November 11 Monday 2002
South African fast bowlers crush Sri Lanka 

JOHANNESBURG: South Africa steamrollered to their third successive innings win this season as their fast bowlers overwhelmed Sri Lanka on the third day of the first Test at the Wanderers Stadium Sunday, winning by an innings and 64 runs. 

It was their fifth win in six Test matches played between the two countries in South Africa. Makhaya Ntini and South African captain Shaun Pollock prised open the Sri Lankan batting, taking two wickets each in their opening spells as Sri Lanka, trailing by 194 on the first innings, crashed to 25 for four. 

Ntini went on to finish with three for 22. Steve Elworthy took two wickets and Andrew Hall wrapped up the match by taking three for one, the last wicket falling as rain was falling at the start of a thunderstorm which would have driven the players off the field within minutes.

South Africa were earlier bowled out for 386 in their first innings. Sri Lanka made a disastrous start to their second innings when Ntini dismissed Russel Arnold for his second nought of the match in the second over. Arnold was out to the first ball he faced, caught by Jacques Kallis at second slip.

Ntini gained a second wicket with the help of a sensational catch by wicketkeeper Mark Boucher, who dived full-length to his right to hold a leg-glance by the left-handed Kumar Sangakkara. Pollock had Mahela Jayawardene caught at short leg off his glove by Gary Kirsten and then bowled Sanath Jayasuriya, his Sri Lankan counterpart, for nought. 

Sri Lanka were 25 for four. Atapattu survived the onslaught, although he played and missed several times, and was 29 not out at lunch. He and Tillakaratne put on an unbeaten 29 for the fifth wicket.

South Africa lost their three remaining first innings wickets in 13 minutes and 2.4 overs at the start of play Sunday, adding just eight runs to the overnight total of 378 for seven. 

Off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan, who had taken only one wicket in 29.4 overs overnight, struck twice to finish with three for 83. Bowling around the wicket to make the ball straighten into the right-handed batsmen, he trapped Andrew Hall leg before wicket with the fifth ball of the day. 

He finished off the innings when he dismissed Steve Elworthy the same way.

Kallis was caught behind off a sharp lifter from Chaminda Vaas without adding to his overnight score of 75. The second and final Test starts at Centurion Friday.