August 20  
Sri Lanka deal South Africa another blow

TANGIERS: Sri Lanka gained the psychological edge ahead of the Morocco Cup final against South Africa with a six-wicket romp in the last league match here on Monday. Changing the trend of the previous five games where teams batting first won, the Sri Lankans surpassed South Africa's modest 220-6 with 7.5 overs to spare.  Veteran Aravinda De Silva led the way with an unbeaten 77 off 75 balls, Kumar Sangakkara made 57, while skipper Sanath Jayasuriya contributed 47 at the top of the order.

TANGIERS: South Africa's Jacques Kallis (R) and Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara (L) keep their eyes on the ball during the Morocco Cup match at the Tangiers Cricket Stadium on August 19, 2002

Sri Lanka's second consecutive triumph over Sri Lanka in the 250,000-dollar event - they won the first meeting by a whopping 93 runs - made them favourites for Wednesday's final. 

Sri Lanka ended the league with three wins from four matches. South Africa secured two wins, while Pakistan were knocked out of the event after three defeats. 

"It was good to win batting second, we showed it could be done on this wicket," Jayasuriya said. 

"But the final will not be easy because South Africa will come out strongly. "We have to be on our feet. All the hard work done in the league will go to waste if we lose the final." 

In a match that held only academic interest, Sri Lanka rested four frontline bowlers, Chaminda Vaas, Pulasthi Gunaratne, Muttiah Muralitharan and Dilhara Fernando. 

South Africa also omitted four key players - wicket-keeper Mark Boucher, Jonty Rhodes, Allan Donald and Nicky Boje - and nominated Boeta Dippenaar to don the gloves. Jacques Kallis hit 84 as South Africa survived early blows to cross the 200-run mark after electing to take first strike. 

Kallis added 78 for the sixth wicket with Lance Klusener after a three-wicket burst by leg-spinner Upul Chandana reduced South Africa to 119-5 in the 29th over. 

Klusener remained unbeaten on 39 and Shaun Pollock made a quickfire 16 off nine balls as South Africa added 59 runs in the final eight overs. 

Young seamer Charitha Buddika made an immediate impression by removing Herschelle Gibbs and Gary Kirsten with his first 13 deliveries. 

Graeme Smith and Kallis retrieved the situation with a 71-run stand for the third wicket, before Chandana hit back with three quick wickets. 

The leg-spinner bowled Smith for 40, had Dippenaar caught behind for 18 and then drew Justin Ontong out of the crease to have him stumped by Kumar Sangakkara. 

Chandana capped a fine display in the field by catching Kallis on the long-off fence off Jayasuriya. The Sri Lankans made a flying start with Jayasuriya and Marvan Atapattu putting on 40 in the first six overs. 

Atapattu scored 15 when he edged seamer Roger Telemachus to Dippenaar behind the stumps. Jayasuriya, who hit six fours and a six, missed a second successive half-century by three runs when he was caught behind off Klusener in the 16th over. 

De Silva and Sangakkara quashed South Africa's hopes with a match-winning stand of 96 for the third wicket.