MONDAY, 11.30AM:
AFTER playing well during their follow-on innings in the first Test against Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe were decisively beaten on the final day in Asgiriya on Sunday
Zimbabwe started the day at 289/7, still needing 40 runs to make Sri Lanka bat again. Paul Strang ensured that Sri Lanka bat again after he cut back Muttiah Murilitharan to point for four, thereby wiping off the deficit.
Murilitharan claimed Strang’s wicket, caught bat-pad to end with 7/94.
Crowds thronged onto the field as Sri Lankan opener Marvan Atapattu hit the winning runs off Bryan Strang, thereby ensuring an eight-wicket victory for the home side.
Zimbabwe paceman Heath Streak had the Sri Lankans somewhat worried after claiming the wickets of star batsmen Sanath Jayasuriya and Roshan Mahanama without conceding a run in his first over bowled.
Man of the match award went to another bowler who made a lasting impact on the batsmen. Muttiah Murilitharan, whose haul of 12 wickets made him the second Sri Lankan to take 10 wickets in a test match, took home the winners cheque.
The Test match victory was Sri Lanka’s third win in six matches against Zimbabwe.
SPORT BRIEFS
SNELL HITS 11 SIXES IN CLUB MATCH FORMER SA cricketer Richard Snell scored 189 off 141 balls in an innings that included 10 fours and 11 sixes. Snell also took five for 46 for Old Edwardians against Wanderers on Sunday.
NORTHERNS INTO SEMIS DEON JORDAAN set up Northerns’ win against Zimbabwe A with an innings of 96 at Centurion Park on Sunday. Northerns now take their place in the semifinals of the Standard Bank Cup along with Free State and Boland.
Free State bowler Herman Bakkes took five wickets for seven runs to destroy the Western Province batting and hand the visitors a mighty 74-run victory in their Standard Bank Cup quarterfinal match at Newlands on Saturday.
HOWARTH HANGS TEN DURBAN’s Byron Howarth beat off the challenge of four different provincial representatives to win the Hang Ten Summer Pro surf contest in Cape Town on Sunday. The 21-year-old finished ahead of Cape Town’s Adrian Fields, Port Elizabeth’s Quintin Jones and East London’s Wayne Monk. Greg Lazarus of Durban won the junior division, and Matthew Moir of Cape Town the longboard division. Muizenberg’s Kay Holt beat current South African champion Simone van Pletzen to win the women’s event.
SA WATERPOLO DROWNS SOUTH Africa’s rookie waterpolo squad will have to play out the losers’ group after going down 11-6 to Greece at the World Aquatic Championships in Perth, Australia, on Sunday night.
COX FRUSTRATED IN PARIS-DAKAR SIXTH-placed South African motorcyclist Alfie Cox was experiencing problems with his KTM motorcycle after the 10th day of the Paris-Dakar rally. Cox’s head gasket blew, resulting in his having to continually replace the engine oil. The other South Africans in the rally have been experiencing mixed fortunes. Wickus van Deventer leads the experimental quads class, while Neil Woolridge and Buks Carolin were forced to withdraw from the rally with engine trouble on their Vodacom Pajero.
KHOSA WINS … NOTHING AARON KHOSA won the Reebok half marathon in Bedfordview on Sunday. Or so he thought. Khosa was disqualified because he had not officially entered the race. The official winner of the event was 22-year-old Frank Poee, who clocked 67 minutes and 44 seconds.
RAMAALA FINISHES WELL SOUTH African cross country runner Hendrik Ramaala finished a credible fourth at the IAAF cross country challenge in an event dominated by Kenya. Kenyans Paul Koech and Jackline Maranga won the men’s and women’s events respectively.
QUKA, MBITYI MAY BE STRIPPED A DECISION will be taken on Tuesday by the South African Boxing Comission on whether to strip national champions Zolile Mbityi (flyweight) and Patrick Quka (bantamweight) of their titles for refusing to defend them at a tournament on Sunday. Quka and Mbityi’s managers will meet their legal representatives on Monday.
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