Herath spins for historic triumph
Sri Lanka took the final three wickets in four balls to complete an
historic 208-run win over South Africa on the fourth day of the second
Test at Kingsmead on Thursday.
There were wild scenes of celebration on the pitch when Rangana
Herath bowled Marchant de Lange in fading light with only nine balls
remaining in the day.
The team reserves and management ran on to the field to join their
triumphant teammates.
It was Sri Lanka’s first win in South Africa on four Test tours and
their first win of a previously bleak 2011. It was also the team’s first
win under Tillekeratne Dilshan’s captaincy and levelled the three-match
series at 1-1.
Set to make 450 to win, South Africa were bowled out for 241.
Left-arm spinner Herath took five for 79 and had match figures of nine
for 128.
He was named man of the match.
Sri Lanka seemed set for an early victory when South Africa lost five
wickets between lunch and tea to be reeling at 133 for six shortly
before the interval.
But AB de Villiers and Dale Steyn denied the tourists any further
success as they put together a seventh wicket partnership of 99 which
threatened to take the match into a fifth day.
De Villiers atoned for a reckless shot which cost him his wicket in
the first innings with a solid 69, while Steyn again showed up some of
his top order teammates, following up his first innings 29 not out with
a fighting 43.
Sri Lanka were forced to take the second new ball but with the light
fading rapidly the fast bowlers sent down only three overs before
Dilshan returned to spin.
Herath trapped De Villiers leg before wicket and the last three
wickets fell rapidly.
Morne Morkel hit five runs before he was also lbw after missing a
wild slog against Dilshan off the last ball of an over and Steyn fell to
Herath off the next delivery, to be followed two balls later by De
Lange.
South Africa’s problems started when fast bowler Dilhara Fernando
dismissed Graeme Smith for 26. The South African captain was surprised
by a ball which lifted sharply for him to be caught at first slip off
the shoulder of his bat.
Hashim Amla and Jacques Rudolph stabilised the innings with a second
wicket stand of 51 but the match swung dramatically in Sri Lanka’s
favour in the first over after lunch when Rudolph fell to a spectactular
diving catch at second slip by Mahela Jayawardene off Thisara Perera.
Jacques Kallis completed his first ‘pair’ in 149 Tests when he was
caught at short leg off Herath when he attempted a sweep, the ball
skidding off a top edge onto his helmet and then up in the air to
present Tharanga Paranavitana with an easy catch.
Sri Lanka’s chances soared when Amla, after making a fluent 51, drove
Herath to Chanaka Welegedera at mid-on and set off for a suicidal run.
Batting partner Ashwell Prince did not respond and Amla was given out
when both batsmen found themselves at the wrong end when the wicket was
broken.
Sri Lanka were all out for 279 in their second innings earlier in the
day, losing their last three wickets for 23 runs. Two of the wickets
fell to fast bowler Dale Steyn, who took five for 73. It was his 17th
five-wicket haul in Tests. AFP
Sri Lanka
first innings 338
South Africa
first innings 168
Sri Lanka
second innings (overnight 256-7)
T. Paranavitana c Prince b Morkel 9
T. Dilshan c Smith b Steyn 4
K. Sangakkara c Smith b Imran Tahir 108
M. Jayawardene lbw b De Lange 14
T. Samaraweera b Imran Tahir 43
A. Mathews c Boucher b Steyn 3
D. Chandimal c Boucher b Steyn 54
T. Perera c Kallis b Steyn 12
R. Herath not out 8
C. Welegedera c Amla b Steyn 10
D. Fernando c Prince b Morke l3
Extras (b5, lb3, nb2, w1) 11
Total (78.2 overs) 279
Fall of wickets: 1-4, 2-20, 3-44, 4-138, 5-141, 6-245, 7-245, 8-262, 9-276
Bowling: Morkel 18.2-4-46-2, Steyn 20-3-73-5, De Lange 13-2-45-1 (1nb, 1w),
Kallis 11-1-43-0, Imran Tahir 16-1-64-2 (1nb)
South Africa
second innings
J. Rudolph c Jayawardene b Perera 22
G. Smith c Jayawardene b Fernando 26
H. Amla run out 51
J. Kallis c Paranavitana b Herath 0
A. Prince c Paranavitana b Fernando 7
A. de Villiers lbw b Herath 69
M. Boucher lbw b Herath 7
D. Steyn lbw b Herath 43
M. Morkel lbw b Dilshan 5
Imran Tahir not out 0
M. de Lange b Herath 0
Extras (b6, lb1, nb1, w3) 11
Total (87.3 overs) 241
Fall of wickets: 1-37, 2-88, 3-97, 4-106, 5-116, 6- 133, 7-232, 8-241, 9-241
Bowling: Welegedera 16-5-33-0 (1w), Perera 13-0-48-1, Fernando 13-3-29-2 (1nb, 2w),
Dilshan 11-2-35-1, Herath 30.3-7-79-5, Mathews 3-0-9-0, Samaraweera 1-0-1-0 |