Lanka's sudden collapse gives Proteas victory

Elmo Rodrigopulle reportingfrom Australia

Adelaide Oval Tuesday, The Sri Lankans threw away a game they could easily have won with some unimaginative batting in the middle and fell short as they gifted a win to the South Africans by 9 runs in a Victoria Bitter match at the Adelaide Oval, here today.

The Lankans had enough wickets towards the end to hurry things and force a win, but surprisingly lost the momentum and their way, and a match they could easily have won, was lost.

The Lankans were cruising to victory when Tillekeratne Dilshan and Mahela Jayawardena were going well. Unfortunately Jayawardena dragged a ball on to his wicket and the Lankans stepped on the skids from that point. The pair added 107 in a similar number of balls and put the Lankans on the victory road. But that was how far they could get.

Jayawardena made his third score of over 50 and his 52 came in 52 balls with 4 fours. When he was out the score was 224 for 5.

Tillekeratne Dilshan played a sterling unbeaten innings of 82 in 108 balls with three fours. But one could not understand why he did not farm the strike when his side was losing wickets in the end After losing Jehan Mubarak early in their run chase, Sanath Jayasuriya began with his usual flurry and knocked the bowlers to the fence and over it, hitting 4 fours and 2 sixes in his score of 37 in 30 balls and with Kumar Sangakkara 23 put on 56 for the second wicket.

Jayasuriya stepped out to a wide ball from Andrew Hall and Mark Boucher effected a brilliant stumping. Boucher later ran out Atapattu who stupidly stepped out for a run not knowing where the ball was. Obviously the Lankans succumbed to the pressure as the South African bowlers bowled intelligently at the death.

For the South Africans Boeta Dippenaar who made an unbeaten 125 in 145 balls and helped his team to a safe score of 263 was named the man of the match.

Sri Lanka Coach Tom Moody said that his side had a great chance of winning the game with 60-odd runs to get from 10 overs and five wickets in hand. "But the partnership between Jayawardane and Dilshan and other crucial wickets fell under pressure".

All three teams now having won two games each the tournament is wide open.However the Lankans are second to Australia with 9 points with the Proteas third. Australia lead with 10 points.

The Adelaide Oval was bathed in sunshine when the two captains Greame Smith of South Africa and Marvan Atapattu of Sri Lanka walked out to flip the coin. This time round Smith won the toss and decided to bat first and not ask the Lankans in as he did in Brisbane and get beat.

From the first ball bowled by Vaas it was apparent that the wicket was on the slow side with the ball not coming on to the bat and in addition the outfield too was slow as apparent when the ball beat the fielder but braked, not going to the boundary.

Smith who has had a horrible run, especially in the series was bent on coming good in this one. But it was apparent that he was yet struggling, being unable to play the strokes he would play when in good touch.

However with Boeta Dippenaar, he began to give the team a good start playing as he was allowed to. Chaminda Vaas caused him a bit of worry early on.But with immense concentration he began to play himself in.

However it was Dippenaar who forced the pace early on. The openers put on a solid stand of 72 when Muttiah Muralitheran was introduced after Vaas, Ruchira Perera and Nuwan Kulasekera, the medium pacers failed to disturb the openers.

In his first over, Muralitheran reached a rare milestone and jolted the South Africans when in the second and third balls of his first over he had Smith smartly stumped by Kumar Sangakkara to reach the 400-victim career mark and next ball had Johan Van der Wath caught by Russel Arnold at silly point for no score.

Smith laboured for 28 in 50 balls. From 72 for no wicket the Proteas slumped to 72 for 2. The wicket was spinning friendly and it looked as though Muralitheran would further have the Proteas in trouble. But it was not be.

After Tillakeratne Dilshan had Jacques Rudolph caught and bowled for 11 at 101, Herschelle Gibbs joined Dippenaar who was batting confidently and began to force the pace and put pressure on the Lankan bowlers.

Gibbs was the more aggressive finding the gaps on the field and accumulating the runs. Dippenaar too was into his stride and the runs were beginning to flow.

Gibbs was all elegance and style as he drove to the fence and the three sixes he hit,two off Dilshan and one of Muralitheran, all over the mid wicket fence were well timed and beauties.

Dippenaar gave him good support and they stepped on the pedal to increase the run rate.Dippenaar and Gibbs put on 119 in 118 balls. Gibbs went bowled by Perera for 68 with 3 sixes and 4 fours. Dippenaar reached a well deserved century in 130 balls with 3 fours and remained unbeaten on 125 in 145 balls with 7 fours as South Africa ended on 263 for 5 in 50 overs.

The South Africans who had 100 in the first 25 overs, rattled up 163 in the next 25. Muttiah Muralitheran returned the best figures with 2 for 45 in 10 and became only the second bowler after Pakistani paceman Wasim Akram to claim 400 wickets in Tests and ODI.

SOUTH AFRICA 

G. Smith st Sangakkara b Muralitharan 		28
B. Dippenaar not out  				125
J. van der Wath c Arnold b Muralitharan		00
J. Rudolph c & b Dilshan 			11
H. Gibbs b Perera				68
S. Pollock c Atapattu b Kulasekara 		08
J. Kemp not out 				06
Extras (b-2 lb-11 w-4) 				17
TOTAL (for 5 wickets, 50 overs)			263

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-72 2-72 3-101 4-220 5-249
BOWLING: C. Vaas 10-1-55-0, R. Perera 7-0-45-1, 
N. Kulasekara 9-1-35-1, M. Muralitharan 10-0-45-2 (w-1),
T. Dilshan 8-0-43-1, S. Jayasuriya 6-0-27-0.

SRI LANKA
 
J. Mubarak c Prince b Pollock 			04
S. Jayasuriya st Boucher b Hall 		37
K. Sangakkara c & b van der Wath		23
T. Dilshan not out  				82
M. Atapattu run out 				23
M. Jayawardene b van der Wath 			52
R. Arnold b Hall 				11
M. Bandara run out 				00
C. Vaas c Botha b Pollock  			09
M. Muralitharan not out 			00
Extras (lb-6 nb-2 w-5) 				13
TOTAL (for 8 wickets, 50 overs) 		254

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-11 2-68 3-68 4-117 5-224 
6-242 7-242 8-253
Bowling: S. Pollock 10-1-51-2 (w-1), 
C. Langeveldt 10-0-62-0(nb-1 w-1), 
J.van der Wath 10-1-37-2(nb-1),
A. Hall 10-1-38-2 (w-1), J. Botha 9-0-53-0 (w-2),
G. Smith 1-0-7-0.