Sri Lanka overwhelmed by South Africa fast bowlers
Charlie Austin - 10 November 2002
Sri Lanka's weakness against quality pace bowling overseas was exposed for
the second time in three days on Sunday as South Africa won the opening
Castle Lager/MTN Test match at Wanderers by a massive innings an 64 runs.
Sri Lanka coach Dav Whatmore had claimed his side were better prepared than
at any time in his three year second tenure prior to this game, but that
that did not translate into performance as the visitors were bowled out for
130 in just 41 overs.
South Africa dominated all three days of the Test, outplaying Sanath
Jayasuriya's chastened side in every department. With the second Test to be
played at Centurion on Friday, a venue that is also expected to assist fast
bowlers, Sri Lanka look set to lose the series.
The tourists started the morning brightly enough, needing just 2.4
overs to wrap up the South African first innings for 386, but the top order
capitulated against the new ball, losing four wickets before the luncheon
interval.
Opener Russel Arnold started the innings disastrously, completing a pair
when he was caught at second slip after wafting loosely at Makhaya Ntini's
first ball - a woeful dismissal that will reopen the debate as to whether
the 28-year-old left-hander has the technique to open in Test cricket.
Number three batsman Kumar Sangakkara (7) was unfortunate to see a fine leg
glance spectacularly clasped one-handed by an airborne Mark Boucher. Mahela
Jayawardene (1) fended off a devilish delivery from Shaun Pollock into the
hands of short leg.
Jayasuriya, still struggling to come to terms with his new middle order
role, was the second man to be dismissed for a duck when he dragged a
Pollock delivery onto his leg stump, leaving Sri Lanka in desperate trouble
on 25 for four.
Vice-captain Marvan Atapattu (43) and Hashan Tillakaratne (27) resisted for
a while, easing Sri Lanka past their lowest Test total of 71 during a 52 run
partnership for the fifth wicket, but Steve Elworthy then made further
inroads soon after the break: Atapattu edging a catch into the slips and
Hasantha Fernando falling lbw to complete a miserable pair on debut.
Chaminda Vaas held up the South Africans for 37 minutes with an entertaining
32 from 30 balls, hitting three fours, before pulling a short delivery from
the lively Makhaya Ntini straight into the hands of Kirsten at mid-wicket.
Next over, Andrew Hall had Tillakaratne caught at extra cover with his
warm-up delivery and then floored Muttiah Muralitharan with a painful blow
to the groin. The off-spinner's agony was ended two balls later when he was
clean bowled.
Hall sealed victory, South Africa's fourth consecutive win when he clean bowled Ruchira Perera, finishing with three wickets for just one run.
Earlier in the day, Muralitharan became the fourth highest wicket-taker in
Test history when he trapped Hall lbw with the fifth ball of the day, moving
past Richard Hadlee's 431 Test tally. He finished with 433 wickets when he
trapped Elworthy in similar fashion in his following over.
Jacques Kallis extended his run without being dismissed to 909 minutes, a
run that stretches back eight months to South Africa's third Test against
Australia in March, before gloving a catch behind without adding to his
overnight 75.
© CricInfo Ltd
Teams
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South Africa,
Sri Lanka.
|
Players/Umpires
|
Dav Whatmore,
Russel Arnold,
Jacques Kallis,
Sanath Jayasuriya,
Kumar Sangakkara,
Mahela Jayawardene,
Shaun Pollock,
Marvan Atapattu,
Hashan Tillakaratne,
Steve Elworthy,
Andrew Hall,
Muttiah Muralitharan.
|
Tours
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Sri Lanka in South Africa
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Scorecard
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1st Test: South Africa v Sri Lanka, 8-12 Nov 2002 |
Grounds
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New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg
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