Friday 25 July 2014
Sri Lanka v South Africa, 2nd Test, SSC, 2nd day
Colombo: Hashim Amla faced a painstaking test of character as captain after South Africa lost 3 big wickets against a sharp Sri Lankan bowling attack in the 2nd Test Friday.
Amla, 31, dug in with a battling 46 off 134 balls as South Africa trailed Lanka by 323 runs with 7 wkts in hand at stumps on the 2nd day at the SSC ground in Colombo.
At stumps, the visitors were 98-3 with de Villiers (11 not out) being the other batsman at the crease.
Amla is leading the South African team after being named captain last month following the retirement of Graeme Smith.
With the wicket showing signs of deteriorating, South Africa now face a stern task to put up a fighting total in reply to Sri Lanka's 421 in the 1st innings, largely due to a solid 165-run knock by Jayawardene and a defiant 72 by debutant Niroshan Dickwella.
"I think 400 plus is a good score," said Jayawardene. "It's not an easy wicket to play and it's slowing down.
"We just need to keep things tight, create more opportunities and put them under pressure," he said.
The Africans were off to a shaky start, losing their openers in the 1st 9 overs before seamer Suranga Lakmal sent back du Plessis for a fighting 36.
Left-arm spinner R Herath caught opener Alviro Petersen (2) off his own bowling and off-spinner Dilruwan Perera had Dean Elgar (1) caught at short leg.
Amla along with du Plessis tried to rebuild the innings with some patient batting but Lakmal broke their 58-run partnership 30 minutes before close.
Du Plessis edged a widish delivery from Lakmal to Dickwella who dived to his left to take a one-handed catch just inches off the ground.
South Africa wraped up the Sri Lankan innings in the 2nd session of the day, starting with the dismissal of Dilruwan Perera who lobbed a simple catch to Amla off Imran Tahir (1/121).
Sri Lanka then lost Dickwella, who failed to make his ground while taking a cheeky single. Dickwella smashed 1 six & 8 fours in his innings of 72 from 116 balls.
Philander then had both Mendis & Lakmal caught behind in successive overs to finish off the innings.
