CENTURION, March 30: South African captain Hansie Cronje slammed the second fastest fifty in Test history to propel his side to a six-wicket victory on the fourth day of the second and final cricket Test against Sri Lanka at Centurion Park here today.Cronje reached his half-century off 31 balls to break the stranglehold of Sri Lanka's dangerman, off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan, and went on to make 82 off 62 balls before being caught in the deep when South Africa were just 13 runs short of their target of 228.
The victory gave South Africa a 2-0 win in the two-match series.
Cronje came to the wicket when South Africa were struggling at 99 for three.
At that stage Muralitharan had figures of three for 22 in 13 overs but Cronje's assault meant that the spinner's next 10.5 overs cost 72 runs including 22 in the over in which Cronje raised his half-century with 4, 6, 6, 6 off successive deliveries. His fifty included five sixes and threefours.
Kapil Dev hit the fastest Test fifty off 30 balls for Indiaagainst Pakistan in Karachi in 1982-83 season.
The only chance Cronje gave was on 78 when Aravinda de Silva could not hold a hard, low hit to long-on off left-arm spinner Sanath Jayasuriya and the ball went through his hands for four.
Cronje was out to the next ball, caught by De Silva when he mistimed another big hit.
He had been at the crease for 70 minutes, faced 62 balls and hit eight fours and six sixes.
Opener Gary Kirsten stayed to hit the winning runs and was not out on 75, scored in 233 minutes off 203 balls with 13 fours.
Kirsten and new cap Gerhardus Liebenberg, who had been out first ball in the first innings, put on 89 for the first wicket to build a good foundation.
Sri Lanka were earlier all out for 122 after starting the day at 93 for seven. South African fast bowler Allan Donald claimed the last two wickets to finish with five for 54, his 11th five-wicket haul in Test matches. He was named Man of the Match.
SCOREBOARD
Sri Lanka (1st innings): 303
South Africa (1stinnings): 200
Sri Lanka (2nd innings; overnight 93-7): S Jayasuriya b Donald 16, M Atapattu c Boucher b Donald 7, R Mahanama lbw b Donald 0, A de Silva run out 41, A Ranatunga c Boucher b Cronje 0, H Tillekeratne c sub (Crookes) b Cronje 0, R Kaluwitherana run out 0, P Wickremasinghe b Adams 21, N Zoysa c Boucher b Donald 14, M Muralitharan c Kirsten b Donald 15, P Pushpakumara not out 0. Extras (lb 5 nb 3): 8. Total (all out in 41.3 overs): 122.
Fall of wickets: 1-19, 2-19, 3-40, 4-40, 5-42, 6-42, 7-85 8-98, 9-118.Bowling: Donald 13.3-2-54-5, Ntini 6-2-13-0, Kallis 7-3-12-0, Cronje 8-3-13-2, Adams 7-1-25-1.
South Africa (2nd innings): G Kirsten not out 75, G Liebenberg lbw b Muralitharan 45, HD Ackerman b Muralitharan 2, D Cullinan lbw b Muralitharan 0, H Cronje c de Silva b Jayasuriya 82, J Kallis not out 0; Extras (nb11, b8, lb3): 22. Total (for four wickets, 62.5 overs): 226
Fall of wickets: 1-89, 2-99, 3-99, 4-215.
Bowling:Pushpakumara 7-2-27-0, Zyosa 2-0-11-0, Wickremasinghe 6-1-7-0, de Silva 5-1-14-0, Muralitharan 23.5-4-94-3, Jayasuriya 19-6-62-1
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
