Six for 29: Take a bow, Chaminda Vaas

An impressive six for 29 in 18 overs tells only half the story of the most consistent left-arm bowler in the world as the Safs were knocked over for 179 in vain pursuit of a 493-run target. And all this while, bogeyman Muralitharan, the world’s Test wicket record-holder, was a third of the world away in a Melbourne hospital recovering for the first of three shoulder operations that will keep him out of the game until the end of the year.

Even in defeat, South Africa captain Graeme Smith acknowledged the importance of the role that Vaas played in this comprehensive victory for Sri Lanka and one in which the tourists were outplayed from mid-afternoon on Day One. Not only is Vaas consistent, but his form and fitness is a guideline for any swing and seam bowler at all levels of the game.

‘‘Chaminda has certainly shown up our bowlers and others of how to bowl in such sub-continent conditions as these,’’ said Smith. ‘‘He doesn’t complain. He goes out and gets on with the job, knowing just where to put the ball. The way he has bowled in this series is an eye-opener for our bowlers.”

This was followed by Marvan Atapattu’s comments where he put forward the case that spinners do not always win games at SSC. He carefully brushed aside how Sri Lanka might have won this Test earlier with a fit Muralitharan.

‘‘No one can say how a game is going to work out,’’ Atapattu offered with a smile. ‘‘What this victory does suggest is that we had the right bowler for the conditions. He (Vaas) knew he had a job to do and he fronted up the way he knows how best to do it. He is probably the most valuable bowler we have and yet he is so often overlooked. He creates pressure and today, he bowled with consistency to create that pressure. He deserved the man of the series award because of his consistency.’’

What was impressive was the way Vaas made use of the conditions on the rain-shortened fourth day when only eight overs were possible. The pitch, despite the amount of grass that had been shaved off to give the spinners a chance, was lively after sweating for some 20 hours under the heavy plastic covers. Herschelle Gibbs had escaped a Vaas lbw shout before departing to the catapult style action of Lasith Malinga with the last ball of the second over. Then Martin van Jaarsveld faced up with the Safs 18 for one; Vaas moved in, run-up as smooth as a dressmaker unravelling a roll of silk and the yorker length swing undid the tall Safs’ number three, clipping the inside of his bat, skidding onto the pad and into the base of the leg stump.

Brief scores

Sri Lanka: 470 and 211-4 decl beat South Africa: 189 and 179 (B Dippenaar 59 n.o, M Boucher 51; C Vaas 6-29, L Malinga 3-54)