda Vaas and South Africa gave Free State captain and opening batsman Gerhardus Liebenberg his first Test cap.
Conditions were overcast as the captains Arjuna Ranatunga and Hansie Cronje walked out to toss.
Conjecture was that the captain winning the toss would put the other side in as the conditions were expected to help the seam bowlers to get the ball to wobble around. But Ranatunga who called correctly this time was not apprehensive in deciding to bat.
The wicket had a tinge of grass and there were some bare patches, unlike the grassy wicket at Newlands.
For unknown reasons the ball refused to deviate and Donald and Pollock were not that menacing. Openers Sanath Jayasuriya and Marvan Atapattu were in no undue trouble although they were given a few anxious moments-beaten outside the off stump.
Atapattu's very correct technique-getting right behind the line - was frustrating to the bowlers. He was intent on staying put at the wicket, while Jayasuriya given width was slashing fours through cover and point. One such savage slash saw the ball fly over point for six. That superb shot was all timing and the stroke was unbelievable.
The openers were going nicely and hoisted 53 in 82 minutes and 124 balls. At the same score Atapattu sacrificed his wicket when he slipped while scampering a single and was about a metre short of his ground when Kirsten's throw from cover disturbed the timber 53-1-12.
Jayasuriya who was looking dangerous went 13 runs later snicking an intended cut to wicket keeper Boucher off Nrini. 66-2-51.
Aravinda de Silva came in next and on whom there is always pressure to score. His strokeplay is something that spectators here yearn to see. But he failed to oblige as he scooped a delivery from Nrini to Adams in the covers failing to get over a drive. 68-3-1.
At this stage the initiative had slipped South African way and Mahanama and Ranatunga had a tremendous responsibility to shoulder and pull their side out of the rut.
The three wickets that were lost were gifts because there was nothing in the bowling and the wicket playing easy.
After bowling 1.1 overs after lunch Pollock one of the home team's frontline bowlers left the field suffering a groin injury and is likely to be out of the game for nearly three weeks.
Day 4: Cronje and Kirsten steer South Africa to victory
Elmo Rodrigopulle reporting
The Sri Lankans signed, sealed and delivered victory to the South Africans by six wickets 50 minutes after tea on the fourth day here today. The South Africans chasing 226 for a victory got there convincingly with Kirsten on 75 and Kallis on 0.
The writing was on the wall when the Lankans batted pathetically in their second innings, after bowling out the South Africans for 200 in reply to the 303 they made.
Other than for Ranatunga who was out a snorter from Cronje, the other batsmen gave a lesson in how not to bat when well on top in a game.
In this batting mockery, De Silva and Kaluwitharna committed hara kiri, by running themselves out. It was unbelievable that there were four ducks in the Lankan innings. Mahanama, Ranatunga, Tillekeratne and Kaluwitharna went that way.
The cricketers were all shell-shocked unable to believe the scoreboard that was staring them at the end of the third day 93 for 7, after having done wonderfully well to restrict the strong South African batting for 200 and gaining a lead of 103. But that is how the game goes.
Wickremesinghe who was involved in the horrendous run out of Aravinda de Silva who looked like taking Sri Lanka out of the woods, continued the innings with Zoysa. Sri Lanka lost the last three wickets for 29 runs with Wickremasinghe bowled round his legs by Adams for 21, Zoysa top edging a pull to wicket keeper Boucher and then Muralitharan holing out to Kirsten off Donald for 15. Zoysa made 14.
The wrecker of the early Lankan batting Allan Donald continued to torment the batsmen and had the wickets of Zoysa and Muralitharan to pocket his 11th 5 wicket haul in Tests, and end the season on a highly successful note. Donald had 5 for 54 13.3 menacing overs.
The heavy workload that Donald and Pollock had to carry during the season finally took its toll and it was announced that they will be out of the one-day squad that will contest the triangular with Sri Lanka and Pakistan. Also out will be new find Makhaya Ntini with a side strain.
Openers Kirsten and Liebenberg gave the sound start that the South Africans were looking in their push for victory. They put on 89 for the first wicket when Liebenberg was out. Then followed Ackerman at 99 and at the same score first innings century maker Cullinan was out without scoring, all to Muralidaran who was threatening to undo the Proteas.
It was then that skipper Cronje stepped in to launch a vicious calculated assault on Muralidaran and put them on the road to victory. What a treat it was while the assault lasted. He hoisted Muralidaran for three consecutive sixes and in all he hit 6 sixes and 8 fours in the fantastic time of 70 minutes and 62 deliveries.
It was a truly captain's innings and the spectators stood up to him and gave him a huge roar. His 51 came in 31 balls and 32 minutes. His innings finally ended when de Silva caught him at long on off Jayasuriya. By that time the South Africans had it all wrapped up. He went at 215.
Kirsten who kept one end up with his water tight defence and nicely executed cuts and drives made 75 not out and it was he who signalled South Africa's victory when he cut Muralidaran over the point position. With him was Kallis at the wicket. Kirsten had 13 fours in his innings.
It was a victory that the South Africans richly deserved. They gave the Lankans a lessen on what test cricket is all about - to fight back from the dumps as it were - and we hope the Lankans would take a leaf from them. They are a truly professional side, well drilled in all aspects by former England all-rounder Bob Wooler and if the way they are going, it would not be long when they will be one of the best and most attractive sides in world cricket. Allan Donald won the man-of-the match award and the man-of-the-series was Darryl Cullinan.