Tour Match: South Africa 'A' v Sri Lankans at Kimberley, 25-25 Oct 2002 CricInfo Live Report

Tour Match: South Africa 'A' v Sri Lankans at Kimberley, 25-25 Oct 2002
Keith Lane

South Africa 'A' 2nd innings: Stumps,
Sri Lankans 1st innings: Lunch, Declared,
Live Reports from previous days

SOUTH AFRICA 'A' BUILD ON A BIG TARGET
South Africa, not enforcing the follow-on, has gone to 138/5 in their second innings, a lead of 349 at stumps of day three of the four day match in Kimberley.

With a lead of 211 the South African innings started with disaster for Jacques Rudolph, bowled for the second time in the match by Vaas. By scoring two runs Rudolph had avoided the dreaded pair and South Africa 3/1.

A 48 run partnership followed before a far more aggressive Dippenaar dragged a ball into the stumps from an inside edge off the bowling of Dilhara Fernando for 33 and the second wicket down for 51.

With the South Africans looking to make a game out of it wickets started falling quickly. Dihara Fernando got one to cut back through the gate of a driving Neil McKenzie, bowling him for a quick 11 and the third wicket down on 70.

Dale Benkenstein came to the crease and cracked two fours before playing across the line and trapped leg before by Hasantha Fernando for 11.

Alviro Petersen getting into the forties for the second time in the match went after Russell Arnold and held out for 43. South Africa, racing to set a target, losing the fifth wicket at 109.

Justin Ontong and Robin Peterson deciding to close up shop for the day and bat to stumps ended the on 11 and 13 respectively.

SRI LANKA DECLARE ON 272/9
Vaas was caught by Peterson off the bowling of Elworthy for a patient 25 taking the score to 271 when on the same score Fernando was run out by Ontong for a very good 45.

When Dilhara Fernando was caught at slip off Peterson, his fourth wicket, without scoring Sri Lanka decided to declare on 272/9.

The idea behind the declaration maybe being that Benkenstein would ask them to bat again, and get some valuable batting practice, back fired when the South Africans decided not to enforce the follow-on.

SRI LANKA FIGHTING TO AVOID THE FOLLOW-ON
South Africa ‘A’ have started day three as they left off on day two. Taking two further wickets in the first session at Kimberley against Sri Lanka have the visitors struggling to avoid the follow-on.

Resuming at 166/4 Sri Lanka lost the wicket of Hashan Tillakaratne caught behind off Steve Elworthy for six, after being at the crease for more than an hour. With the score on 190/5 thoughts of the follow-on must have entered the hosts’ minds.

Marvin Atapattu had played a tremendous innings. Very rarely hitting the ball in the air he had gone to his hundred, the first of the tour, in 253 minutes including 18 boundaries. With Peterson flighting the ball up to the bat, Atapattu mistimed a drive to covers to be brilliantly caught by a diving Benkenstein for 104 and giving Peterson his third wicket.

Hasantha Fernando on 15 and Chaminda Vaas on four took Sri Lanka to lunch on 220/6 still 113 runs short of avoiding the follow-on.