da aposte e ganhe： Sri Lanka recovered from the disappointment of Muttiah Muralitharan’s last-minute withdrawal, with a shoulder injury, to take control of the second and final Test against South Africa
da esport bet： The Bulletin by Charlie Austin11-Aug-2004
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Kumar Sangakkara: typical stylish but unusually hardworking century© Getty Images
Sri Lanka recovered from the disappointment of Muttiah Muralitharan’slast-minute withdrawal, with a shoulder injury, to take control of the secondand final Test against South Africa. They did so thanks to a typical stylishbut unusually hardworking century from Kumar Sangakkara, who scored 157 notout from 263 balls, and another solid contribution from Mahela Jayawardene.Sri Lanka closed on 303 for 3.Sri Lanka had toyed with the idea of handing the gloves back to Sangakkarato make room for an extra bowler – a debate that is sure to run and run, because Sangakkara’s wicketkeeping skills are equal now to RomeshKaluwitharana’s, and his fitness is second to none in the team – but thedecision to retain him as a specialist No. 3 produced a particularlyfocused innings on this occasion.Coming to the crease after the first-over loss of Marvan Atapattu, whosnicked a perfectly pitched outswinger from Shaun Pollock, Sangakkaracounter-attacked first with Sanath Jayasuriya, adding 95 in 187 balls, andthen 192 from 383 balls with his close buddy, Jayawardene, who scored82 from 210 balls before falling to the second new ball.All too often in the past, Sangakkara has thrown his wicket away havingstolen the initiative from the opposition bowlers. But, this time, he kepthis adrenaline levels under control, and refused to be suckered into a rashstroke by South Africa’s employment of defensive runsaving fieldsthroughout much of the day.Like most centurions, though, he needed some good fortune. Soon after lunch,midway through another probing spell from Pollock, he pushed at a widerdelivery and edged to the normally bucket-handed Jacques Kallis at firstslip. It was a simple low chance, the kind that Kallis would expect to take99 times out of 100, but it spilled out and Sangakkara made the South Africapay.It was not South Africa’s only blip in the field either, as Mark Bouchermuffed an admittedly difficult chance off a thick edge from Jayawardene – on16 at the time – shortly afterwards. Earlier, Jayasuriya split Boucher andfirst slip with a nick that whizzed off a top edge.But the luck did not all fall Sri Lanka’s way, as Jayasuriya, who scored 43from 59 balls, was the victim of a rotten lbw decision from Billy Bowden toa delivery from Nicky Boje that was sliding down the leg side and going overthe top as well (99 for 2). Jayasuriya, however, could not moan too loudly, since he had been trapped plumb in front in the third over but not given.After fluffing their afternoon chances, South Africa settled for a policy ofcontainment. Boje bowled to Sangakkara with six fielders on the leg side,three of whom were patrolling the boundary, while Kallis was also employedas a defensive stock bowler, this time with a 7-2 field and two short coversto Sangakkara.But Sangakkara and Jayawardene remained patient. Only 79 runs were added inthe afternoon session, but after tea, as South Africa resorted to theirpart-timers in a desperate search for a breakthrough, they pushed the footdown on the accelerator and passed their own 168-run third-wicket recordagainst South Africa, set at Durban in 2000-01.Their 192-run stand was ended minutes before the close when Smith took the newball. Makhaya Ntini struck almost immediately, with the sixth delivery, asJayawardene’s off stump was knocked back by an inswinger that swerved backthrough the gate. Chaminda Vaas, the nightwatchman, survived until stumps.Earlier, Murali’s strangely below-par performance at Galle – especially onthe last day when he took just one wicket and bowled only 20 overs, anunusually low workload – was explained when he was forced out of the match,and probably the one-day series that follows, with severe shoulder pain.
No world-record holder to trouble South Africa© Getty Images
The team management had toyed with the idea of playing him but, one hourbefore the start, they sensibly decided not to risk further damage. He isnow awaiting guidance from his Melbourne-based surgeon, Dr David Young, onwhether he needs an immediate operation to drain fluid from the shoulder.The loss of Murali provided an opportunity for Rangana Herath, a steadyleft-arm spinner. Sri Lanka also included Lasith Malinga, who bowls with astrange roundarm action, in place of the allrounder Farveez Maharoof. Theydecided to retain Romesh Kaluwitharana as a specialist wicketkeeper.South Africa, boosted after their Galle escape, welcomed back Herschelle Gibbs, who has recovered from an ankle injury. He replaced Lance Klusener, rather than Boeta Dippenaar, the stand-in opener at Galle.
