Sri Lanka spinners wreak havoc to beat South Africa inside three days

GALLE, Sri Lanka (Reuters) - Sri Lanka off-spinner Dilruwan Perera took six wickets in the second innings for a match-haul of 10, as the hosts registered a thumping 278-run win over South Africa inside three days of the opening test on Saturday.

South Africa were all out for 73 in their second innings, the worst for them in Sri Lanka. They were bundled out for 126 in the first innings on Friday, their previous lowest total in the island nation.

Perera followed up his first-innings figures of 4-46 with six for 32 in the second, his best bowling figures in tests, with veteran left-arm spinner Rangana Herath picking up three.

 Sri Lanka  1st innings
 Danushka Gunathilaka  c Quinton de Kock b Kagiso Rabada              26
 Dimuth Karunaratne    Not Out                                       158
 Dhananjaya de Silva   b Tabraiz Shamsi                               11
 Kusal Mendis          c Kagiso Rabada b Dale Steyn                   24
 Angelo Mathews        c Quinton de Kock b Kagiso Rabada               1
 Roshen Silva          c Aiden Markram b Kagiso Rabada                 0
 Niroshan Dickwella    c Hashim Amla b Tabraiz Shamsi                 18
 Dilruwan Perera       c Quinton de Kock b Vernon Philander            1
 Rangana Herath        Run Out Vernon Philander                        1
 Suranga Lakmal        c Quinton de Kock b Kagiso Rabada              10
 Lakshan Sandakan      st Quinton de Kock b Tabraiz Shamsi            25
 Extras                7b 1lb 2nb 0pen 2w                             12
 Total                 (78.4 overs)                          287 all out
Fall of Wickets : 1-44 Gunathilaka, 2-70 de Silva, 3-115 Mendis, 4-119 Mathews, 5-119 Silva, 6-161 Dickwella, 7-164 Perera, 8-176 Herath, 9-224 Lakmal, 10-287 Sandakan

 Bowling             Ov  Md  Rn  Wk  Econ  Ex
 Vernon Philander     8   1  28   1  3.50
 Dale Steyn          13   0  54   1  4.15
 Kagiso Rabada       14   1  50   4  3.57  2w 1nb
 Keshav Maharaj      17   3  49   0  2.88  1nb
 Tabraiz Shamsi    25.4   2  91   3  3.55
 Dean Elgar           1   0   7   0  7.00

 .................................................................
 South Africa  1st innings
 Dean Elgar        c Angelo Mathews b Dilruwan Perera            8
 Aiden Markram     c Angelo Mathews b Rangana Herath             0
 Keshav Maharaj    lbw Rangana Herath                            3
 Hashim Amla       c Kusal Mendis b Dilruwan Perera             15
 Temba Bavuma      b Lakshan Sandakan                           17
 Faf du Plessis    b Suranga Lakmal                             49
 Quinton de Kock   b Dilruwan Perera                             3
 Vernon Philander  lbw Dilruwan Perera                          18
 Kagiso Rabada     b Suranga Lakmal                              2
 Dale Steyn        c Angelo Mathews b Suranga Lakmal             8
 Tabraiz Shamsi    Not Out                                       0
 Extras            2b 0lb 1nb 0pen 0w                            3
 Total             (54.3 overs)                        126 all out
Fall of Wickets : 1-1 Markram, 2-9 Maharaj, 3-13 Elgar, 4-40 Amla, 5-48 Bavuma, 6-51 de Kock, 7-115 Philander, 8-115 du Plessis, 9-123 Rabada, 10-126 Steyn

 Bowling            Ov  Md  Rn  Wk  Econ  Ex
 Rangana Herath     19   5  39   2  2.05
 Dilruwan Perera    23   8  46   4  2.00
 Lakshan Sandakan    8   1  18   1  2.25
 Suranga Lakmal    4.3   0  21   3  4.67  1nb

 ....................................................................
 Sri Lanka  2nd innings
 Danushka Gunathilaka  c Kagiso Rabada b Keshav Maharaj            17
 Dimuth Karunaratne    c Hashim Amla b Kagiso Rabada               60
 Dhananjaya de Silva   b Keshav Maharaj                             9
 Kusal Mendis          lbw Keshav Maharaj                           0
 Angelo Mathews        b Keshav Maharaj                            35
 Roshen Silva          Run Out Kagiso Rabada                       13
 Niroshan Dickwella    c Quinton de Kock b Kagiso Rabada            9
 Dilruwan Perera       lbw Kagiso Rabada                            2
 Suranga Lakmal        Not Out                                     33
 Rangana Herath        lbw Tabraiz Shamsi                           0
 Lakshan Sandakan      c Temba Bavuma b Dale Steyn                  6
 Extras                2b 4lb 0nb 0pen 0w                           6
 Total                 (57.4 overs)                       190 all out
Fall of Wickets : 1-51 Gunathilaka, 2-64 de Silva, 3-64 Mendis, 4-92 Karunaratne, 5-117 Silva, 6-132 Dickwella, 7-134 Perera, 8-156 Mathews, 9-163 Herath, 10-190 Sandakan

 Bowling             Ov  Md  Rn  Wk  Econ  Ex
 Kagiso Rabada       12   0  44   3  3.67
 Dale Steyn        11.4   1  35   1  3.00
 Keshav Maharaj      20   5  58   4  2.90
 Tabraiz Shamsi      11   0  37   1  3.36
 Vernon Philander     3   0  10   0  3.33

 .....................................................................
 South Africa  2nd innings
 Aiden Markram     st Niroshan Dickwella b Rangana Herath           19
 Dean Elgar        st Niroshan Dickwella b Dilruwan Perera           4
 Hashim Amla       c Dhananjaya de Silva b Dilruwan Perera           0
 Temba Bavuma      c Dhananjaya de Silva b Dilruwan Perera           2
 Faf du Plessis    c Angelo Mathews b Rangana Herath                 1
 Quinton de Kock   lbw Dilruwan Perera                              10
 Vernon Philander  Not Out                                          22
 Keshav Maharaj    c Lakshan Sandakan b Dilruwan Perera              9
 Kagiso Rabada     b Dilruwan Perera                                 0
 Dale Steyn        c&b Rangana Herath                                2
 Tabraiz Shamsi    lbw Lakshan Sandakan                              2
 Extras            2b 0lb 0nb 0pen 0w                                2
 Total             (28.5 overs)                             73 all out
Fall of Wickets : 1-12 Elgar, 2-16 Amla, 3-24 Bavuma, 4-25 du Plessis, 5-32 Markram, 6-36 de Kock, 7-58 Maharaj, 8-58 Rabada, 9-67 Steyn, 10-73 Shamsi

 Bowling            Ov  Md  Rn  Wk  Econ  Ex
 Rangana Herath     14   4  38   3  2.71
 Dilruwan Perera    14   4  32   6  2.29
 Lakshan Sandakan  0.5   0   1   1  1.20

Sri Lanka’s slow bowlers spun a web around South Africa who collapsed for a meagre 126 to concede a significant first innings lead on a spin-dominated second day of the opening test on Friday.

Touring captain Faf du Plessis spent his 34th birthday trying to save his team’s blushes but even his fighting 49, the only 20-plus score in the innings, could not stop South Africa from registering their lowest total in Sri Lanka.

Boosted by a first innings lead of 161, the hosts drove home the advantage to finish the day on 111 for four for an overall lead of 272 runs with six wickets in hand and a victory in sight.

Former captain Angelo Mathews, who was batting on 14 at stumps, and Roshen Silva on 10 will return on Saturday hoping to bat South Africa out of the contest in the first match of the two-test series.

Resuming the day on four for one, the South African batsmen were all at sea against the turning ball and were reeling at 51 for six in the first session.

Du Plessis and Vernon Philander (18) arrested the slide and took South Africa past the 100-mark but then South Africa relapsed, losing their last four wickets for 11 runs.

Dilruwan Perera (4-46) led Sri Lanka’s three-pronged spin attack with aplomb, while stand-in skipper Suranga Lakmal (3-21) also turned in a strong performancde.

Spin reigned supreme in the final session as well with left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj claiming 3-37 even though Sri Lanka kept on stretching their lead.

Opener Dimuth Karunaratne continued to have a fruitful match, following his first innings 158 with a fluent 60.

Sri Lanka first innings 287 all out ( Dimuth Karunaratne 158 not out, Kagiso Rabada 4 for 50, Tabraiz Shamsi   3 for 91)

South Africa  1st innings

 Dean Elgar        c Angelo Mathews b Dilruwan Perera            8

 Aiden Markram     c Angelo Mathews b Rangana Herath             0

 Keshav Maharaj    lbw Rangana Herath                            3

 Hashim Amla       c Kusal Mendis b Dilruwan Perera             15

 Temba Bavuma      b Lakshan Sandakan                           17

 Faf du Plessis    b Suranga Lakmal                             49

 Quinton de Kock   b Dilruwan Perera                             3

 Vernon Philander  lbw Dilruwan Perera                          18

 Kagiso Rabada     b Suranga Lakmal                              2

 Dale Steyn        c Angelo Mathews b Suranga Lakmal             8

 Tabraiz Shamsi    Not Out                                       0

 Extras            2b 0lb 1nb 0pen 0w                            3

 Total             (54.3 overs)                        126 all out

Fall of Wickets : 1-1 Markram, 2-9 Maharaj, 3-13 Elgar, 4-40 Amla, 5-48 Bavuma, 6-51 de Kock, 7-115 Philander, 8-115 du Plessis, 9-123 Rabada, 10-126 Steyn

Bowling: Rangana Herath     19-5-39-2, Dilruwan Perera    23-8-46-4,  Lakshan Sandakan    8-1-18-1, Suranga Lakmal    4.3-0-21-3 

 Sri Lanka  2nd innings

 Danushka Gunathilaka  c Kagiso Rabada b Keshav Maharaj     17

 Dimuth Karunaratne    c Hashim Amla b Kagiso Rabada        60

 Dhananjaya de Silva   b Keshav Maharaj                      9

 Kusal Mendis          lbw Keshav Maharaj                    0

 Angelo Mathews        Not Out                              14

 Roshen Silva          Not Out                              10

 Extras                0b 1lb 0nb 0pen 0w                    1

 Total                 (37.0 overs)                      111-4

Fall of Wickets : 1-51 Gunathilaka, 2-64 de Silva, 3-64 Mendis, 4-92 Karunaratne

To Bat : Dickwella, Perera, Herath, Lakmal, Sandakan

Bowling : Kagiso Rabada      7-0-28-1, Dale Steyn         5-1-15- 0, Keshav Maharaj    16-4-37-3, Tabraiz Shamsi     6-0-20-0, Vernon Philander   3-0-10-0