Second Test, Day 4
Sri Lanka 421 & 229/8 dec
South Africa 282 & 38/1
Lungani Zama
COLOMBO: The mission facing South Africa this morning is straightforward – bat out the day at the Sinhalese Sports Club, and yours will be a first series win here since 1993, and also the No 1 ranking in this format.
“It would mean everything to us, to end this tour on a high. That is what we want to be about as a cricket team; we don’t want to be winning one and then losing the next Test. We want to win consistently. And, if we are not winning, at the very least get a draw,” vice-captain AB de Villiers insisted last night. South Africa still need 331 runs to win.
Day four was another day of Sri Lankan dominance, just like all three that have come before it. The Lankans eventually declared their second innings, which saw fluent half-centuries by the peerless Kumar Sangakkara (72) and the fearless Angelo Mathews (63 not out), on 229/8 declared.
If it was a boxing match, the points tally would be heavily tilted to the locals. The Proteas know it, too, but they also know that cricket matches are not won on points. And today, despite being on the ropes for most of this match, they could yet deliver the knockout blow.
The tourists have already signalled their intentions to do more than just prod about in hope. Quinton de Kock, who doesn’t have a negative bone in his body, has been elevated to No 3 in the order. Already, he has gone to a positive 21 off 31 balls.
“That was the thinking behind putting Quinny up the order. He’s a positive player, and he bats in that position at home. We felt to get Quinny up there would get us off to a good start. We are in with a chance now – we’re not that far off – and that’s what Quinny has given us,” De Villiers pointed out.
De Kock came in after Alviro Petersen had left the scene for a 25-ball duck, a miserable end to a dismal tour for the Lions opener, who may yet have played his last match for the Proteas. He was again tentative when the Proteas needed tenacity upfront.
But there is still a full day for new heroes to emerge. The Sri Lankan spinners will bowl the bulk of the minimum 98 overs left in the day, and as long as the runs are kept in check, there will be men around the bat.
The home side scored freely for worryingly long periods of this Test, as South Africa’s own slow bowlers battled to keep a lid on their shot-making.
“They’ve got more spinners in their team, which definitely slows the game down a bit more. The wicket also got a bit drier, which made it even tougher for us,” De Villiers said, explaining the contrast in scoring rates.
“They have played better cricket than us, and you have to give them credit for that. Certainly in the first innings, they outplayed us. But we are still in with a big chance here. If we get a bit of a flyer (today), and get a few freebies, you never know. We wouldn’t mind saving the Test either, but we want to keep our options open, and try and win it,” De Villiers declared.
The Proteas know that they are behind the eight-ball, but they still harbour a cheeky interest to pickpocket the Lankans. While their baby-faced assassin is at the crease, the scoring rate will certainly keep ticking along.
“You can never look at things from a negative mindset. We are a positive team, and we will assess the situation again at lunch. But if I come in at tea, and we need six or seven runs an over, I might have a go,” De Villiers remarked.
That’s brave talk, defiant even. But it certainly trumps trying to hang on all day, because eventually a hand grenade with your number on it will land in the footmarks. Best not to die wondering, then.
“We know that, as a team, we have that fight in us, and we will approach it the same (today). We are going out to either save this match, or win the series 2-0,” De Villiers declared.
Bat out the day; that is the mission. But what a mission that will be, on this wicked, well-worn track, against a flock of ravenous tweakers.
Meanwhile, Sangakkara insisted that Sri Lanka were still in a great position to win, even with a spanner thrown into the works by the weather.
“Our chances are pretty good. It would have been good if the rest of the overs had been bowled today. I thought the wicket to the lefties with Rangana (Herath) bowling is going to be tough. If we can keep the pressure with Dilruwan (Perera) on the other end, that would be good,” he explained.
Never short of a sharp word, Sangakkara also questioned the South Africans’ ambition in this game, saying that Sri Lanka had done all of the playing up to this point.
“Even in the first innings, I thought they played time rather than scoring runs, That allowed us to put pressure on them. The more negative you get, the more defensive shots you play. Sometimes that tires you down, and we are just happy to have fielders around the bat, to keep the pressure up,” he added.