All-round Kallis brilliance steers SA to win 0
An immense all-round performance by Jacques Kallis carried South Africa to a series-clinching 10-wicket win over Sri Lanka on the fourth day of the third and final test at Newlands on Friday.
Kallis, having scored 224 in the South African first innings, claimed three for 35 to end an obdurate Sri Lankan second innings on 342, leaving the hosts with a nominal target of two runs to win.
Kallis, playing his 150th test, also took four catches to equal the South African record for the most catches by an outfielder in an innings as well as the mark of six catches in a test set by Albert Vogler in 1909/10 and matched by Bruce Mitchell in 1931/32.
South Africa’s win brings to an end a run of four winless series at home dating back to 2008/9.
They were held up on the fourth day by the determined Thilan Samaraweera, who scored a defiant 115 not out in 325 minutes, off 215 balls, showing fine technique and concentration.
Angelo Mathews scored 63 and the tail-enders had some fun as well as they helped the experienced Samaraweera prolong South Africa’s time in the field to nine minutes after the scheduled tea break.
Kallis, who had removed stubborn opener Lahiru Thirimanne for 30 on the third day, moved sharply to take a return catch from Rangana Herath (0), his record-equalling fourth catch of the innings and sixth of the test, and then bowled last man Chanaka Welegedara for 14.
Sri Lanka appeared to be on track to take the game into a fifth day as Samaraweera and Mathews took Sri Lanka’s overnight score of 138 for four, still trailing by 203 runs, to 240 for four with their record fifth-wicket stand of 142 in 200 minutes. Sri Lanka’s previous best fifth-wicket partnership against South Africa was 121 between Aravinda de Silva and Arjuna Ranatunga in Moratuwa in 1993/94.
But Mathews, who had shown plenty of strokeplaying ability, was trapped in front of the stumps by a Vernon Philander delivery that kept low in the fourth over after lunch and Dinesh Chandimal could score just a single before he edged the same bowler into the slips, where Kallis took a sharp catch.
Sri Lanka were 248 for six with Samaraweera on 86, but the tail stayed in long enough for the 35-year-old to reach his 14th century in his 71st test and his second of the series.
Thisara Perera (30) and Dhammika Prasad (16) both prospered briefly with some fairly reckless hitting to save Sri Lanka from an innings defeat, but not their ultimate fate.
While the inspirational Kallis boasted the most impressive bowling figures, he was well-supported by Philander, who took three for 54 in 20 overs and has now taken 30 wickets in his first four tests.
Leg-spinner Imran Tahir took three for 106 in 32 overs.
South Africa’s innings is likely to feature prominently in future sporting trivia quizzes as Dhammika Prasad’s first delivery was a no-ball, which Alviro Petersen drove down the ground for the winning runs. It meant the innings officially lasted 0.0 overs.