Dilruwan Perera pick of the spinners:

Sri Lanka in strong position

By Ranjan Anandappa

Skipper Hashim Amla saddled with the burden of a probable South African collapse to guide them towards a certain amount of respectability with a marathon 486 minutes stay at the wicket facing 382 deliveries with a dozen of boundaries while compiling 132 precious runs for his side. In reply to the Sri Lankan first innings score of 421 ,South Africa gave a gruelling batting display spearheaded by Amla to fall short by 135 runs in the first innings. With a 135 run lead for the Lankans, the Proteas will have a daunting task while batting last on a pitch which traditionally takes spin on the last day. Sri Lanka were 11 for no loss after facing 5 overs in their second Innings

The South Africans who utilised 52 overs for their first innings second day total of 98 for 3 showed a considerable amount of improvement on resumption on the third day. Skipper Amla and de Villiers went on with a job slowly and soundly with some signs of attack. They seemed bent on wearing down the bowlers for a later assault . Both Amla and de Villiers tried nothing extravagant. The only alarming feature in the early morning session was when A.B.de Villiers at his individual score 20 gloved one down on the leg side and wicket keeper Niroshan Dickwella dived down the leg side and claimed for a catch which was

reviewed and found that the catch was not taken cleanly.

The Sri Lankan attack for the most part of the morning was devoid of fire ,venom and guile may be to the slowness of the pitch which gave ample time for the batsmen to shape in.The spinners Ajantha Mendis, Rangana Herath and Dilruwan Perera toiled and managed to get some purchase out of the surface. Dilruwan Perera was the pick of the spinners when he struck twice before lunch and looked the bowler who could spell danger for the tourists. He had A.B.de Villiers trapped lbw and had the new arrival wicket keeper Quinton de Kock beaten and bowled without scoring. De Villiers had faced 99 deliveries with five hits to the ropes in his 37. De Villiers and Amla had added 79 runs for the fourth wicket bringing the score from 71for 3 to 150 for 4.

Hashim Amla and J.P.Duminy stood in a brief moment of resistance, Duminy in particular looked uncomfortable against spin. Finally the left-handed Duminy trying to force Herath on the off side missed the ball completely and was smartly stumped by

Dickwella who has been enjoying his debut Test already scoring a 72 and having an hand in a couple of dismissals. With wickets falling around only Amla acquitted himself with any credit fighting valiantly . He provided the backbone of the South African innings. However, his innings too would have come to an end if Kaushal Silva had hung on to a difficult catch at short cover when Amla drove Suranga Lakmal off the second new ball.Amla was 93 and the total was 179 for 6 and the South Africans still looking to avert the follow on .

After a curiously mixed display which included some moderate strokes and some that only a gifted batsman could produce ,the prolific Hashim Amla reached his 22nd hundred in Test cricket facing 263 deliveries with ten fours spending 319 minutes at the crease. Amla was at his most fluent and with Dale Steyn hitting lustily whenever the ball pitched up off the front foot hitting Herath for two sixes and a couple of fours off Herath gave a semblance of respectability to the score.

SSC grounds Saturday

SCOREBOARD
Sri Lanka 1st innings 421 all out

South Africa 1st innings
(overnight 98-3, Amla 46 n.o, de Villiers 11 n.o)
Alviro Petersen c & b Herath			02
Dean Elgar c Silva b Perera 			01
Faf du Plessis c Dickwella b Lakmal 		36
Hashim Amla not out 			       139
AB de Villiers lbw Perera 			37
Quinton de Kock b Perera 			00
JP Duminy st Dickwella b Herath 		03
Vernon Philander b Perera 			09
Dale Steyn c Sangakkara b Herath 		30
Imran Tahir c Tharanga b Herath			15
Morne Morkel c Silva b Perera 			00
Extras (lb 3, w 1, nb 6)			10
TOTAL (all out; 134.5 overs)		       282

Fall of wickets: 1-3 (Petersen), 2-13 (Elgar), 3-71 (Plessis)
		 4-150 (de Villies), 5-150 (de Kock)
		 6-175 (Duminy), 7-204 (Philander)
		 8-251 (Steyn), 9-279 (Tahir), 10-282 (Morkel)
Bowling: Suranga Lakmal 23-7-54-1
	 Rangana Herath 45-17-71-4
	 Dilruwan Perera 41.5-11-69-5
	 Ajantha Mendis 21-1-68-0
	 Kithuruwan Vithanage 4-0-17-0

Sri Lanka 2nd innings
Upul Tharanga not out 				06
Kaushal Silva not out 				05
TOTAL (five overs) 				11

Bowling: Dale Steyn 3-1-7-0
	 Vernon Philander 2-1-4-0