Thursday, January 5, 2012

3rd Test: Dilshan Falls As Sri Lanka Follow On

CAPE TOWN: Sri Lanka faced an uphill battle to avoid defeat after captain Tillekeratne Dilshan was out early in their follow on innings on the third day of the third and final Test against South Africa at Newlands on Thursday.

Scorecard

Sri Lanka were 42 for one at tea, still 299 runs short of making South Africa bat again.

Sri Lanka were earlier bowled out for 239 in their first innings, with fast bowlers Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander taking three wickets apiece.

Philander struck again in the fourth over of the follow on when Dilshan drove loosely at a ball which moved away, edging a catch to wicketkeeper Mark Boucher.

Lahiru Thirimanne should have followed his fellow opener to the pavilion when he was on 10. He edged Morne Morkel and Boucher put down a straightforward chance. Thirimanne was on 18 not out at tea.

Sri Lanka collapsed in their first innings, losing eight wickets for

90 runs after resuming on 149 for two.

Steyn took three for 56 and Philander three for 46. Both bowled superbly on Thursday, with Steyn's figures for the day an impressive three for 16 off eight overs, while Philander was even better, his three wickets costing 12 runs off nine overs.

Steyn struck with the third ball of the day when Kumar Sangakkara sliced a drive to point without adding to his overnight score of 35.

Mahela Jayawardene and Thilan Samaraweera stayed together for more than an hour before Philander accounted for Samaraweera, who was caught at second slip for 11.

Steyn came back for a second spell and had Jayawardene caught at second slip for 30 with his third ball and Mathews caught behind for a single in his next over.

Dinesh Chandimal, who made two half-centuries on debut in the second Test in Durban, hit 35 off 45 balls but the tail crumbled before he was last man out.