Batsmen Continue To Flourish At Newlands

Batsmen Continue To Flourish At Newlands

Jacques Rudolph scored an unbeaten half-century as South Africa piled on the runs

©REUTERS / Action Images

South Africa 580-4 (Kallis 224, de Villiers 160no) v
Sri Lanka 149-2 (Dilshan 78)
Third Test, Cape Town, day two
Scorecard | Day One

The runs continued to flow on day two of the third and final Test between South Africa and Sri Lanka in Cape Town as Jacques Kallis completed a double-century and AB de Villiers also passed three figures.

A 192-run partnership between the pair set South Africa up to declare on 580 for four but Sri Lanka battled well to close on 149 for two in reply after they were set the huge task of hitting 381 runs simply to make their hosts bat again.

Kallis stroked a superb 224 in 325 balls but de Villiers was outstanding in making 160 in 205 deliveries - the last 60 of which came in just 29 balls as South Africa floored the accelerator pedal.

That surge offered them 30 minutes before tea at the Sri Lankan openers although the tourists dealt with that before openers Lahiru Thirimanne (23) and Tillakaratne Dilshan (78) fell in the final session.

The opening day was not one for the bowlers after South Africa closed on 347 for three - Alviro Petersen making 109 - and neither was the second day.

Kallis resumed on 159 and after a couple of early moments when he could have been caught twice in the slips before lunch, he progressed seamlessly to his second double-century.

De Villiers played a full range of strokes, cutting loose with reverse sweeps, audacious lofted cover drives and belting Dilshan for two huge sixes over long-on on the way to his 13th Test century.

It wouldn't have taken him much longer to join Kallis in making a double but in order to give themselves maximum time bowling at the Sri Lankans, the declaration came, neatly for Jacques Rudolph, who had just completed a swift unbeaten 51 in 71 balls, 30 minutes before tea.

Thirimanne showed solid defence while Dilshan was the aggressor in their 70-run partnership which ended when MOrne Morkel bowled Thirmanne.

Dilshan fell when, after hitting 12 fours in just 79 balls, he lofted leg-spinner Imran Tahir to Graeme Smith at long on.

Kumar Sangakkara was unbeaten on 35 and Mahela Jayawardene survived a huge leg-before shout off the bowling of Tahir to make it to stumps on seven, with their side needing both men to put together a big partnership to prevent South Africa homing on a series-clinching victory.

© Cricket World 2012