Sri Lanka face stiff task

CAPE TOWN, March 22: Opener Maravan Atapattu kept alive Sri Lanka's hopes of pulling off an improbable victory with an unbeaten half-century...

CAPE TOWN, March 22: Opener Maravan Atapattu kept alive Sri Lanka’s hopes of pulling off an improbable victory with an unbeaten half-century on the fourth day of the first Test against South Africa at Newlands today after they were set 377 to win.

Earlier South Africa were pegged back by good spin bowling from Muttiah Muralitharan and Sanath Jayasuriya who bowled unchanged for three hours from the start of play until South Africa were all out for 264. The home side added only 109 runs in 47 overs for the loss of six wickets.

SCOREBOARD

South Africa (1st innings): 418

Sri Lanka (1st innings): 306

South Africa (2nd innings): A Bacher c Kaluwitharana b Vaas 0, G Kirsten c Mahanama b Vaas 15, J Kallis st Kaluwitharana b Jayasuriya 49, D.Cullinan c Tilakaratne b Muralitharan 68, WJ Cronje c Muralitharan b Jayasuriya 74, M Boucher c Jayasuriya b Muralitharan 10, HD Ackerman lbw Muralitharan 8, S Pollock st Kaluwitharana b Jayasuriya 6, A Donald c Pushpakumara b Jayasuriya 18, P Adams cKaluwitharana b Muralitharan 3, M Ntini not out 0. Extras: (b-4, lb-3, nb-5, w-1) 13. Total 264.

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Fall of wickets: 1-5, 2-18, 3-134, 4-146, 5-166, 6-188, 7-219, 8-256, 9-260.

Bowling: Vaas 11-3-41-2, Pushpakumara 8-0-24-0, Wikramasinghe 8-1-24-0, Muralitharan 41-10-108-4, A de Silva 1-1-0-0, Jayasuriya 33-7-53-4, Atapattu 1-0-7-0.

Sri Lanka (2nd innings): Sanath Jayasuriya lbw Donald 0, Maravan Atapattu batting 50, Roshan Mahanama c Kallis b Pollock 11, Aravinda de Silva c Kallis b Adams 37, Arjuna Ranatunga batting 14. Extras: (3lb, 5nb) 8. Total: (for three wickets) 120.

Fall of wickets: 1-3, 2-27, 3-98.

Bowling: Donald 7-3-18-1, Pollock 12-3-29-1 (5nb), Kallis 2-0-4-0, Ntini 5-0-17-0, Adams 12-1-44-1, Cronje 5-3-5-0.