Atapattu leads SL to series-clinching win over SA

DAMBULLA: Marvan Atapattu slammed a solid 97 not out on a difficult pitch as Sri Lanka wrapped up the one-day series with a four-wicket victory over South Africa in the third match here on Wednesday.

Sri Lanka, already 2-0 up in the five-match series, were indebted to their captain for surpassing South Africa’s modest total of 191 in the day-night game on a slow turning pitch where stroke-making was never easy. Atapattu was the lone Sri Lankan batsman to adjust himself to the conditions, patiently waiting for the loose deliveries to punish.

He held the innings together after the fall of two early wickets, hitting eight fours in his 49th half-century. Fast bowlers Shaun Pollock and Lance Klusener (2-36) bowled with remarkable control, but failed to stop an Atapattu-inspired Sri Lanka. Pollock became the seventh bowler in the world to take 300 wickets in one-dayers when he dismissed Sanath Jayasuriya. "We wanted somebody to stay at the wicket for full 50 overs," said Atapattu. "It was good to see a couple of batsmen stayed at the other end with me. I think South Africa were under pressure coming into this game as they needed to win it."

South Africa were let down by fielding as they dropped a couple of catches at vital stages and missed run-out chances with erratic throws at the stumps. The tourists were in the fray when they reduced Sri Lanka to 145-6 in 41 overs before being thwarted by Atapattu, who continued to keep the rival bowlers at bay with his sensible batting.

"A couple of dropped catches and missed run-out chances cost us the game," said South African captain Graeme Smith. "I think we fell 10-15 runs short. Scoring was not easy on the slow pitch and it was difficult to the get the spinners away. But then Atapattu played really well."

The South African batsmen also did not find the going easy on a slow track against Sri Lanka’s spin attack, led by little-known Rangana Herath who finished with 3-28 off eight tidy overs. Jacques Kallis (52) and opener Herschelle Gibbs (49) were the main contributors, but they also failed to dominate a disciplined Sri Lankan spin attack.

Herath, playing only his fifth one-dayer, shattered South Africa’s hopes of crossing the 200-mark by dismissing well-set Kallis and Gibbs. He was brilliantly supported by off-spinner Tillakaratne Dilshan (3-25) and leg-spinner Kaushal Lokuarachchi (2-23), who also kept pressure on the South African batsmen from the other end. South Africa were 144-3 in the 41st over before slipping against the Sri Lankan spinners, losing their last seven wickets
for 47 runs. South Africa got off to a decent start after electing to bat as Smith (16) and Gibbs put on 44 for the opening wicket.

Kallis then steadied the innings with a 53-run stand for the fourth wicket with Jacques Rudolph, but it was still not good enough to pull the tourists out of trouble.