Atapattu says he was worried rain would rob them of win

COLOMBO: Sri Lankan captain Marvan Atapattu Sunday conceded heavy rains on the fourth day of the second and final Test against South Africa had given his team a scare.

"All of us were by the windows in our hotel rooms, drawing the curtains time and again to see what the weather was like," said Atapattu after Sri Lanka scored their first Test series win over South Africa on Sunday.

Sri Lanka had run up a 492-run lead by the third day but rain spoiled virtually the whole of the penultimate day's play, with just eight overs being sent down.

Their declaration came after two whole sessions were washed out and rain came back to rob them off more time though Sri Lanka did well to reduce South Africa to 21-2 by then.

"Not having won a series against South Africa before, it was obviously something we were looking forward to and it would have been disappointing if we had not won," said Atapattu.

The Sri Lankan captain justified the decision not to enforce a follow-on after gaining a 281-run first innings lead.

"It was not a pitch you would like to bat on on the fourth or fifth days of a Test. Moreover, we had a number of spinners and it would be best to make them bat last," he said.

South African skipper Graeme Smith felt the match was lost in the first innings.

"On the sub-continent, the first innings is often crucial and we did very badly in our first innings," said Smith.

"On hindsight, we even bowled badly in the first innings as it was not a pitch on which you could score in excess of 450," said Smith, whose team was bowled out for 189 in reply to Sri Lanka's 470.

"But we will go into the one-dayers forgetting all this as we have time to regroup," said Smith about his team's prospects in the five-match series starting on August 20.