Mahela takes charge

25 July 2014 - 02:13 By Telford Vice in Colombo
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SWEEPS CLEAN: Sri Lanka's Mahela Jayawardene strikes a boundary, watched by South Africa's wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock, on the first day of the second Test
SWEEPS CLEAN: Sri Lanka's Mahela Jayawardene strikes a boundary, watched by South Africa's wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock, on the first day of the second Test
Image: DINUKA LIYANAWATTE/ REUTERS

Everyone who was at the Sinhalese Sports Club yesterday to see Mahela Jayawardene take a superb century off the Proteas attack on the first day of the second Test should be thankful he did so.

Jayawardene swept Dean Elgar to go to his 34th hundred two balls before tea. All present were jolted out of the daydream of a match that had been mired in one-sidedness since lunch.

Jayawardene was still there at stumps, having batted for six hours and faced 225 balls for his undefeated 140. Sri Lanka will resume on 305/5.

"We've got to earn the right in the first hour [today] to be in a good position," South African bowling coach Allan Donald said.

Jayawardene's ton was his 11th in 26 Tests at SSC, his home ground. He averages 81.08 here compared to a "mere" 50.41 overall.

Sri Lanka needed Jayawardene to provide them with calm experience at the crease yesterday . He provided that and then some, unlike in his knocks of three and 10 in the first Test.

"From the first ball he faced he was looking for runs; I didn't see that in Galle," Sri Lankan opener Kaushal Silva said.

With Jayawardene in, the stand that grew to 131 with Angelo Mathews created the stability the former needed to keep his focus sharp.

True to form, conditions in the morning gave the bowlers a modicum of assistance. SA took advantage by claiming three wickets, two of them with consecutive deliveries by Dale Steyn. They also dropped two catches.

But with lunch, when Sri Lanka were 115/3, went all pretence of a contest. By tea, they had added 97 without losing a wicket.

The visitors took their next wicket in the 11th over after tea when Mathews cut at JP Duminy and was caught behind for 63.

Four balls before lunch, Duminy had removed the nuggety Silva for 44 by way of a sharp catch at slip by AB de Villiers.

The bowler that time was a vastly improved Vernon Philander, who found more movement off the seam in the first spell yesterday than he did in all of the 26 he sent down in Galle and soon settled on a troubling length.

Steyn and Morne Morkel, too, were as rasping and miserly as the conditions allowed. Duminy also did his work well, and it was hard work.

The disappointment was Imran Tahir, who did not threaten until a more penetrative last spell.

For Sri Lanka, the big no-show was Kumar Sangakkara, who flapped at the first ball he faced - a rib-tickler from Steyn - and sent a simple catch looping to square leg.

Scorecard

Sri Lanka vs South Africa

Second Test in Colombo

Sri Lanka first innings

U Tharanga c De Kock D Steyn 11

K Silva c De Villiers b Duminy 44

K Sangakkara c Tahir D Steyn 0

M Jayawardene not out 140

A Mathews c De Kock b Duminy 63

K Vithanage c De Villiers b Morkel 13

N Dickwella not out 12

Extras (10b 10lb 2nb) 22

Total (for five after 86 overs) 305

Falls: 1/16 2/16 3/115 4/246 5/285

Bowling: D Steyn 15-2-55-2, V Philander 16-5-33-0 (1nb), M Morkel 16-2-42-1 (1nb), I Tahir 24-3-92-0, JP Duminy 14-1-58-2, D Elgar 1-0-5-0.

  • At Stumps, day 1.
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