Ken Borland

The flashing blade of captain Tillakaratne Dilshan gave Sri Lanka a promising start to their innings after the batting heroics of Jacques Kallis and AB de Villiers had put South Africa in firm control of the third test at Newlands on Wednesday.

    Sri Lanka ended the second day on 149 for two – a deficit of 431 runs – after Dilshan scored a quickfire 78 to launch the innings.

    South Africa are still obvious favourites to win the final test and the series, however, after Kallis scored a career-best double century and De Villiers an unbeaten 160 as the hosts accumulated 580 for four declared.

    Sri Lanka’s two leading run-scorers – Kumar Sangakkara (35*) and Mahela Jayawardene (7*) – were at the crease at stumps after South Africa claimed the wickets of the two opening batsmen.

    Dilshan was quickly into his stride as he blasted 12 fours in his run-a-ball innings, before falling to leg-spinner Imran Tahir.

    Dilshan lofted a drive into the outfield, but the delivery was a googly that took the inside half of the bat, allowing Graeme Smith to run from deep mid-on and take a super diving catch.

    Lahiru Thirimanne had earlier been bowled through the gate, his attempted drive getting nowhere near a Morne Morkel thunderbolt, for 23.
Following Dilshan’s dismissal 11 overs before stumps, Sangakkara and Jayawardene batted with restraint to survive through to the close.
South Africa declared 40 minutes before tea after a memorable day for Kallis, who finished with 224, while De Villiers helped himself to 160 not out off just 205 balls, with 19 fours and two sixes.
Jacques Rudolph was with De Villiers up until the declaration, scoring 51 not out as he helped to add an unbeaten 127 for the fifth wicket off just 123 balls.
De Villiers and Rudolph were plundering runs at will when Smith declared. South Africa are hunting their first series win at home in three seasons, with this series currently tied 1-1.
Rudolph, having dropped down the order from opening to number six, made his first half-century since his return to the team after a five-year absence.
Kallis, who had resumed on 159, had not exceeded 200 in a test despite amassing 10,000 test runs until his 201 not out against India at Centurion in December, 2010. The 36-year-old needed just 65 deliveries on Wednesday to reach his second double century, in 394 minutes and 280 balls, with 29 fours and a six.
Kallis fell on the stroke of lunch when an attempted lofted drive went off the toe of the bat to Angelo Mathews, who took a tumbling catch at deep mid-on to give persevering left-arm spinner Rangana Herath his only wicket.
Sri Lanka were unable to make any other breakthroughs on the second day with De Villiers advancing to his 13th test century.
South Africa attacked the bowling from the outset, with de Villiers scoring 115 runs off 113 deliveries on Wednesday.
Kallis enjoyed some good fortune as two outside edges, on 171 and 183, managed to go through the hands of Jayawardene in the slips, off the bowling of Dhammika Prasad and Mathews respectively.

    The South African captain, who scored 61 opening the innings, also praised a tenacious batting display by his team on a pitch that was soft and well-grassed.

 

Graeme Smith scored a half-century as South Africa halved their first-innings deficit with nine wickets in hand at stumps on the first day of the first test against Sri Lanka at Centurion on Thursday.

 

    Seam bowler Vernon Philander had earlier claimed five wickets as South Africa dismissed Sri Lanka for 180 at tea, before replying with 90 for one by the close of play.

 

    Smith and opening partner Jacques Rudolph batted out 32.5 overs, the pair of left-handers putting on 88 in that time.

 

    Smith looked in fine form as he stroked seven fours in his 61 off 105 deliveries, while Rudolph struggled with his timing and reached 27 not out off 98 balls at stumps.

 

    Captain Smith fell just six minutes before the close, playing around a full delivery from Dilhara Fernando to be trapped lbw.

 

    He had gone to his 30th half-century in his 94th test off 80 balls by driving medium-pacer Thisara Perera beautifully through mid-on for four.

 

    Sri Lanka’s bowers were steady, but they struggled to obtain the same assistance the South Africans did, even though the home attack sprayed the ball around disconcertingly at times.
South Africa’s much-vaunted attack were struggling in helpful conditions as Thilan Samaraweera and Angelo Mathews added 65 for the fifth wicket off just 80 balls.
The pair took Sri Lanka to 156 for four before Philander struck three times in four overs to complete his third five-wicket haul in three tests.
Philander’s destructive burst began with two wickets in successive deliveries, both given out on review, as Samaraweera (36) edged an excellent delivery that nipped away off the seam and Kaushal Silva was adjudged to have brushed the ball with his glove as it flew to wicketkeeper Mark Boucher down the leg side.
Perera took a single off the hat-trick ball, but only lasted till the next over when he failed to read an Imran Tahir googly and Jacques Kallis made a stunning reflex catch at slip as the edge bounced off Boucher’s thigh.
Sri Lanka had lost three wickets in five balls to slump to 157 for seven and Philander struck again to have Mathews caught by Kallis for 38.
Philander made full use of the grass on the pitch to claim five for 53 in 13 overs, becoming the first South African to claim three five-wicket hauls in his first three tests.
Dale Steyn produced a couple of top-class away swingers to bowl Chanaka Welegedara (4) and Fernando (0) with successive deliveries, ending the Sri Lankan innings on the stroke of tea.
Steyn had earlier removed Tillakaratne Dilshan and Mahela Jayawardene, who edged a back-foot drive into the slips for 30, the fast bowler finishing with impressive figures of four for 18 in 10.4 overs.
Captain Dilshan’s rash shot gave Sri Lanka a poor start and they battled to 76 for three at lunch after being put into bat.
Dilshan, on six, tried to on-drive a swinging delivery from Steyn on the up and looped a catch to Philander at wide mid-on.
Former captain Kumar Sangakkara lasted just three balls before Philander made a delivery rear up and inducing an edgel to second slip, where Kallis took a well-judged catch.
Sri Lanka were reeling on 12 for two, but Tharanga Paranavitana and the experienced Jayawardene batted with intense concentration in a sensible third-wicket stand of 54.
Steyn’s first wicket was his 250th in tests, the 28-year-old reaching the landmark in his 49th game.
Only Dennis Lillee has taken 250 wickets in fewer tests, the Australian fast bowler reaching the milestone in his 48th match.