Player of the Match
Player of the Match

So that's this Test done and dusted. Join us on Thursday in Colombo. South Africa have answered a lot of questions about their potency in the subcontinent. Will they continue the momentum in the capital, or will Mathews get his wish and his batters step up? I'll let you guys be the judge. This is Alagappan Muthu, fading away into the darkness

"It's not easy, credit to the boys, they put the hands up today. We had a challenging third overs last night but they came back and did really well,"Hashim Amla says, "didn't doubt the declaration, we needed a lot of overs and 370 was good enough I thought. The toss was pretty crucial. It was pretty difficult in the third and fourth innings. Dean got a hundred, JP got one as well and they set it up. Steyn, Morkel, Philander, I can call them at any time and they would give 100%. They're the best. On surfaces like this you can't rely on one bowler. The others did well too. It was a group effort. On a different day, a glove, a top edge could have gone. The spinners did well"

Dale Steyn is the Man of the Match Collects it in some snazzy shades. "It's never easy, but someones got to do it. I look at myself as someone who tries to build the character of the side and the captain turns to me. Short spells, two three overs. Have to conserve the energy. hashim rotated us well and the spinners did well as well. Our side's pretyt good, great team with great cricketers and when you play with guys like AB, Faf, Amla, Philander, JP, it brings the best out of you"

2.15 pm "South Africans outplayed us on all five days and that's why they are the No.2 team. It was a disappointing peformance, dont mind losing games after good cricket but this game we were disappointing," Angelo Mathews says. "We were pretty flat, the heat gets to us too. It's going to hard work winning a Test and well all know that but South Africa got the better of us. The first innings total cost us the game, if we had added a bit more runs we could have been in with a chance. The batter need to improve when we go to SSC"

mahmudmoni: "when SL were 138/1, I made a comment that next 100 runs would be crucial. now, SL made a blunder, SA did what they are best. Fierce pace crushed SL. Well done SA."

chinthaka: "Thirimanne and Chandimal struggling to get substantial scores ?? so what about DPMD?" He got two peaches that outdid him

Sri Lanka did amazingly well last evening, so well that talks of a poor declaration was making the rounds. Sanga and Kaushal recorded the first 100 partnership of this tour, but today the visitors adjusted their plans and their intensity forced the home side on the back foot and smothered them. Angelo Mathews tried to lead a rearguard, but he just didn't have enough company. He will also have to fend off a few queries about the state of the middle order, with Thirimanne and Chandimal struggling to get substantial scores

Daniel Alexande: "SL last lost a test on 20th January and lose again on 20th July, end of good six months of test cricket "

2.00 pm South Africa are huddled by the pitch, Amla is leading the discussion. The entire squad is out there. Steyn also gets a few words in and off they break. This is their third Test win in the country. Great debut in the top job for Hashim. He had wanted his spearhead to bowl fast and blow oppositions away and that's what Steyn has done in Galle, to record the best figures by a quick at the ground. Nine wickets are evidence of his menace and Morkel also chipped in, finishing with four in the second innings.

71.3
W
Morkel to Eranga, OUT, bounced out! South Africa go 1-0! This was short and nasty, Eranga couldn't duck under it or weave away, fends it away and short leg picks up an easy catch after skipping a few steps behind square

RMS Eranga c Elgar b Morkel 0 (1m 1b 0x4 0x6) SR: 0

Yes, Eranga is walking out, with eight stitches in his bowling hand. He talks with his captain, who is presumably asking if he is up for it. Eranga nods

71.2
W
Morkel to Lakmal, OUT, take at long leg! Short ball, a little off line and Lakmal sought to help it away but doesn't keep it down. Tahir is the man down there, takes it and rests on the ground. Mathews stays out there, which means...

RAS Lakmal c Imran Tahir b Morkel 12 (32m 18b 3x4 0x6) SR: 66.66

Morkel switches around the wicket. Short leg and deep square leg in place

71.1
4
Morkel to Lakmal, FOUR, this was a short ball at 113 kph, Lakmal backs away and forehands it down the ground. Thwack!

END OF OVER:
71 | (maiden) | SL: 212/8

  • Angelo Mathews27 (70b)
  • Suranga Lakmal8 (16b)
  • Imran Tahir19-3-64-0
  • Morne Morkel13-6-25-2
70.6
0
Imran Tahir to Mathews, no run, tossed up just outside leg, kept out
70.5
0
Imran Tahir to Mathews, no run, goes for the reverse sweep, AB at slip was primed but this took the glove and went in front of square. He runs across as fast as he could, but can't make it

South Africa tour of Sri Lanka 2014 News

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  • Sea, sun, scandal

    Our correspondent takes in the sights and sounds of Galle and Colombo, and reports on a tampering controversy

  • Steyn and Morkel hunt in pairs, Tahir flops

    ESPNcricinfo marks the South African players out of 10 following their series win against Sri Lanka

  • Mathews, Perera shine bright for Sri Lanka

    ESPNcricinfo marks the Sri Lankan players out of 10 following their series loss against South Africa

  • Mathews rues Galle collapse

    Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews bemoaned his team's batting collapse in the first Test in Galle which allowed South Africa to settle for a draw at the SSC and claim the series

Terrific Travellers

1.36

South Africa's win-loss ratio in Asia, the best for a non-Asian team

Simply The Best

80

Wickets taken by Steyn in Asia, the most by a non-Asian fast bowler

Twin Triumphs

2

Number of Sri Lankans with fourth-innings centuries in victories - Jayawardene and Aravinda de Silva

Final Stand

151

The highest fourth-innings partnership in Galle, between Asad Shafiq and Younis Khan, in 2012

Strong Finish

54

Jayawardene's fourth-innings average at home, with three centuries

Final Five

5

Number of times Sri Lanka have scored 300 or more in the fourth innings of a home Test

Solid As Ever

45.56

Kumar Sangakkara's fourth innings batting average

Tough Targets

95

The highest successful chase in Galle, by Sri Lanka against India in 2010

Hanging In

210/9

Highest fourth-innings total in a drawn game in Galle, by England in 2003

Triple Threat

69.8

Hashim Amla's third-innings batting average, his highest

Third Shot

225

Average third innings score in Galle

Oriental Success

76

Wickets taken by Steyn in Asia, the second-most for a non-Asian fast bowler

Serious Striking

41.2

Steyn's strike-rate in the first and second innings of a match, next only to Syd Barnes' (min 100 wickets)

Starting Blues

41.60

Mathews' batting average in the first innings of a match, his lowest