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Sri Lankans crumble to innings defeat

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January 23, 2001 

CENTURION, South Africa-- (AP) - South Africa clinched a 2-0 series win Monday, walloping Sri Lanka by an innings and seven runs before tea on the third day of the final of three tests.

Kumar Sangakkara fought a lone battle to make South Africa bat again, but when he was given out leg before wicket for 98 by umpire Peter Willey - to a ball which pitched outside leg stump - the game was over.

It would have been Sangakkara's maiden first-class century, as well as his first test century.

In the end, South Africa's bowlers always looked to have too much firepower for the visiting batsmen.

We didn't bat well enough throughout the series," said Sri Lanka's captain Sanath Jayasuriya. "We needed to adapt better to South African conditions, so it was a very disappointing tour for us."

"It was a marvelous effort by everyone concerned," said South Africa's captain Shaun Pollock. "We played consistent cricket, which is what we set out to do at the beginning of the season. We need to take that consistency with us to the West Indies when we tour there in March."

South Africa chipped away at Sri Lanka's batting throughout Monday to have the visitors struggling at 235 for six wickets at lunch.

South Africa made 378 in its first innings before bowling the Sri Lankans out for 119.

Sri Lanka's batsmen gave a much better showing in the follow-on innings, spearheaded by Sangakkara's fine innings.

Promoted to opener because of the continued poor form of Jayasuriya, Sangakkara showed great resolve while many of the batsmen around him were playing rash shots.

Leading wicket-taker for South Africa as Sri Lanka crumbled in its second innings was debutant Justin Kemp, who took three for 33, including an almost miraculous caught-and-bowled chance off Nuwan Zoysa immediately after lunch to precipitate Sri Lanka's final slide.

But it was Makhaya Ntini who delivered the coup de grace, trapping Sangakkara in front for the controversial leg-before-wicket decision to clinch the test and the series. South Africa drew the first test and won the second by an innings and 229 runs.