26 August 2004	Thursday	09 Rajab 1425

COLOMBO, Aug 25: Sri Lanka skipper Marvan Atapattu scored 97 not out to guide his team to a four-wicket victory and an unassailable 3-0 lead in their five-match series against South Africa on Wednesday.

Sri Lanka, set a low 192-run target after a fine performance from their quintet of spinners, lost both openers cheaply and suffered a late-innings wobble before winning with 14 balls to spare.

Atapattu lead from the front with his 140-ball innings on a difficult batting pitch, hitting eight boundaries and sharing important stands with Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene and Chaminda Vaas.

Sri Lanka were cruising to victory on 111 for three but the loss of Jayawardene (21), Tillekeratne Dilshan (3) and Upul Chandana (6) in quick succession left them on 145 for six.

Needing 46 from 54 balls, Atapattu released the pressure with a brace of boundaries off Lance Klusener and with South Africa dropping Vaas twice, Sri Lanka sneaked home.

Pace bowler Shaun Pollock became the seventh bowler in history to take 300 one-day wickets when he had opener Sanath Jayasuriya caught in the gully. Left-arm spinner Rangana Herath and part-time off spinner Dilshan starred with the ball for Sri Lanka, taking six for 53 between them as South Africa lost their last seven wickets for 47 runs.

Herath was chiefly responsible for South Africa's downfall, snapping up three crucial top order wickets to finish with three for 28, while Dilshan mopped up the tail and finished with three for 25.

The tourists, who have now lost eight successive matches, started brightly with a 44-run opening stand after winning the toss, but the innings was slowly throttled by the spinners on a bone-dry pitch.

Jacques Kallis top scored with 52 from 108 balls, hitting just three boundaries during a hard-working innings, before being caught behind in Herath's second spell.

Herschelle Gibbs, close to being dropped after a wretched run of form, rode his luck for an 82-ball 49 that included four fours and one six. Gibbs and Kallis were forced to work hard for their 41 from 94 balls after Graeme Smith had been caught at mid-off and pinch-hitter Klusener was bowled for a duck.

Gibbs' luck finally ran out in the 28th over when he was stumped off Herath, but Kallis consolidated with Jacques Rudolph (18), adding 53 in 77 balls. South Africa were positioned at the 40-over mark on 142 for three, but the loss of Rudolph and Kallis in quick succession triggered a lower order slide.

SCOREBOARD

SOUTH AFRICA:

G.C. Smith c Jayasuriya b Vaas 16

H.H. Gibbs st S'kkara b Herath 49

L. Klusener b Zoysa 0

J.H. Kallis c S'kkara b Herath 52

J.A. Rudolph lbw b Dilshan 18

M.V. Boucher c Dilshan b Herath 7

S.M. Pollock c S'kkara b L'rachchi 14

J.P. Duminy lbw b L'rachchi 3

N. Boje st S'kkara b Dilshan 10

A.C. Dawson c Herath b Dilshan 11

M. Ntini not out 0

EXTRAS (LB-6, W-5) 11

TOTAL (all out, 50 overs) 191

FALL OF WKTS: 1-44, 2-50, 3-91, 4-144,

5-147, 6-164, 7-170, 8-170, 9-189.

BOWLING: Vaas 8-1-24-1; Zoysa 8-0-33-1 (4w); Jayasuriya 7-1-26-0; Dilshan 7-0-25-3 (1w); Chandana 7-0-26-0; Herath 8-1-28-3; Lokuarachchi 5-0-23-2.

SRI LANKA:

D.A. Gunawardene lbw b Dawson 5

S.T. Jayasuriya c Gibbs b Pollock 11

M.S. Atapattu not out 97

K.C. Sangakkara st Boucher b Boje 14

D.P.M.D. Jayawardene b Duminy 21

T.M. Dilshan b Klusener 3

U.D.U. Chandana c Duminy b Klusener 6

W.P.U.J.C. Vaas not out 16

EXTRAS (B-3, LB-2, W-7, NB-7) 19

TOTAL (for six wkts, 47.4 overs) 192

FALL OF WKTS: 1-7, 2-34, 3-65, 4-111, 5-126, 6-145.

DID NOT BAT: K.S. Lokuarachchi, D.N.T. Zoysa, H.M.R.K.B. Herath.

BOWLING: Pollock 9-2-22-1 (4nb); Dawson 3-0-19-1 (1w); Ntini 4-0-15-0; Kallis 6-1-20-0 (1nb); Boje 9.4-0-47-1 (2w); Klusener 9-0-36-2 (2nb, 2w); Duminy 7-0-28-1 (2w).

RESULT: Sri Lanka won by four wickets.

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Marvan Atapattu. -Reuters