Ntini gets prized first scalp

Unorthodox left-arm wrist spinner Paul Adams, bowling in tandem with Ntini, took two of those wickets in two balls as Sri Lanka slipped from 165 for two to 195 for five.

Adams had skipper Arjuna Ranatunga caught at slip for 20, although therewas a suspicion the ball may only have flicked the pad, and his next delivery was swept into the hands of deep fine leg by Attapattu for 60.

The hat-trick ball flicked the outside of Romesh Kaluwitherana8217;s bat but eluded the left hand of a diving H D Ackerman at first slip.

The wickets halted Sri Lanka8217;s purposeful assault on South Africa8217;s total.Sanath Jayasuriya hit 17 in 15 balls before edging a drive at Allan Donald to 8216;keeper Mark Boucher. Four overs later, the same combination accounted for Roshan Mahanama to reduce Sri Lanka to 36 for two.

Ntini was greeted with a spate of boundaries as he was hit for five fours in an opening four-over spell of nought for 32. De Silva and Attapattu needed only 41 balls to record their half-century partnership, although more than one flashing drive flew over the slip cordon.

De Silva reached 50 for the 12th time in 19 innings in just 80 balls 21 fewer than it took Attapattu and he added his next 27 in just 18 more, greeting Ntini8217;s return with successive foursoff the first two balls of the 20-year-old8217;s fifth over.

Three balls later, however, Ntini had De Silva8217;s wicket to add to his first Test runs after South Africa resumed at overnight 298 for six.He made an undefeated three as Shaun Pollock was last man out just eight short of a maiden Test century.

He was dropped on 25 but otherwise looked untroubled until he was adjudged lbw to the bowling of Pramodya Wickremasinghe.

SCOREBOARD

South Africa first innings: A M Bacher c Mahanama b Wickramasinghe 6, G Kirsten lbw b Vaas 62, H D Ackerman c and b Muralitharan 23, D J Cullinan b Wickramasinghe 113, W J Cronje c Mahanama b Vaas 49, J Kallis c Ranatunga b Muralitharan 3, S Pollock lbw b Wickramasinghe 92, M V Boucher run out 33, A Donald b Muralidharan 12, P Adams st Kaluwitharana b Muralidharan 2, M Ntini not out 3;

Extras: nb12, lb8 20.

Total: 418.

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, RPushpakumara 20-3-81-0, Wickramasinghe 28.4-7-75-3, Muralitharan 45-8-135-4, Jayasuriya 6-1-29-0, A De Silva 4-0-15-0.

Sri Lanka first innings Jayasuriya c Boucher b Donald 17, Attapattu c Cullinan b Adams 60, R Mahanama c Boucher b Donald 9, A De Silva c Boucher b Ntini 77, A Ranatunga c Ackerman b Adams 20, H Tillekeratne batting 2, Romesh Kaluwitharana not out 13;

Extras: 5lb, 8nb, 1w 14.

Total: for five wickets 212.

Fall of wickets: 2-36, 3-165, 4-194, 5-195.

To bat: Chaminda Vaas, Muttiah Muralitharan, Pramodaya Wickramasinghe, Ravindra Pushpakumara.

Bowling: Allan Donald 11-1-57-2, Shaun Pollock 13-3-28-0, Ntini 10-1-57-1, Jacques Kallis 7-1-23-0, Paul Adams 12-1-42-2.