November 18 Monday 2002
Boucher wary of Centurion wicket

CENTURION, South Africa: South African vice-captain Mark Boucher felt his side were in a good but not impregnable position after the hosts built a first innings lead over Sri Lanka on the third day of the second Test on Sunday.

Boucher, who scored 63, shared in a South African record seventh wicket stand against the Sri Lankans of 132 with his captain Shaun Pollock. The partnership helped South Africa, who lead the series 1-0, close at 421 for nine wickets in their first innings, a lead of 98.

"The wicket is starting to play up a bit," Boucher said. "One or two deliveries were misbehaving when Chaminda Vaas was bowling. "Obviously it won't be easy batting last on this pitch, but I'd rather be in our position than theirs. If we can have them five or six wickets down by the time they pass our score then I think we'll be in a very 
good position."

Boucher said that when Pollock came out to join him in the middle with South Africa 264 for six his captain encouraged him to be as positive as possible. "He (Pollock) just said we should play our natural game and try and take the game away from them. I rode my luck for a while, but I enjoyed it out there," Boucher said.

Sri Lankan off spinner Muttiah Muralitharan picked up the two wickets he needed to move past Kapil Dev and into third place on the all time list of Test wicket takers. But the Sri Lankan, who now has 435 victims, said he was not interested in landmarks at this stage of his career.

"I don't think about things like that. I am only 30 now - I can play for another four or five years and achieve much more," Muralitharan said. Despite conceding a lead to the South Africans, Muralitharan felt Sri Lanka were still in with a chance of winning the match, particularly as South Africa will have to bat last on a wearing pitch.

"A hundred runs is a good lead, but if we can get 200-250 in our second innings it could be enough. The match is not evenly poised - they have a bit of an advantage - but still chasing a target on the fifth day can be difficult sometimes," he said.