A superb all-round performance by Jacques Kallis carried South Africa to a series-clinching 10-wicket win over Sri Lanka on the fourth day of the third and final test at Newlands Friday. Kallis, having scored 224 in the South African first innings, claimed three for 35 to end an obdurate Sri Lankan second innings on 342, leaving the hosts with a nominal target of two runs to win. Kallis, playing his 150th test, also took four catches to equal the South African record for the most catches by an outfielder in an innings as well as the mark of six catches in a test set by Albert Vogler in 1909/10 and matched by Bruce Mitchell in 1931/32.
South Africa’s win brings to an end a run of four winless series at home dating back to 2008/9. They were held up on the fourth day by the determined Thilan Samaraweera, who scored a defiant 115 not out in 325 minutes, off 215 balls. Angelo Mathews scored 63 and the tail-enders had some fun as well as they helped the experienced Samaraweera to prolong South Africa’s time in the field to nine minutes after the scheduled tea break.
Series win a starting point, says Smith: South Africa’s series win over Sri Lanka was “a starting point” for a year of demanding tours, captain Graeme Smith said on Friday. Speaking after South Africa clinched the series with a ten wicket win on the fourth day of the third and final Test at Newlands, Smith said: “We have a tough year with away series against New Zealand, England and Australia.
“The way we won here was important.” Thilan Samaraweera made 115 not out, his second century of the series, as Sri Lanka managed to avoid an innings defeat. They were bowled out for 342, leaving South Africa needing only two runs to win the match and the series. The first delivery of the final innings was a no-ball by Dhammika Prasad which Alviro Petersen pushed past the bowler for the winning run. Smith said South Africa had produced their best bowling performance of the summer in bowling out Sri Lanka twice in successive innings despite minimal help from a placid pitch.
“We bowled well as a unit, each guy was able to create pressure. There’s a lot to build on for the year to come.” The South African captain said his team’s shock defeat in the second Test in Durban, which left them needing to win at Newlands to secure their first home series win in four series, had been “a wake-up call in terms of the standards we need to produce as a team”. Man of the match Jacques Kallis, playing in his 150th Test, finished off the Sri Lanka innings to claim bowling figures of three for 35.
