By Ken Borland
CENTURION, South Africa Dec 16 (Reuters) – AB de
Villiers and Ashwell Prince combined in an unbeaten sixth-wicket
stand of 84 to take South Africa into a handy lead at tea on the
second day of the first test against Sri Lanka at Centurion on
Friday.
At the interval, South Africa, replying to Sri Lanka’s first
innings of 180, were 257 for five, a lead of 77. De Villiers had
grafted his way to 56 while Prince had scored 38.
The pair rescued the innings against a probing Sri Lankan
attack who had reduced South Africa to 173 for five shortly
after lunch.
Left-arm paceman Chanaka Welegedara removed Jacques Kallis
for 31 in the fourth over after lunch, his first from the
Hennops River End. South Africa’s leading run-scorer drove at a
delivery that pitched on off stump and was moving further away
from him to edge a tumbling catch to Angelo Mathews at third
slip.
De Villiers batted with great determination, pushing singles
through the off side but and any poor deliveries on the leg.
South Africa’s vice-captain had batted for 167 minutes and faced
99 balls.
Prince was off to a quick, if streaky, start, collecting
four fours, all of them to the third man boundary, off 77 balls.
The left-hander was dropped by Thisara Perera, diving forward in
the gully, off Dilhara Fernando on 23 and by wicketkeeper
Kaushal Silva off left-arm spinner Rangana Herath when he had
scored 26.
A top-class spell of seam bowling by Perera had earlier
allowed Sri Lanka to restore a semblance of parity as South
Africa reached 168 for four at lunch.
South Africa had resumed on 90 for one but made a poor start
to the day when nightwatchman Dale Steyn was run out for a duck
in the second over of the morning.
Continued…
