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Mahela's 16th ton
helps Sri Lanka complete the 2-0 whitewash |
August 08, 2006
Mahela Jayawardene's classic 16th Test Match
hundred enabled Sri Lanka to a clean sweep of
2-0 over South Africa. It was 123 that Mahela
had scored to help his team get 352 and this
brilliant innings of his also placed his side in
the history books with Sri Lanka now entering
into the sixth position in the highest chases
ever in Test Cricket. Sri Lanka's win on the
fifth and final day was a smooth one except for
the post lunch session where South Africa almost
pulled off a miraculous win but for that last
wicket that managed to score the two runs.
Andrew Hall was the unlikely hero for South
Africa picking up three of the four wickets that
fell in the day's play with his reverse swing.
The final day's play required Sri Lanka to get
90 runs with just five wickets in hand. The two
Jayawardenes - Mahela and Prasanna added another
17 runs to their overnight partnership of 61
before Prasanna was trapped in front by a
reverse swinging inswinger by Hall. South Africa
found success in the 7th over but they still had
to contain with Mahela Jayawardene who got past
his hundred by drinks and the two all rounders
Farveez and Chaminda, both of them had scored
fifties in the first innings. Mahela Jayawardene
and Farveez Maharoof battled through the tough
period to take Sri Lanka to lunch at 333 for 6,
needing just 19 more to win the match. They had
already added almost a match winning partnership
of 54 after patiently batting together for about
22 overs. After lunch, Sri Lanka found it
extremely difficult to find even the singles and
we were not in for a quick finish, although just
19 were to be scored. South Africa got the
breakthrough finally with Mahela Jayawardene
charging down to Nicky Boje only to edge him to
the slip fielder. Mahela Jayawardene had done
his job though taking his side just 11 runs
short of victory but South Africa were not the
side to give up and they have the experience of
played plenty of close encounters before.
After five overs of Mahela Jayawardene's exit,
Andrew Hall struck once again getting Vaas to
slash at him and it was a brilliant catch by AB
de Villiers at gully under pressure to reduce
Sri Lanka to 348 for 8. That was the opening
that the Proteas required with the next man in -
Muralitharan who gives lots of chances by
playing the unorthodox manner. And Murali did
just that, going for a wild slog and it was a
'you-miss-I-hit' from Andrew Hall. Two runs to
win with Farveez Maharoof having only Lasith
Malinga as the company, but the pair got those
winning runs in the next three deliveries to
clinch the one-wicket win for their side. In the
end, it was a good fight by South Africa as they
had lost most part of the final day and it was
only after lunch that they could come close to
victory from the jaws of defeat. Sri Lanka
needed to play 13.3 overs to get the 19 runs to
win after the lunch break and they got their
losing three wickets.
The Sri Lankan Skipper got the Man of the Match
for his steely hundred and his off spinner
Muttiah Muralitharan who has taken 22 wickets in
four innings was the Man of the Series. The two
teams now shed their whites and put on their
national colours for the tri-series that starts
on the 14th with India being the third side. It
should be one heck of a contest as any of the
side is capable of winning the cup.
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