DECEMBER 2000 SPORT HEADLINES

Monday, January 22, 2001 - Web posted at 12:36:32 PM GMT

SA in charge against Sri Lanka

PRETORIA - South Africa's fast bowlers scythed through Sri Lanka for 119 in their first innings but found them more resilient in their follow-on knock on the second day of the third and final Test at Centurion yesterday.

Russel Arnold and Kumar Sangakkara hit half-centuries in a 113-run stand as the tourists, who reshuffled their batting order, reached 184/3 at stumps.

They need a further 75 runs to avoid an innings defeat.

Arnold, batting at four instead of his usual six, hammered 71 from 82 balls before gloving spinner Nicky Boje to skipper Shaun Pollock at slip.

Sangakkara, promoted from three to two, was unbeaten on 64 having batted for just more than three hours.

Not out with him was 35-year-old stalwart Aravinda de Silva on 21.

Dismissed twice in the day were Marvan Atapattu (0) and Mahela Jayawardene (23).

Of the 14 wickets that tumbled yesterday, only one was not Sri Lankan - SA added three runs to their overnight 375/9 before Makhaya Ntini was caught behind for his highest Test score of 10.

Ntini went on to bag four scalps and a hurting Allan Donald picked up two wickets from three balls as SA demolished the visitors, stranding them 259 runs short on the first innings.

Wicketkeeper Romesh Kaluwitharana, dropped by Daryll Cullinan off Ntini when on one, struck a carefree 32 from 30 balls to top-score for the brittle Lankans who lasted just 36,5 overs.

Next best was tailender Pramodya Wickramasinghe, who clubbed a quick 21 at the death to avoid a repeat of the Lankans' 95-run first innings collapse in Cape Town earlier this month when they were hammered by an innings and 229 runs.

While some of the tourists were guilty of making uncalled-for plays, others went out to flashes of brilliance, like De Silva (5) who was superbly caught by Herschelle Gibbs, diving to his left at backward point.

Gibbs was also behind the first wicket, swiftly swooping on the ball to have a suicidal Atapattu (3) run out in the fifth over.

Jayasuriya was the only Lankan to be given a third man fielder by the South Africans and he duly obliged by cutting Donald straight to Neil McKenzie on the boundary.

Two Donald deliveries later, Sangakkara (3) dragged the ball on.

After bowling his sixth over, Donald left the field briefly for treatment.

Ntini claimed the wickets of Jayawardene (17), Arnold (13), Nuwan Zoysa (1) and Kaluwitharana, but Arnold's was the most impressive, clean-bowling the left-hander with a classic yorker.

Debutant Justin Kemp ended the carnage with his first two Test wickets, trapping Dilhara Fernando (0) leg before and having the free-hitting Wickramasinghe caught on the tonk.

- Nampa-Sapa

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