Sangakkara ton sets up Lanka towards historic win

Tags: Kumar Chokshanada Sangakkara, Lokuge Dinesh Chandimal, Dale Willem Steyn, Sri Lanka, South Africa, South Africa v Sri Lanka 2nd Test at Durban- Dec 26-30, 2011, Sri Lanka tour of South Africa 2011-12

Published on: Dec 28, 2011

Scorecard | Commentary | Graphs

Kumar Sangakkara made Proteas pay heavily for dropping him early in the day by cracking a 28thTest hundred and thus helping Sri Lanka to a massive lead by the close of Day 3 at Durban.

Kumar Sangakkara made Proteas pay heavily for dropping him early in the day by cracking a 28thTest hundred and thus helping Sri Lanka to a massive lead by the close of Day 3 at Durban. It was once again bad light bringing an abrupt end to the day’s proceedings but Sri Lanka with an overall lead of 426 runs, and with three wickets in hand, are in a winning position with two full days left in the Test match. Even if bad light and inclement weather affects the match, there should be enough time for Sri Lanka to take 10 wickets for what could be a maiden Test victory on South African soil.

The third day’s play was off to a delayed start due to overnight. Play resumed with Sri Lanka at 7 for 1 having taken a first innings lead of 170 runs. Kumar Sangakkara went onto score 108 from 190 balls with 13 fours and got able support from Thilan Samaraweera (43 from 64 balls with 5 fours) and Wicket Keeper batsman Dinesh Chandimal (54 from 92 balls with 7 fours). For Chandimal, it was a second fifty on Test debut!

Dale Steyn who went wicketless in the first innings picked up three wickets and leggie Imran Tahir leaked 64 runs in his 10 overs but took the two big wickets of Samaraweera and Sangakkara. At stumps on Day 3, Sri Lanka are 256 for 7 in 70.3 overs and have got all-rounder Thisara Perera and Rangana Herath at the crease who are quite capable of adding few more runs to completely bat South Africa out of the contest.

Sri Lanka would be hoping that they get enough time to bowl out the South Africans. But it will not be as easy as it was in the first innings in which SA were shot out for 168 inside 55 overs.

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