July 23, 2006	Sunday	Jumadi-ul-Sani 26, 1427

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COLOMBO, July 22: South African batsmen Jacques Rudolph and Hashim Amla slammed fine tons to take their team to 351-3 against Sri Lanka ‘A’ on the first day of a practice match here on Saturday.

Left-handed Rudolph, who came in to bat in the first over after left-arm seamer Nuwan Zoysa dismissed Boeta Dippenaar (one) leg before wicket, hit 157 off 212 balls with 16 fours and a six.

Rudolph, who was picked in the touring party because of an injury to regular captain Graeme Smith, staked a claim for a place in the final XI for the first of two Tests to start on July 27.

Rudolph, 25, who has played 33 Tests since his debut in Bangladesh in 2003, was the only South African to score a hundred on their tour here two years ago.

He added 242 for the third wicket with Amla after South Africa lost Herschelle Gibbs (38) in the morning session. But Sri Lanka's second string attack failed to take a wicket in the afternoon session.

The partnership was broken when Jehan Mubarak caught Rudolph at short fine leg off leg-spinner Upul Chandana with 40 minutes of the day's play still left.

Amla's hundred was a chanceless one, as he tackled spinners Rangana Herath and Chandana with excellent footwork.

At close, Amla was unbeaten on 128 off 241 balls with 14 fours and a six, while captain Ashwell Prince was on 15.

Scoreboard

SOUTH AFRICA (1st Innings):

H.H. Dippenaar lbw b Zoysa 1

H.H. Gibbs c Vandort b Herath 38

J.A. Rudolph c Mubarak b Chandana 157

H.H. Amla not out 128

A.G. Prince not out 15

EXTRAS (B-2, LB-2, W-1, NB-7) 12

TOTAL (for three wkts, 90 overs) 351

FALL OF WKTS: 1-5, 2-88, 3-330.

TO BAT: A.B. de Villiers, M.V. Boucher, N. Boje, D.W. Steyn, A. Nel, M. Ntini.

BOWLING (to-date): Zoysa 9-2-29-1 (3nb, 1w); Perera 13-0-49-0 (2nb); Ganegama 11-1-60-0 (1nb); Herath 26-3-86-1; Chandana 21-2-89-1; Mubarak 6-0-27-0; Samaraweera 4-1-7-0 (1nb).

SRI LANKA ‘A’: M.G. Vandort, J. Mubarak, D.A. Gunawardene, T.T. Samaraweera, C.K. Kapugedera, U.D.U. Chandana, W.C.A. Ganegama, H.A.P.W. Jayawardene, H.M.K.R.B. Herath, D.N.T. Zoysa, P.D.R.L. Perera.

UMPIRES: S.S.K. Gallage and C.B.C. Rodrigo.—Agencies