Sri Lankan cricket team in South Africa in 2011–12

The Sri Lankan cricket team are touring South Africa from 9 December 2011 to 22 January 2012. The tour includes three Tests and five One Day Internationals (ODIs) between Sri Lanka and South Africa.^[1]

The Test series is currently tied at 1–1. The decider is being held at Newlands, Cape Town, from 3 January 2012.

Squads

Tour matches

First-class: South African Invitation XI vs Sri Lankans

Test Series

1st Test

After winning the toss and electing to field, South Africa's opening bowlers struck early, with Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander taking the wickets of Tillakaratne Dilshan and Kumar Sangakkara respectively. Sri Lanka's other batsmen—Tharanga Paranavitana, Mahela Jayawardene, Thilan Samaraweera and Angelo Mathews—each made starts but were dismissed in their thirties. Sri Lanka lost their final six wickets for just 24 runs, being bowled out for 180 just before tea on the first day.^[4] Philander took five wickets, becoming only the fifth bowler in history to take five wickets in an innings in each of his first three Tests. Steyn took four wickets for 18 runs.^[5]

By the end of the first day, South Africa had reached 90 runs, half of Sri Lanka's first innings total, for the loss of one wicket, and captain Graeme Smith had scored a half-century. They continued to bat for the whole of the second day, sitting at 9/389 at stumps. South Africa's top scorer was AB de Villiers, who was controversially dismissed on 99 runs. Substitute fieldsman Dimuth Karunaratne claimed to have caught him at backward point, although replays showed the ball may have hit the ground before sliding into his fingers. De Villiers elected to accept Karunaratne's word and, one run short of his 13th Test century, decided against referring the dismissal for a video review.^[6]

On the third morning of the match, Mark Boucher and Imran Tahir enjoyed a final-wicket partnership that took South Africa to 411 runs, a lead of 231, with Boucher finishing on 65. South Africa's bowlers proceeded where they left off after the first innings, bowling Sri Lanka out within 40 overs, for just 150. Philander took another five wickets, giving him ten for the match, and was named player of the match. South Africa won by an innings and 81 runs.^[7]

2nd Test

Sri Lanka called up 22-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Chandimal to make his Test debut, replacing Kaushal Silva.^[8] In-form bowler Vernon Philander withdrew from South Africa's team due to injury. In his place, 21-year-old fast bowler Marchant de Lange made his debut.^[9]

De Lange made an instant impact. After Sri Lanka won the toss and decided to bat, he took seven wickets, including those of Kumar Sangakkara, for a duck, and Thilan Samaraweera, who top-scored for Sri Lanka with 102. De Lange's figures of 7/81 were the best for any bowler in Test cricket in 2011.^[10] Chandimal also enjoyed a successful first innings of Test cricket, scoring 58 in Sri Lanka's total of 338.^[11]

In response, South Africa were dismissed within the second day for a total of 168, only narrowly avoiding being asked to follow on. Pace bowler Chanaka Welegedara took five wickets and spinner Rangana Herath took four. Hashim Amla was the only South African batsman to score a half-century, with 54.^[11] Sri Lanka pressed their advantage batting on the third day of the Test. Sangakkara, at the time the top-ranked Test batsman in the world, scored his 28th Test century, making 108, while Chandimal (54) scored his second half-century of the match. Dale Steyn took five wickets as Sri Lanka were bowled out on the fourth morning of the match for 279.^[12]

South Africa needed 450 in the fourth innings to win the match, and fell well short of the target, being bowled out on the fourth day for 241. For the first time in 149 Tests, Jacques Kallis was dismissed for a pair (a duck in each innings). Herath took Kallis' wicket and four others, finishing with five for the innings and nine for the match to claim the "player of the match" award. AB de Villiers was South Africa's top scorer with 69; Amla scored his second half-century of the match, with 51. Sri Lanka's win levelled the series 1–1. It was their first Test win in 18 months, and their first in South Africa.^[13]

3rd Test

ODI Series

1st ODI

2nd ODI

3rd ODI

4th ODI

5th ODI

References