Test Squad Named
the first 12 has been named with a few out due to injury
the squad is as follows
G Kirsten, G Smith (c) H Gibbs, N Mckenzie, J Rhodes, E Stewart (k), J Kallis, J Kemp, L Klusener, N Boje, A Nel, M Ntini......
S Pollock out injured
M Boucher out injured.
The Starting xi for the first test in batting order is
G Kirsten, G Smith, J Kallis, H Gibbs, J Rhodes, N Mckenzie, L Kluesner, N Boje, E Stewart, A nel, M Ntini 12th man J Kemp....
DAY 1.....
G Smith won the toss and elected to bowl, Sri Lanka sent in on a bowler friendly wicket. A Nel struck first cleaning up M Attapattu.Sri Lanka then batted till lunch on the first day with out loosing another wicket and went into lunch 1 - 66.S Jayasuriya and Desilva took the score along to 1 -111 before nel was Kallis was bought back into the attack. Jayasuriya out lbw for 54(161). 2 - 111.....at tea on the first day it ws rather slow scoring but they had moved the total along to 2 - 143....the Sri Lanka batting resisted and at the end of day one have moved along to 2 -240 with Desilva unbeaten on 88 and tillakaratne also unbeaten on 78.....
DAY 2......
3rd over of the morning Desilva fell to Ntini for 94(271). Sri Lanka 3- 256.Nel then picked up new batsmen Arnold for 0(5) and Sri Lanka had moved to be 4-256. Good start by the south africans..Nel then bolwed Samawerra for 7(21) and Sri Lanka had crumbled a little, with some fine bowling by the south africans. Lunch on day 2 seen Sri Lanka take the total to be 5 -325 with T'Ratne not out on 125*(226).Nel was the pick of the bowlers with 3.
South Africa come out on fire and cleaned up Sri Lanka for 377 all out with T'ratne the best batsmen with 139..the pick of the bowlers was Nel with 4 - 93 of 35 .1 overs...South africa had fought back hard, lets see therun chase....
Tea on day 2 sth Africa where 0 - 8......
South Africa in trouble early falling to be 6 -93 and th end of day 2 thanks to some marvellous bowling by the man Muttiah who had figures of 4 -29 of 12 overs. South africa where in big trouble.
DAY 3
South africa all out in the fist session on day 3 for a terrible 179. L kluesner the only batsmen to impress with 65*(129). Sri Lanka lead bby 198 runs...Sri Lanka batted well and moved the score along to 1 - 215. an overall lead of 413 still with 2 full days to play... south africa where in big trouble.
DAY 4..........
1st session won by the south africans picking up 4 quick wickets to see sri lanaka got to lunch at 5-286 an over all lead of 484. did they have enough. do they want more.
Sri Lanka decleared 57 minutes before tea with an over lead of 526. this was a big task for the home side, over 4 sessions to bat out and a big total to chase down.
they didnt get the start they where after smith went early and sth africa 1 - 3....tea day 4 sth africa 1 - 24 still needing a further 503 for victory.
end of day 4 and it was the vaas and muttiah show, sth africa slumped to be 9 -102 and putting in a terrible performance.
DAY 5..........
Not much was needed by the sri lanakans to pull off a majestic win, south africa needed to hang there heads in shame, just not putting a fight at all.....the wicket come in the 5th over and sri lanka won by a massive 410 runs.......
we tried to speak to bugs malone but he had no comment. back to teh drawing boards for the south africans or it could be a long series.......