S Africa move at snail pace

The Sri Lankans had both overnight batsmen back in the pavilion within the first hour.

First, Herschelle Gibbs set off for a suicidal single and was beaten by Muttiah Muralitharan’s throw as he slipped trying to turn and make his ground.

Gibbs made 92 in five and a quarter hours, facing 216 balls and hitting 10 fours.

Jacques Kallis then played inside the first ball from Hasantha Fernando and saw his off-stump knocked back. His 84 came in nearly four hours, off 196 balls and included nine boundaries.

Although Prince got off the mark with square cut for four off Chaminda Vaas, Muralitharan and Hasantha Fernando then strangled the South Africans with a 25-minute spell in which no runs were scored. McKenzie eventually broke the deadlock by cutting Hasantha Fernando to the cover boundary.

Earlier on Saturday, Herschelle Gibbs and Jacques Kallis shared an unbeaten century partnership as South Africa recovered from a shaky start. South Africa were 183 for two at the close in reply to Sri Lanka’s first innings total of 323.

Sri Lanka, whose total was built around an unbeaten 104 by Hashan Tillakaratne, had South Africa struggling at 71 for two before Gibbs and Kallis came together.

Gibbs was unusually subdued and kept his normal extravagant strokeplay in check against defensive field placings by the Sri Lankan pace bowlers. Muttiah Muralitharan, the tourists’ only spinner, failed to take a wicket despite bowling 20 economical overs in which he conceded only 38 runs.