Sri Lanka’s formidable battery of tireless spinners bowled them to within five wickets of a 2-0 series sweep over South Africa as the tourists continued to struggle against the turning ball in the second and final test on Sunday. Chasing an improbable target of 490 to level the series, the tourists finished day three on 139-5, their highest total in the spin-dominated series, at Colombo’s Sinhalese Sports Club Ground. Mathews made 71 before being dismissed by South Africa’s left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj who finished with a 12-wicket match haul. Sri Lanka captain Suranga Lakmal soon declared on 275 for five, before unleashing his three-pronged spin attack who blew away the top half of the South African batting line-up. Lakmal, the lone paceman in the Sri Lanka attack, did not bowl himself in the first innings and has yet to roll his arm in the second as his spinners wreaked havoc against the leaden-footed South Africans.

Source: Hindustan Times July 22, 2018 12:33 UTC