Murali spins SA doom

South Africa, trailing in the first innings by 284 runs, were dismissed for 269 after following on to suffer their third innings defeat since their return to the international fold in 1992. Sri Lanka scored 522.

Muralitharan took six wickets in the first innings, and followed up that performance with seven for 84 as South Africa failed to come to grips with his turning balls on a cracked and dusty pitch.

Only Jonty Rhodes played with some success, hitting the spinners for six fours in an unbeaten score of 63 runs in 144 minutes.

South Africa began the fourth day at 112 for two but lost five wickets in the morning session to slide towards defeat.

Muralitharan took four of them for 45 in an 18-over morning spell.

South Africa were pushed onto the back foot in the first hour when they lost two wickets within seven balls of each other.

Leg-spinner Upul Chandana had Jacques Kallis caught off atop edge sweep at short fine-leg for 40.

Then Muralitharan dismissed first innings century-maker Darryl Cullinan for 12 in a brilliant one-handed catch off a bat-pad by Russel Arnold who dived across the pitch from silly mid-off.

Further disaster struck when Muralitharan had Lance Klusener caught behind for four and Mark Boucher leg before wicket off a full toss for seven.

Skipper Shaun Pollock hung around for 26 minutes helping Jonty Rhodes add 30 for the seventh wicket before falling to a bat-pad catch by Arnold off Muralitharan.

Bowling onto the cracks appearing just outside off stump, Muralitharan proved unplayable as he juggled with the ball like a magician.

Nicky Boje and Rhodes raised hopes of South Africa avoiding an innings defeat when they put together an eighth wicket stand of 70.

But Muralitharan once again broke through by having Boje leg before wicket, when he did not offer a shot, for 35.

He then provided a swift end to the innings by bowling Paul Adams and Makhaya Nitini off successive balls.

For South Africa, it was their third defeat by an innings since 1992.

It followed one by an innings and 196 runs at Johannesburg in 1996-97 and the other by an innings and 21 runs at Sydney in 1997-98. Both defeats were by Australia.

The victory was Sri Lanka8217;s first over South Africa in six Tests.

Scoreboard

Sri Lanka 1st innings: 522

South Africa 1st innings: 238

South Africa 2nd innings; overnight 112-2: G Kirsten run out 55, N McKenzie c Ranatunga b Chandana 25, J Kallis c Muralitharan b Chandana 40, D Cullinan c Arnold b Muralitharan 12, J Rhodes not out 63, L Klusener c Sangakkara b Muralitharan 4, M Boucher lbw b Muralitharan 7, S Pollock c Arnold b Muralitharan 12, N Boje lbw b Muralitharan 35 P Adams b Adams 2, M Ntini b Muralitharan 0; Extras: b3, lb5, nb6 14. Total: all out in 92 overs 269

Fall of wickets: 1-58, 2-112, 3-139, 4-141, 5-153, 6-163,7-193, 8-263, 9-269

Bowling: Vaas 7-2-18-0, Zoysa 5-2-11-0, Dharmasena 10-1-37-0, Muralitharan 35-5-84-7, Chandana 29-6-88-2, Jayasuriya 5-0-21-0, Arnold 1-0-2-0

Result: Sri Lanka won by an innings amp; 15 runs

Man of the Match: M Muralitharan