28 December,2011 08:20 AM IST | | AFP
Left-arm opening bowler Chanaka Welegedera produced a career-best fifer while spinner Rangana Herath took four to put Sri Lanka in the ascendancy on Day Two of the second Test against South Africa at Kingsmead yesterday.
Chanaka Welegedera after his fifer yesterday. Pic/Getty Images
Welegedera took 5-52 and Herath claimed 4-49 as South Africa were dismissed for 168 on a good batting pitch, giving Sri Lanka a first innings lead of 170. They were 7-1, losing captain Tillekeratne Dilshan, before bad light stopped play.
Sri Lankan century-maker Thilan Samaraweera attributed the astonishing turnaround in his team's fortunes to hard talk and hard work after they were thrashed by an innings and 81 runs in the first Test at Centurion.
"In the last five years I have never seen the team practise so hard," said Sa- maraweera. The middle-order batsman said team management and senior players had rallied the squad. "We talked a lot after that (Centurion) game," he said.
