FRIDAY, 3.00PM:
AN unbeaten 81 by Shaun Pollock, and poor slip catching by Roshan Mahanama, paved the way for South Africa to post a good first-innings total of 418 on the second day of the first Test against Sri Lanka at Newlands on Friday.
Dropped by Mahanama when he had 25, Shaun Pollock lived on to post an unbeaten 81, while wicketkeeper Mark Boucher put on 95 for the seventh wicket to take South Africa to 402/8 at the lunch break.
Mahanama will be furious with himself for his fielding error, as he also missed Daryll Cullinan in the same position on Thursday, before the SA star had scored. Cullinan went on to make 113.
Slow into his stride, a strangely subdued Boucher cracked only two boundaries in his 33, scored in just over two hours, and was run out by Mahanama.
Pollock reached his fourth 50 (3x4s 1×6) in 20 Tests off only 88 balls and was just one short of his career best 82 at lunch.
FRIDAY, 9.45AM:
HUMILIATED in Australia and axed after just one Test against Pakistan at home last month, 31-year-old South African batsman Daryll Cullinan celebrated his return to Test cricket with a fantastic 113 against Sri Lanka at Newlands on Thursday.
Gary Kirsten and skipper Hansie Cronje joined the fray with 64 and 49 respectively, helping South Africa chalk up 298 for six wickets at the close of the first day of the first Test against the Sri Lankans.
With Kirsten and Cullinan and then Cronje and Cullinan in full cry, the Lankans looked like no-hopers. But when Vaas, Wickramasinghe and Muralidharan each picked up two scalps, the Lankans might well have been in the hunt, had they not dropped Cullinan when he had yet to score.
By the time he reached his century — his fourth from 34 Tests — Cullinan had cracked 11 fours and a six.
As solid as ever, Kirsten supplied Cullinan with the support he needed after Adam Bacher (6) and HD Ackerman (23) had lost their wickets on a pitch that gave the batsmen the advantage.
Bacher was picked up at second slip by Mahanama off Wickramasinghe, while Ackerman, in his new role of number three, was caught and bowled by Muralitharan.
Kirsten was eventually trapped leg-before by Vaas, and was at the crease for 203 minutes for his 62, which contained nine boundaries. It was his 14th Test 50.
Cronje was looking for his 13th when he fell into the trap of trying to steer the ball down to third man for a single. He played it straight to Mahanama, again at second slip. His 49 off 90 deliveries included 6x4s and a six.
Jacques Kallis struggled at six and, after numerous futile attempts to sweep Muralidharan, he finally made solid connection only to turn the ball into Ranatunga’s hands at backward square.
Cullinan was the next to go — he edged a Wickramasinghe delivery into his stumps — and it was left to Shaun Pollock (15 not out) and Mark Boucher (12 not out) to see off the second new ball.
Scoreboard on the opening day of the first cricket Test between South Africa anbd Sri Lanka at Newlands on Thursday:
South Africa first innings:
A Bacher c Mahanama b Wickramasinghe 6 (35m 30b)
G Kirsten lbw Vaas 62 (203m 135b 9×4)
H Ackerman c and b Muralidharan 23 (71m 54b 1×4)
D Cullinan b Wickramasinghe 113 (224m 160b 13×4 1×6)
H Cronje c Mahanama b Vaas 49 (93m 90b 6×4 1×6)
J Kallis c Ranatunga b Muralidharan 3 (18m 13b)
S Pollock lbw Wickramasinghe 92 (201m 138b 8×4 1×6)
M Boucher run out 33 (127m 93b 2×4)
A Donald b Muralidharan 12 (36m 36 b 1×4)
P Adams st Kaluwitharana b Muralidharan 2 (13m 6b)
M Ntini not out 3 ( 6m 7b)
Extras (12nb 8lb) 20
Total (all out) 418 — (518 mins 124,4 overs)
Fall of wickets: 1/20 2/60 3/155 4/251 5/260 6/272 7/367 8/402 9/414
Bowling: Vaas 21-2-75-2 (8nb), Pushpakumara 20-3-81-0 (2nb), Wickramasinghe 28,4-7-73-3 (2nb) Muralidharan 45-8-135-4, Jayasuriya 6–1-29-0, A De Silva 4-0-15-0