COLOMBO, 21 August 2004 — Marvan Atapattu and Avishka Gunawardene scored fifties as Sri Lanka snatched a thrilling three-wicket win against South Africa in the first One-Day International yesterday.
Sri Lanka, set a stiff 264-run target after Jacques Kallis had top scored with 74 and Mark Boucher had chipped in with 58, won with an over to spare when young all-rounder Kaushal Lokuarachchi smashed a leg-side six to seal victory. All-rounder Chaminda Vaas won the man-of-the-match award for his four wickets for 33 earlier in the day, which he followed up with 18 priceless runs in the final tense overs.
There had only been one higher successful chase at the venue in 68 matches and Sri Lanka started badly with pace bowler Alan Dawson bowling Sanath Jayasuriya for 12.
But opener Gunawardene scored 51 from 61 balls and No. 3 Atapattu made 64 from 82 balls to lay a solid foundation.
Makhaya Ntini broke though for the tourists when Gunawardene was caught at point off a leading edge to leave Sri Lanka 97 for two.
However, Atapattu ticked along smoothly with Kumar Sangakkara (24) and Mahela Jayawardene (19), adding 51 in 57 balls, before edging to the wicketkeeper in Ntini’s second spell. Sri Lanka kept up with the asking rate and, although Jayawardene was caught behind off a seaming delivery from Lance Klusener, they were well-placed needing 56 from the last 10 overs. A direct hit from cover fieldsman Nicky Boje to run out Upul Chandana (five) caused some jitters in the home dressing room.
Vaas and Tillakaratne Dilshan narrowed the deficit to 20 off 20 balls before Vaas was caught in the deep trying to blast a boundary off Shaun Pollock. But Dilshan, who scored 38 not out from 36 balls, held his nerve with Lokuarachchi and Sri Lanka raced to victory, plundering 14 runs from Pollock’s last over, the penultimate of the innings.
Earlier, out-of-form opener Herschelle Gibbs struggled for 21 minutes without scoring before being trapped lbw for a duck by an inswinger from Vaas. Kallis, promoted to number three, stroked five fours and two sixes in an 85-ball knock, adding 77 runs in 78 balls with skipper Graeme Smith (38) and then 48 with Jacques Rudolph (22) for the third wicket.
Harmison Rips Though West Indies
Steve Harmison took 6-46 and made a Test best 36 not out as England forced the West Indies to follow on after bowling them out for 152 on the second day of the fourth and final Test at the Oval in London.
The visitors finished on 84-2, still 234 in arrears, at the close. Brian Lara is still there on one not out and Chris Gayle unbeaten on 59, and after his first innings lone stand when he made 79 the West Indies captain has not given the game up yet. Harmison topped a memorable day by having Sylvester Joseph caught behind to give him 100 Test match wickets in his 23rd game. He swiftly embarked on his second century when he had Ramnaresh Sarwan brilliantly caught by Ian Bell at gully.
Harmison closed with figures of 2-14 from four overs in the second innings and in the day he took 8-60 from 17 hostile overs.
In the West Indies first innings, Harmison nipped out openers Chris Gayle and Joseph to set England on their way. The lone pocket of resistance came from captain Lara, who made 79 from 93 balls with 14 fours, before he was eighth man out with the score on 148.
Following on, opener Chris Gayle became the first man in Test history to hit six consecutive fours off an over when he laid into Matthew Hoggard and raced to his half-century off 36 balls but the damage had already been done.
In England’s innings, Hoggard, Ashley Giles and Harmison had the satisfaction of all equaling or surpassing their best Test scores as England’s nursed their total from 321-7 to 470.
Hoggard hit 38, Giles 52 and Harmison an aggressive 36 with three sixes as England recovered from the early loss of their overnight batsmen Flintoff and Geraint Jones.
