Kallis, Rhodes set up South African victory

Jacques Kallis hit an unbeaten century as South Africa overcame an alarming injury list and gained their eighth successive limited overs win when they beat Sri Lanka by eight wickets in the third international at Boland Park in Paarl on Tuesday.

The win achieved with seven balls to spare gave the home side a 3-0 lead in the six match series.

Faced with a challenging target of 248, South Africa were set on the way to victory by Boeta Dippenaar, who made 65, and Jacques Kallis, who finished 100 not out, put on 111 for the second wicket.

Jonty Rhodes then gave the innings crucial impetus as he made a sparkling unbeaten 75 off 59 balls.

Earlier, Sri Lankan captain Sanath Jayasuriya made a return to form, hitting 66 in a Sri Lankan total of 247 for four.

The left-handed Jayasuriya put on 110 for the first wicket with Romesh Kaluwitharana, who went on to make top score of 83.

Kallis, who received treatment for a bruised right hand after dropping Kaluwitharana, took his right hand off his bat several times early in his innings but appeared to be batting more comfortably as his innings progressed.

Kallis played the anchor role for his team after Gibbs was trapped lbw in the third over.

Gibbs made only one to add to his duck in the second Test last week on his recall after serving a six month ban for his part in the Hansie Cronje matchfixing scandal.

It took Kallis 88 balls to reach fifty with only one four but he accelerated towards the end.

He hit a huge six over square leg off a Jayasuriya full toss in the 48th over and finished the match with his third four in the next over from Vaas to bring up his sixth one-day international century off 139 balls.

Dippenaar made his 65 off 100 balls with five fours, while Rhodes raced to his fourth consecutive one-day international half-century off 42 balls with four fours.

Earlier, Sri Lanka captain Sanath Jayasuriya returned to form as his team set a weakened South Africa a challenging target in the third limited-overs international at Boland Park on Tuesday.

The stand between Jayasuriya and Kaluwitharana equalled the Sri Lankan first wicket record against South Africa set by Chandika Hathurusinghe and Roshan Mahanama in Kandy in 1993/94.

Jayasuriya had been in poor form on the tour, scoring only ten runs in the first two one-day internationals and 34 runs in four innings in the first two Tests, won by South Africa. But he struck the ball crisply on Tuesday, hitting seven fours and a six in an 83-ball innings.

Kaluwitharana, who faced 117 balls and hit eight fours, was dropped four times, including difficult caught and bowled chances to Shaun Pollock when he had 11 and Jacques Kallis when he was on 30. He was dropped twice off Nicky Boje on 81, by Herschelle Gibbs at midwicket and Alan Dawson at wide long-on.

Dawson, 31, a late replacement after the withdrawal of Allan Donald (abscess on right elbow) and Roger Telemachus (neck spasm), had an unhappy return to international cricket conceding 58 runs in nine overs.

Jayasuriya also survived a chance when Mark Boucher leapt high and got his fingertips to a top edge off Kallis when he had 41, while Mahela Jayawardene (22) was dropped by Makhaya Ntini in the deep off Boje when he was on 15.

South Africa were hit by a further late withdrawal when opening batsman Gary Kirsten was ruled out with a bruised right hand, with Boeta Dippenaar coming back in his place.

South Africa lead the six-match series 3-0.

Mail Cricket Editor