South Africa beats Sri Lanka in tour opener

Although the home team also lost wickets at regular intervals, they always kept in front of the required run rate.

Not even demon off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan could put them off their stride – in spite of taking the key wicket of Kirsten – with 1-39 from his 10 overs.

Seamer Nuwan Zoysa picked up the scalps of opener Andrew Hall (18) and Jacques Kallis (0), but it was the hot-blooded run-outs of Nicky Boje (6) and Mark Boucher (9) that had South African pulses racing.

Boje hesitated before dashing to the non-striker’s end and getting out, in between the dismissals of Hall and Kallis to form part of a mini-collapse of 3-8.

Boucher darted out his crease and then turned around, but he was unable to beat the direct shy of Russel Arnold.

Rhodes and Lance Klusener (39 not out), finished off the chase with 80 runs from 94 balls.

The ease of South Africa’s win was underlined when Rhodes hit Sri Lankan skipper Sanath Jayasuriya for four in the 40th over – S A’s first boundary in almost 20 overs.

Kirsten dominated from the start to post his 36th ODI half-century from just 58 balls (6×4). His 58 runs came from seven deliveries.

Rhodes, who needed 69 balls for his 50, hit only three boundaries in his innings of two hours and three minutes. Klusener hammered four fours during his stay of just more than one hour.

Sri Lankan opener Romesh Kaluwitharana hit 55 up front to hold the visitors’ together early on, when they lost wickets regularly.

South Africa captain Shaun Pollock bagged 4-36 and Klusener was miserly with 1-26 from his 10 overs.

Jayasuriya, known for his blistering attacks on bowlers smashing them over the inner circle in the first 15 overs, dragged Pollock on to his stumps with only threeto his name.

New-ball partner Roger Telemachus held on to the ball at ankle-height to catch Marvan Atapattu (2) off his own bowling and Mahela Jayawardene (13) was caught behind slashing at Makhaya Ntini.

At 3-63, Sangakkara joined Kaluwitharana in the middle and they pushed along with score until the No.2 bat missed a Kallis delivery which brushed the off-stump.

Sangakkara put on 21 with Arnold (5) and a threatening 47 from 60 balls with TM Dilshan (18), who was run out after hesitating before setting out. He and Chaminda Vaas (18) notched up 52 from 63 balls before Pollock bowled Vaas in the 48th over.

Zoysa (1) was out slogging at Kallis in the 49th over and Pollock cleaned up in the final over, claiming the scalps of Sangakkara and Pramodya Wickramasinghe (1).

Ntini, replacing an injured Allan Donald, was the most expensive of the South African bowlers with 1-44 from just five overs. Boje was unable to contain the visitors with 0-30 from six overs.

Scoreboard

Sri Lanka: Sanath Jayasuriya b Pollock 3; Romesh Kaluwitharana b Kallis 55; Marvan Atapattu c and b Telemachus 2; Mahela Jayawardene c Boucher b Ntini 13; Kumar Sangakkara b Pollock 84; Russel Arnold c Boucher b Klusener 5; TM Dilshan run out (Kallis/Rhodes-Boucher) 18; Chaminda Vaas b Pollock 18; Nuwan Zoysa c Pollock b Kallis 1; Muttiah Muralitharan not out 2; Pramodya Wickramasinghe b Pollock 1; Extras (5lb, 7nb, 7w): 19; Total: (all out in 49.5 overs): 221.
Fall of wickets:1-16, 2-21, 3-63, 4-91, 5-112, 6-159, 7-211, 8-214, 9-219.

Bowling: Pollock 9.5-1-36-4 (3nb), Telemachus 10-1-46-1 (4nb 3w), Kallis 9-1-34-2 (1w), Ntini 5-0-44-1 (2w), Klusener 10-0-26-1, Boje 6-0-30-0 (1w).

South Africa: Gary Kirsten st Kaluwitharana b Muralitharan 58; Andrew Hall c Kaluwitharana b Zoysa 18; Nicky Boje run out (Jayawardene) 6; Jacques Kallis c and b Zoysa 0; Boeta Dippenaar c Kaluwitharana b Vaas 19; Jonty Rhodes not out 61; Mark Boucher run out (Arnold) 9; Lance Klusener not out 39; Extras (8lb, 2nb, 3w): 13; Total (for 6 wkts in 47.2 overs): 223.
Fall of wickets:1-49, 2-56, 3-57, 4-91, 5-126, 6-143.

Bowling: Vaas 9-1-50-1 (2nb), Zoysa 9-0-35-2 (1w), Wickramasinghe 7.2-0-44-0 (1w), Muralitharan 10-1-39-1, Jayasuriya 7-0-31-0, Arnold 5-1-16-0 (1w).

Result: SA won by 4 wickets.
SA lead series 1-0.