COLOMBO, (Reuters) – Former captain Mahela Jayawardene hit a classy unbeaten century to help Sri Lanka close on 305 for five on the first day of the second test against South Africa yesterday.
In a chanceless six hours at the crease, Jayawardene finished on 140 not out, off 225 balls, including one six and 16 fours to give Sri Lanka a solid start in their bid to level the two-match series.
It was the 34th test hundred for Jayawardene, who retires from test cricket next month, and his 11th at this ground. Debutant Niroshan Dickwella was unbeaten on 12 at the close.
“When you are two down and you’ve got (Kumar) Sangakkara just being bounced out first ball and to play the way he did, a lot of credit to him, he played superbly,” South African fast bowling coach Allan Donald said in praise of Jayawardene.
“Mahela played very well and he seems to like this ground. He’s been through a bit of a rough time of late but today he showed his skill.
“We got to try and remove him tomorrow. We got to be very patient,” he said.
Donald said the first hour tomorrow would be crucial for South Africa.
“We have got a new ball tomorrow and we have got to be disciplined in our skills and attitude,” he said.
South Africa picked up two wickets in the final session, dismissing captain Angelo Mathews for 63 and Kithuruwan Vithanage for 13.
Mathews, attempting to cut JP Duminy, gave wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock a catch to end a fourth-wicket partnership of 131 with Jayawardene.
Vithanage never looked comfortable against short-pitched deliveries and was hit on his visor by Dale Steyn.
He eventually fell to a sharp rearing delivery from Morne Morkel which he fended to AB de Villiers at third slip.
Jayawardene joined Indian Sunil Gavaskar and West Indian Brian Lara on 34 test centuries, reaching the milestone in the final over before tea when he swept a Dean Elgar full toss for two.
The South African bowlers toiled on an unresponsive pitch at the Sinhalese Sports Club as Sri Lanka added 97 runs in the afternoon session.
Steyn, man-of-the-match in South Africa’s 153-run victory in the first test at Galle, rocked Sri Lanka in the morning, sending back Upul Tharanga for 11 and Kumar Sangakkara for a golden duck with short-pitched deliveries.
Tharanga gloved a catch to De Kock as he failed to avoid a rising ball and Sangakkara fluffed a pull and top-edged a simple catch to Imran Tahir at square leg.
South Africa captured the wicket of Kaushal Silva (44) in the last over before lunch when the batsman edged a Duminy delivery to De Villiers at slip.
