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| Mahela Jayawardene after Sri Lanka’s win on Tuesday |
Colombo: Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene stroked a superb 123 to help his team to a dramatic one-wicket victory over South Africa on the final day of the second Test on Tuesday, giving the hosts a 2-0 series win.
Sri Lanka, resuming the day on 262 for five and needing 90 for the win, added 71 in the morning for the loss of just one wicket to leave them just 19 runs shy of victory at lunch.
But left-arm spinner Nicky Boje tempted Jayawardene into a lofted extra-cover drive with Sri Lanka needing just 11 runs and Herschelle Gibbs snapped up a sharp chance at slip to trigger one final dramatic twist to a remarkable Test match.
Fresh from his 374 in the first Test - the fourth-highest individual Test innings –– Jayawardene batted brilliantly for his 16th Test hundred. He became only the fifth player to compile more than 500 runs in a two-Test series.
Chaminda Vaas (4) was then brilliantly caught by a diving AB de Villiers at third slip and Muttiah Muralidharan (2) was bowled by Andrew Hall as he tried to slog the winning runs, leaving Sri Lanka still needing two runs.
However, Farveez Maharoof unbeaten on 29, who batted for 120 deliveries, held his nerve with a drive down the ground to tie the scores and last-man Lasith Malinga drove Boje through mid-on to clinch victory.
Jayawardene’s sublime innings, which spanned 245 deliveries and included 11 boundaries and two sixes, provided the foundation for the victory. Sri Lanka’s 352-run chase was the highest on home soil. It was also Sri Lanka’s highest successful chase and the sixth highest in Test history.
The highest Sri Lanka had chased to win a Test previously was its 326 against Zimbabwe nine years ago.
All rounder Andrew Hall gave South Africa early hope with a reverse-swinging delivery that trapped wicketkeeper Prasanna Jayawardene leg before for 30, ending a 78-run sixth-wicket stand.
The touring side then missed Maharoof, on two, twice in an over as Mark Boucher fumbled a stumping opportunity and Hashim Amla spilled a chance.
HOT CHASES
Sri Lanka snatched a dramatic one-wicket victory over South Africa on the final day of the second Test on Tuesday, clinching the series 2-0. Following are the 260-plus successful Test run chases in the subcontinent:
352/9 — Sri Lanka vs South Africa (06-07), Colombo (PSS)
326/5 — Sri Lanka vs Zimbabwe (97-98), Colombo (SSC)
315/9 — Pakistan vs Australia (94-95), Karachi
307/7 — Australia vs Bangladesh (05-06), Fatullah
276/5 — West Indies vs India (87-88), Delhi
264/3 — India vs Sri Lanka (01-02), Kandy
262/9 — Pakistan vs Bangladesh (2003), Multan
