November 19 Tuesday 2002
Jayawardene, Pollock incident resolved

CENTURION, South Africa: An incident between Sri Lankan batsman Mahela Jayawardene and South African captain Shaun Pollock was resolved without disciplinary action on the fourth day of the second and final Test at Centurion Park Monday.

The pair clashed on the field after Jayawardene hooked Pollock for a boundary which wiped out South Africa's first innings lead of 125. As Jayawardene ran down the pitch after playing his shot to put Sri Lanka back in front, Pollock grasped him by the shoulders and made a comment.

According to television commentators who could hear the exchange, Pollock was disparaging but jocular. Jayawardene reacted angrily and pulled himself away, pointing at Pollock and turning to umpire Daryl Harper.

Two balls later, Jayawardene was nearly run out when he took what should have been an easy single. He jogged down the pitch and appeared to be exchanging more words with Pollock while wicketkeeper Mark Boucher raced to square leg, picked up the ball and threw at the stumps at the bowler's end.

He missed narrowly with Jayawardene several metres short of his ground. United Cricket Board media spokesman Gerald de Kock said after the tea break that he had spoken to match referee Gundappa Viswanath, who said it had been sorted out between the umpire and the players and there would be no formal report.

During a break in play soon after tea, Pollock, Jayawardene and Harper could be seen talking and smiling. Pollock was fined 25 percent of his match fee for a similar incident with Craig McMillan of New Zealand in Bloemfontein in 2000-01. Match referee Naushad Ali of Pakistan fined both players despite both saying the incident was 
good-natured.