South Africans hang on grimly

Still trail by 276 runs:

Elmo RODRIGOPULLE

TEST CRICKET: The South Africans hung on grimly to make 311 for 4, batting the whole day to deprive the Sri Lankans of a victory on the fourth day if the First Test at he SSC, yesterday.

At he wickets were skipper Ashwell Prince not out on 60 and vice captain Mark Boucher on 38. The South Africans still trail by 276 runs and when play begins on the final day will be looking to stay put at the wicket and deprive the home team of a victory.

The visitors must thank Jacques Rudolph, Andrew Hall, Ashwell Prince and Mark Boucher for their stubborn batting that has still kept the game alive.

The Lankan bowlers toiled hard on an unresponsive wicket. There was no pace for the fastmen and no vicious spin and bounce for the spinners. However they kept on trying until the final ball was bowled.

Muralitheran on whom a lot depends to spin out the South African batsmen had only two wickets to show, while the other two went to paceman Dilhara Fernando.

With the wicket playing true, Muralitheran will have to look for the cracks and the bowlers footmarks to pitch his spinners and get through the remaining visitors batsmen.

However an interesting final day is on the cards and indications are that the Lankans will go one-up when play ends.

When play began on the fourth day in bright sunshine, after the heroics of skipper Mahela Jayawardena and Kumar Sangakkara, where they put on a record-breaking stand of 624 for any wicket in world cricket, with Jayawardena hitting 374 which is the highest score by a Sri Lankan cricketer and Sangakkara making 287, what the South Africans had to do was to hang on and save the Test.

The South African openers Andrew Hall and Jacques Rudolph had put on 43 for no loss on Saturday and they still needed 544 more to stave off an innings defeat with two days remaining.

The openers batted sensibly and not recklessly as they did in the first innings, and playing the bowling on its merits, gave their team some hopes of at least prolonging the game and if possible taking them to a draw.

They batted doggedly to go to lunch on 150 without losing a wicket with Rudolph on 80 and Hall on 50.

The wicket did not offer any help to the bowlers. Skipper Jayawardena switched his bowlers cleverly from both ends, but although Dilhara Fernando, Lasith Malinga, Muttiah Muralitheran and Sanath Jayasuriya tried their utmost, they failed to meet with any success.

Openers Rudolph and Hall had determination writ on their faces, every ball they faced and cut out the frills, scoring only when the opportunity presented itself. Rudoplh was the more aggressive and played some exquisite cover drives.

Hall on the hand was less adventurous, endeavouring to deny the bowlers any success.

Rudolph was first to hit 50. He had 8 fours and the runs came in 77 deliveries. Just before lunch Hall reached his 50 which came in 175 balls with 6 fours. Rudolph enjoyed his lunch on 80 not out.

The openers in going to lunch on 150 for no loss, set a new record for the first wicket between the two countries. They put on 107 runs in the first session.

It was after lunch that success came Sri Lanka's way when the persevering Dilhara Fernando tempted Rudolph to go for a drive to snick to Chamara Kapugedera to snap a good low catch at second slip,with the total on 165 and Rudolph on 90.

At 171 Fernando struck again having Hashim Amla plumb in front with a toe crushing yorker for 2. Muralitheran then had Hall LBW for 64 with the score on 185 for 3 and things did not look good for the visitors.

Before tea the Lankans could have had the wickets of A. B. De Villiers and skipper Ashwell Prince. But snicks off Jayasuriya and Muralitheran went between wicket keeper Prasanna Jayawardena and first slip Mahela Jayawardena. After tea SA lost the wicket of de Villiers for 24 LBW to Muralitheran.

The South Africans took tea at 209 for 3 with Prince on 17 and de Villiers 9.

South Africa 1st innings: 169 (A.B. de Villiers 65, D. Fernando 4-48, M. Muralitharan 4-41).

Sri Lanka 1st innings: 756-5 decl (K. Sangakkara 287, M. Jayawardene 374, D. Steyn 3-129).

J. Rudolph c Kapugedera b Fernando     		 90
A. Hall lbw b Muralitharan          	 	 64
H. Amla lbw b Fernando             		  2
A. Prince not out               		 60
A.B. de Villiers lbw b Muralitharan      	 24
M. Boucher not out              		 38

Extras: (b10, lb1, w2, nb20)         		 33
TOTAL (for four wickets)           		311

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-165, 2-171, 3-185, 4-234

Bowling: Malinga 14-0-77-0, Maharoof 11-2-30-0, 
Fernando 16-4-49-2, Muralitharan 40-6-83-2,
 Dilshan 4-1-10-0, Jayasuriya 20-4-51-0.