Mahanama, Ranatunga save Lanka the blushes

Makhaya Ntini, South Africa’s first black Test cricketer playing in just his second match, recovered from conceding 24 runs from his first three overs, to claim the prized wickets of Sanath Jayasuriya and Aravinda de Silva in successive overs to reduce Sri Lanka to 68 for three.

The course of the innings changed immediately after lunch, however, when South Africa’s most successful bowler of the summer, Shaun Pollock, left the field after bowling just one ball. A groin strain was diagnosed and he took no further part in the session.

Ranatunga (40 batting) and Mahanama (44 batting) then combined to take the initiative away from the South Africans.

Earlier, Sri Lanka lost three wicketsfor the addition of just 15 runs after Jayasuriya and Marvan Attapattu put on 53 for the first wicket on a greenish pitch favouring the seam bowlers.

The stand was broken when a brilliant throw from Gary Kirsten hit the stumps direct from 35 yards after Attapattu slipped at the beginning of what should have been a comfortable single to deep cover.

Jayasuriya struck 51 from just 71 balls, including six fours and an outrageous six over third man off medium-pacer Jacques Kallis before he edged a catch to wicket-keeper Mark Boucher off Ntini.

Scoreboard

Sri Lanka (1st innings): Sanath Jayasuriya c Boucher b Ntini 51, Maravan Attapattu run out 12, Roshan Mahanama batting 44, Aravinda de Silva c Adams b Ntini 1, Arjuna Ranatunga batting 40; Extras (b5, lb7, w1, nb4): 17. Total: (for three wkts in 60 overs) 165

Fall of wickets: 1-53, 2-66, 3-68

Bowling: Donald 12-4-29-0 (1w), Pollock 7.1-3-9-0, Kallis 10-4-17-0 (1nb), Adams 15-4-47-0, Ntini 11.5-3-44-2 (3nb), Cronje 4-1-7-0