Saturday 7th January, 2012 Angelo Mathews plays a shot during the fourth day of the third Test between Sri Lanka and South Africa in Cape Town, South Africa, Friday, Jan. 6, 2012. (AP) Middle-order batsman delays inevitable with second ton on tour Thilan excels despite Thilan Samaraweera bats on the fourth day of the third Test between Sri Lanka and South ten-wicket defeat Africa in Cape Town, South Africa, Friday, Jan 6, 2012. (AP) REX CLEMENTINE a flat deck and it reporting from Cape Town SCOREBOARD once again went onto show that Sri Lanka Sri Lanka suffered a heavy ten wicket South Africa 1st Innings: 580-4 declared Tahir 32-7-106-3, Jacques Kallis 14.5-2-35-3 (1w), could have pushed defeat at the hands of South Africa in Sri Lanka 1st Innings: 239 Graeme Smith 2-0-7-0. the Proteas to the the third Test here at Newlands in Cape Sri Lanka 2nd Innings South Africa 2nd Innings limit had they put on Town yesterday to lose the series, but it Lahiru Thirimanne c Amla b Kallis 30 (Target: 2) a decent first could have been much worse if not for a Tillakaratne Dilshan c Boucher b Philander 5 Alviro Petersen not out 1 innings total. back to the wall century by middle order Kumar Sangakkara c Kallis b Tahir 34 Graeme Smith not out 0 Sri Lanka’s sec- batsman Thilan Samaraweera, who Mahela Jayawardene c Kallis b Morkel 12 Extras: (1nb) 1 ond innings total of defied the Proteas and delayed the Thilan Samaraweera not out 115 TOTAL: (without loss) 2 342 all out is their highest scored in The new ball brought much needed inevitable by two sessions. Angelo Mathews lbw b Philander 63 Overs: 0 South Africa improving on the 338 all success for the Proteas when Vernon After being forced to follow on, Sri Dinesh Chandimal c Kallis b Philander 1 Did not bat: Hashim Amla, Jacques Kallis, A.B. de out they scored in the last Test in Philander trapped Angelo Mathews leg Lanka had slumped to 138 for four at Thisara Perera c Morkel b Tahir 30 Villiers, Jacques Rudolph, Mark Boucher, Vernon Durban. before wicket. He made 63 off 124 balls stumps on day three, but on day four Rangana Herath c & b Kallis 0 Philander, Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, Imran Tahir. When he late cut Imran Tahir for with seven fours. Samaraweera defied the South Africans Dhammika Prasad st Boucher b Tahir 16 Bowling: Dhammika Prasad 0-0-2-0 (1nb). four, Samaraweera became only the Dinesh Chandimal departed soon for two sessions as Sri Lanka avoided a Chanaka Welegedara b Kallis 14 Result: South Africa won by 10 wickets. seventh Sri Lankan to score 5000 Test afterwards when Jacques Kallis took a fifth innings defeat in South African soil. Extras: (1b, 15lb, 6w) 22 Series: South Africa won the three-match series 2- runs joining some of the all-time greats sharp catch at second slip Samaraweera added 142 runs for the TOTAL: (all out) 342 1. of the Sri Lankan cricket history. The Thisara Perera added 52 runs for the fifth wicket with vice-captain Angelo Overs: 107.5 Toss: Sri Lanka. very next delivery he slapped past eight wicket with Samaraweera taking Mathews, who posted his first half-centu- Fall of wicket: 1-12, 2-79, 3-83, 4-98, 5-240, 6-248, Umpires: Richard Kettleborough, England, and Rod point for his 14th Test hundred to a few blows on the body from the seam- become only the 11th player to score ers and handing around to make sure ry in the series before falling to the sec- 7-304, 8-306, 9-327. Tucker, Australia. twin centuries in a series in South Samaraweera got to his milestone. ond new ball. Their stand is a new Sri Bowling: Dale Steyn 20-3-56-0 (1w), Vernon TV Umpire: Steve Davis, Australia. Africa. Contributions form Dhammika Lankan record against South Africa, Philander 20-4-54-3, Morne Morkel 19-4-68-1, Imran Match referee: Chris Broad, England. improving on the 121 run partnership Only two players from the sub-conti- Prasad (16) and Chanaka Welagedara between Arjuna Ranatunga and been dominated by the Proteas before the wicket. The South Africans lacked zip nent Azhar Mahmood from Pakistan (14) ensured Sri Lanka avoided innings Aravinda de Silva at Moratuwa in 1993. tourists fought back in the morning ses- and the intense they showed on day and Sachin Tendulkar of India have defeat and the Proteas required one Every session in the third Test had sion of day four denying South Africa a three making batting look a lot easier on achieved the milestone before him. delivery to score the winning run. ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan offspinner 17 tests since his 2009 debut, has the ability Saeed Ajmal says he’s working on a secret to keep batsmen guessing with a variety of delivery to surprise England’s batsmen in deliveries and hardly allows batsmen to India’s travel sickness continues this month’s test series. come out of the crease on flighted deliver- Ajmal took 50 wickets in eight tests last ies. SYDNEY (AP) — India’s heavy defeat the series over here. It’s not about how year and often surprises batsmen with a “If I bowl flighted deliveries, I simply in the second test against Australia good we look on paper, ultimately the doosra, a ball that drifts away from right- cannot bowl,” Ajmal said. “If I take 90 per- extended its string of losses away from team which performs better on the handed batsmen. cent of my wickets while bowling doosras home to six consecutive tests. field is the one that will win. He did not reveal his newly developed and off breaks, there’s no harm in it.” India lost all four tests of its tour of “We have lost the chance of winning delivery on Friday, but said he would defi- Ajmal is the top bowler in the one-day England in July and August last year, the series but still with two more test nitely try it out against England. international rankings, but did not want to before losing the first two matches of matches to go we can level the series so “We are working on a special delivery, be compared with England offspinner its ongoing four-test series against that’s what we’re looking to do. We it’s not very far, you will know it,” he said. Graeme Swann. Australia. have got enough days from now until The three-test series begins in Dubai, “He has his own variety and I have my In the first test in Melbourne, the the start of the Perth game. United Arab Emirates on Jan. 17, and own variety, but he is a good bowler fifth-ranked Australians bowled India “What we need to do is not just Ajmal hopes the pitch will suit spinners. because he has remained the world No. 1 in its second innings for 169 to win by blame one individual. As a team we He grabbed eight Sri Lanka wickets in a bowler in test matches,” Ajmal said. 122 runs. The home side then dominat- need to perform. It’s very important to test at the same venue in October 2010. Except for Sri Lanka, Pakistan’s victo- ed the second test at the Sydney hunt in packs rather than individuals.” The offspinner has not targeted any spe- ries in tests have been against lower- Cricket Ground to win by an innings With each successive test loss away and 68 runs on Friday. from India more questions are raised Both tests were lost inside four days about a batting lineup that contains and questions are being asked about five batsmen over 30 years of age, with the motivation of India’s star players Dravid, Laxman and Tendulkar edging Ajmal working on secret delivery away from home. closer to 40. “In patches we have done well,” said “With age comes plenty of experi- cific batsmen but has been watching videos ranked teams West Indies, Zimbabwe and India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni. ence,” Dhoni said. “They’re the best of the Englishmen. Bangladesh in 2011. “We have got the opposition out. In the that we have got as of now. What’s “We are going (for the series) fully pre- England, the No. 1 test team, will be last innings we have seen we can score important is to enjoy the game, stick to pared,” he said. “We have special plans and Pakistan’s first real challenge. 400-odd runs. We need to get everything the present and try to break down the we are working on that.” “Whosoever you play against, you have together. We need to do well as a bowl- sessions. Hopefully it will get better Ajmal took 12 England wickets at to take wickets,” he said. ing unit and we need to bat well as a and we’ll score more runs in the com- Birmingham, The Oval and Lord’s in 2010, “Sri Lanka was the top team and I was batting unit and come off good fielding ing two test matches. including a five-wicket haul in the first test man of the series against them. West performances. We need to get it all “These are the best 17 players who which Pakistan lost by nine wickets. Indies was not a bad team as we hadn’t together. are here so we have no reason to com- However, the series was marred by the won a series against them, Bangladesh was “We need to keep it really simple plain about the selection.