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| Thursday, 12 August 2004 |
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Sangakkara makes up for Murali's loss By Sa'adi Thawfeeq
Sri Lanka recovered from the shock of losing champion spinner Muttiah Muralitharan on the morning of the match through injury to post an impressive first day total of 303 for three wickets in the second cricket Test against South Africa at the SSC grounds yesterday. Leading the Sri Lankan run parade was elegant left-hander Kumar Sangakkara who was unbeaten on a classic 157 not out. With Sanath Jayasuriya (43) and Mahela Jayawardene (82) also contributing towards the total, Sri Lanka enjoyed one of their best days in a Test match at the SSC. Lest the South Africans have forgotten, Sangakkara's last two Test centuries have ended up as double hundreds - 240 v Pakistan in the Asian Test championship final at Lahore in 2001-02 and 270 against Zimbabwe at Bulawayo five months ago. Yesterday he gave the impression that he was on song to add yet another to his rising international career. At the end of the Galle Test of this series coach John Dyson predicted that Sangakkara was on the verge of another really big innings. He was not wrong in his assessment. Sangakkara made South Africa pay dearly for dropping him at 57 by stroking his way to 20 fours in his 374 minutes at the wicket. He has faced 263 balls. The costly miss was when he edged a delivery from the persevering Pollock to Kallis at first slip who got both hands to the ball but dropped it as he rolled over. South Africa also missed Jayawardene at 16 when wicket-keeper Boucher failed to hold onto a thick edge off Boje. Having relished the South African attack in Galle with a marvelous double century Jayawardene was heading for another when he fell to the second new ball five overs before stumps. Ntini bowled him off his pads for 82, which ended a record third wicket, stand of 192 off 383 balls with Sangakkara. The previous highest stand was also between the same pair who put on 168 at Durban in 2000-01. He batted 252 minutes and faced 210 balls hitting 10 fours. The pair came together when Sri Lanka had lost Jayasuriya shortly before the lunch break. They batted right throughout the afternoon session in what turned out to be fruitless and luckless one for South Africa. The day however belonged to the 26-year-old left-hander Sangakkara. Equally adept at scoring on both sides of the wicket he excelled on the drive, the cut and the pull shots. He completed his sixth Test century and his first against South Africa in 268 minutes off 177 balls (11 fours) and brought up his 150 in style by cover driving Pollock for his 19th boundary in 368 minutes off 260 balls. Sangakkara found himself virtually opening the Sri Lankan innings when Atapattu was dismissed in the first over. Sri Lanka won the first round when Atapattu won his second consecutive toss of the series and his sixth in a row since being appointed regular Test captain and decided to bat first. But the joy was shortlived when Pollock who had been cover driven for a superb four by Atapattu in his opening over found the outside edge two balls later for Boucher to snare the catch behind the wicket. Jayasuriya should have gone in Pollock's next over when he survived a confident lbw appeal at one, which was negatived by umpire Bowden. Having got through that early scare Jayasuriya went onto score 43 out of a second wicket partnership of 95 with Sangakkara before falling lbw to Boje nine minutes before lunch. He went back to a delivery, which would have missed the leg stump but Bowden on this occasion raised his crooked finger. Two wrongs don't make one right. But that's what happened. Jayasuriya departed after hitting six fours in his 59-ball innings. Sri Lanka was forced to make two changes instead of the intended one, with Muralitharan's withdrawal from a shoulder injury. Left-arm spinner Rangana Herath was drafted in the 11th hour and fast bowler Lasith Malinga replaced Farveez Maharoof. Lance Klusener made way for the return of batsman Herschelle Gibbs in the South African side.
SRI LANKA
1ST INNINGS
M. Atapattu c Boucher b Pollock 4
S. Jayasuriya lbw Boje 43
K. Sangakkara not out 157
M. Jayawadene b Ntini 82
C. Vaas not out 4
Extras (lb-6 nb-7) 13
TOTAL (for three wickets, 90 overs) 303
TO BAT: T. Samaraweera, T. Dilshan,
R. Kaluwitharana, U. Chandana,
L. Malinga, R. Herath.
BOWLING:S. Pollock 16-2-49-1 (4nb),
M. Ntini 18-4-47-1 (2nb), N.
Hayward 7-1-34-0 (1nb),
J. Kallis 13-5-44-0,
N. Boje 25-4-79-1,
J. Rudolph 4-0-16-0,
M. van Jaarsveld 7-0-28-0
SOUTH AFRICA: G. Smith, J. Kallis, B. Dippenaar, M. van Jaarsveld, J.Rudolph, H. Gibbs, S.Pollock, M. Boucher, M. Ntini, N. Hayward, N. Boje.
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