Vain effort by Thilan as South Africa win
South Africa beat Sri Lanka by ten wickets to clinch the series 2-1
on the fourth day of the third and final Test at Newlands on Friday,
despite a fighting century by Thilan Samaraweera.
Samaraweera’s 115 not out and some bold hitting by the tailenders
enabled Sri Lanka to avoid an innings defeat.
They were bowled out for 342, leaving South Africa needing only two
runs to win the match and the series.
The first delivery of the final innings was a no-ball by Dhammika
Prasad which Alviro Petersen pushed past the bowler for the winning run.
Jacques Kallis finished off the Sri Lanka innings to claim bowling
figures of three for 35.
He also equalled two South African Test records by taking four
catches in the innings and six in the match after making a career-best
224 in South Africa’s first innings.
Samaraweera and vice-captain Angelo Mathews put on 142 for the fifth
wicket and prevented South Africa from taking a wicket before lunch.
But the introduction of the second new ball, which was taken one over
before lunch, brought a breakthrough when Vernon Philander trapped
Mathews leg before wicket for 63 in the fourth over after the interval
with a ball which kept low.
Philander followed up by having Dinesh Chandimal caught at second
slip by Jacques Kallis.
Samaraweera went to his second century of the series after batting
for 283 minutes, facing 201 balls and hitting 13 fours.
He reached his hundred during a seventh wicket stand of 56 with
Thisara Perera which was marked by some big hitting by Perera before the
left-hander was caught in the deep by Morne Morkel off leg-spinner Imran
Tahir for 30.
Kallis caught and bowled Rangana Herath before the last two batsmen,
Dhammika Prasad and Chanaka Welegedera, both hit out effectively enough
for Sri Lanka to avoid an innings defeat.
Welegedera hit Kallis for four and six off successive balls to take
Sri Lanka one run ahead before he was comprehensively bowled by Kallis
attempting another big hit.
It was South Africa’s first series win at home since they beat
Bangladesh in 2008/09. Since they had lost and drawn series against
Australia and shared series with England and India.
South Africa won the first Test at Centurion by an innings and 81
runs but Sri Lanka hit back by winning the second Test by 208 runs. AFP
SCORECARD
SRI LANKA, SECOND INNINGS
L. Thirimanne c Amla b Kallis 30
T. Dilshan c Boucher b Philander 05
K. Sangakkara c Kallis b Imran Tahir 34
M. Jayawardene c Kallis b Morkel 12
T. Samaraweera not out 115
A. Mathews lbw b Philander 63
D. Chandimal c Kallis b Philander 01
T. Perera c Morkel b Imran Tahir 30
R. Herath c and b Kallis 00
D. Prasad st Boucher b Imran Tahir 16
C. Welegedera b Kallis 14
Extras (b1, lb15, w6) 22
TOTAL (107.5 overs) 342
Fall of wickets: 1-12 (Dilshan), 2-79 (Thirimanne)
3-83 (Sangakkara), 4-98 (Jayawardene)
5-240 (Mathews), 6-248 (Chandimal)
7-304 (Perera), 8-306 (Herath), 9-331 (Prasad)
Bowling: Steyn 20-3-56-0 (1w )
Philander 20-4-54-3
Morkel 19-4-68-1
Imran Tahir 32-7-106-3
Kallis 14.5-2-35-3 (1w)
Smith 2-0-7-0
SOUTH AFRICA,SECOND INNINGS
A. Petersen not out 01
G. Smith not out 00
Extras (nb1) 01
TOTAL (0 wkts, 0.0 overs) 02
Bowling: Prasad 0.0-0-2-0 (1nb) |
