ADELAIDE, Saturday- South Africa shrugged off a middle order collapse to pile on the runs against Australia on Saturday, building an imposing first innings total of 517 at tea on the second day of the third and final cricket Test.
Needing a victory to square the series at 1-1, South Africa’s hopes of posting a big first innings total looked shaky in the morning session when they lost three early wickets and slumped to 305 for seven after resuming the second day at 269 for four.
But an inspired display by the lower order lifted the tourists to 517 all out against a depleted Australian attack which struggled on the placid Adelaide Oval wicket.
Number eight batsman Brian McMillan led the way with an unconquered 87 — his second highest score in test cricket after his century against Zimbabwe in 1995 — and was well supported by the three batsmen who followed him.
Shaun Pollock smashed a quick 40 before he was caught by Greg Blewett at short mid-wicket, Lance Klusener hit 38 before being caught by Shane Warne fielding in the same position and number 11 batsman Pat Symcox chipped in with 54 off just 42 balls.
McMillan, 34, featured in three successive half century partnerships, hitting 12 boundaries and a six during his innings.
His partnership with Symcox was worth 74 runs and came off 70 balls in just 47 minutes.
Symcox just missed out on breaking Kapil Dev and Ian Botham’s world record for the fastest test 50, off 36 deliveries. He eventually departed for 54 off 42 balls when he was trapped leg before wicket by Steve Waugh.
The Australian bowlers, minus paceman Glenn McGrath and Paul Reiffel, toiled on a flat pitch which provided little assistance to slow, medium or fast bowling.
Paceman Michael Kasprowicz and leg spinner Warne picked up two wickets each on Saturday while Stuart MacGill and Waugh grabbed one apiece.
Scoreboard
South Africa first innings (four for 269 overnight)
G.Kirsten c Warne b Kasprowicz 77
A.Bacher c Warne b Bichel 64
J.Kallis lbw b MacGill 15
H.Cronje b Warne 73
H.Gibbs c Healy b Blewett 37
D.Richardson c Taylor b Warne 15
J.Rhodes c Bichel b Kasprowicz 6
B.McMillan not out 87
S.Pollock c Blewett b Kasprowicz 40
L.Klusener c Warne b MacGill 38
P.Symcox lbw b S.Waugh 54
Extras (lb-8 nb-1 w-2) 11
Total (166 overs) 517
Fall of wickets: 1-140, 2-148, 3-160, 4-269, 5-275, 6-286, 7-305, 8-374, 9-442.
Bowling: Kasprowicz 39-7-125-3 (nb-1), Bichel 35-10-103-1 (w-1), Warne 33-6-95-2, MacGill 29-7-112-2, M.Waugh 6-1-21-0 (w-1), Blewett 14-5-26-1, S.Waugh 10-3-27-1.
Australia first innings
M.Taylor not out 26
M.T.G Elliott ct Kallis b Pollock 8
G.S.Blewett not out 31
Extras (6lb) 6
Total for one wicket 71
Fall of wickets - 1-15
Bowling: S.M. Pollock 7-3-16-1, B.A.Mcmillan 4-1-12-0, J.H.Kallis 5-2-14-0, L.Klusener 4-1-17-0 P. Symcox 2-1-6-0
S. Zaman of India beat his countryman R. Saikia 6-4, 6-2 to win the Boys’ singles event at the 15th Junior ITF Ranking tennis championship hosted by Sri Lanka at its National Tennis Centre Courts at Greenpath on Friday.
The girls singles final was won by Uzma Khan who beat Sohm Marion of Austria 6-1, 6-4.
The Consolation Boys’ singles final was won by E. Weerakoon who beat S. Rajapaksa 6-2, 6-1.
The Indian pair of R. Saikia and V. I. Kannan beat Dipesh Rao and Saif Ali 6-1, 6-2 while Uzma Khan and Jan Lyn Lim of Malaysia beat J. Tulpelle and R. Mandke of India 6-4, 6-0 to win the girls doubles title.
Premalal Gunesekera was a gentleman and a cricketer who belonged to a generation not quite as sophisticated as the current crop of young cricketers, neither did he belong to the good old spacious days. In this sense, Premalal was part of a transition, an interregnum in which the game of cricket was growing up, and life itself was becoming gradually more complicated.
In these exciting but safe times, Premalal, played cricket for S. Thomas’ and was remembered , at least for the following twenty five years, as the last great captain the school produced. He was identified with the 1964 Royal Thomian match in which he led the Thomian team to victory, because the victory in major part had to do with him. Premalal himself discussed the strategies that won the match. In a contribution to a Thomian anniversary publication, where he made it very clear with trade mark candour that good captaincy wins matches. Those were days when Thomian cricket captains were heroes, at least for the fact that there were at least seven old Thomians representing the All Ceylon cricket team.No matter. Premalal was not exactly self-effacing, but he was a combatant, a master strategist and a man who played the game despite all that competetive spirit.
It was a rare combination fitting of those uncorrupted 60’s.
It took 25 more years for S. Thomas’ College to register another victory in the Royal-Thomian encounter, a fact that made Premalal a near legendary figure among Thomians because he was for a quarter of a century in time, the last winning Thomian captain.
But, Premalal injected some of his combative and competitive spirit into the life of his alma mater, and in his latter years was celebrated as the father of two Thomian cricketers, one of whom captained the Thomian team. Being critical from a boundary line location, somewhere near the old scoreboard and next to the Scout room, ( if the game was played at home,) was something Premalal enjoyed. In many ways. that was vintage Premalal, the experienced respected critic.
In his latter years the efficient private sector Executive took a closer look at his alma mater, and to put it mildly, didn’t seem to like the direction in which it was moving. Suffice it to say that Premalal got more involved in the affairs of the College, almost with a captains verve and spirit. He took defeat as well as he took victory, and his passing at the relatively early age of 53 will be testimony to the fact that time doesn’t wait, not even for the best of them..
Skipeer Malinda Warnapura with good all round performances of a match bag of 8 for 78 and an unbeaten 44 helped St Peter’s to recored their seventh win this season, as they beat Prince of Wales by 5 wickets in there Inter School cricket match at Moratuwa yesterday.
St. Peter’s continuning from their overnight 130 for 6 were all out for 190. This was in reply to Prince of Wales first innings score of 176.
Prince Of Wales - 176 and 172 in 45 overs (I.Hittiya 42,K. Fernando 18. H.Fernando 23;M. Warnapura 4 for 52 ,C.Pieris 4 for 33, A.de.Silva 2 for 25)
St.Peter’s - (130 for 6 overnight) 190 all out in 69.1 overs ( I. Fonseka 31, G. Heetiarachchi 24;S, Pieris 4 for 47,T.Silva 3 for 45.J.Gunaratne 2 for 38) and 161 for 5 in 28 overs(J.Fernando 40,A,Fonseka 26,M.Warnapura 44n.o; J. Gunaratne 2 for 28)
St Joseph’s cruised home to a 10 wickets win over Joseph Vaz in their inter school cricket match at Darley Road yesterday. St. Joseph’s recorded their second win for the season .
St.Joseph’s - 251 for 9 and 25 for no loss
Joseph Vaz - 122 all out and 153 all out(K. Ranjan 46, T.Anton 18, S.Cooray16,S. Fernando 22n.o; M.Perera 3 for 31, R.de.Silva 2 for 29).
Duminda Perera of D.S. Senanayake scoring his second century(151) for the season was the highlight in there Inter School cricket match between Dharmapala and D. S.Senanayake. The match ended in draw at Wijerama Mawatha yesterday.
Dharmapala - 232 for 7 dec
D.S.Senanayake - (36 for no loss) 393 for 8( M. Maduwantha 23, Z. Lafir 24, D. Amaraweera 36,D. Perera151, N.A beywickrama 51; J.Sigera 5 for 49).
A fourth wicket stand of 227 between Dharshika Jayakody 125 and Indika Ranasinghe 100 helped Wesley to make 269 for 9 in reply to S. Thomas’ 241 for 9 dec and helped the Cambpell Park school take the first innings points. This match ended in a draw at Cambpell Park yesterday.
S,Thomas’ were 157 for 3 in their second innings at close of play
S.Thomas’ - 241 for 9 dec and 157 for 3( S. Madonza 70, N.Pieris 54.J.Siriwardena 24; R.Senadheera 2 for 57)
Wesley - (92 for 3 overnight) 269 for 9 dec (D.Jayakody 125, I. Ranasinghe 100, M. de. Silva 16; L. Fernando 4 for 40, S. Pieris 3 for 48).
Ananda were 116 for 5 in reply to Royal’s first innings score of 215 for 9 dec at the end of the first days play in the key Inter School cricket match at Ananda Mawatha yesterday.
Ananda replying to Royal’s first innings score of 215 for 9 dec opened their innings with Skipeer Lahiru Chaturanga and Lakshan Fernando but disaster struck in the first ball for Ananda as Asanka Sanjeeva’s rising first ball hit Chaturanga and he had to leave the field.
Royal - 215 for 9 dec in 69.4 oners in 300m (R.Jayasuriya 12, D. Perera 17,S. Abeygunasekera 51, J. Mubarak 51, Shanaka Perera 31n.o. H.Rajakaruna 21; S.Rupasinghe 4 for 69,M. Ramzi 3 for 26)
Ananda - 116 for 5 in 23 overs (L.Fernando 34, M. Pushpakumara 43; A.Sanjeeva 2 for 31)
Reutrn to Sports Contents Page
| HOME PAGE | EDITORIAL/OPINION | NEWS / COMMENT | BUSINESS | PLUS
Please send your comments and suggestions on this web site to
info@suntimes.is.lk or to
webmaster@infolabs.is.lk