SA thrash Lanka for 4-0 lead

Jacques Kallis completed the fastest 4,000 runs and 100 wickets one-day double as South Africa thrashed Sri Lanka by 99 runs at Cape Town on Thursday to take a 4-0 winning lead in their six-match series.

South Africa's 290 for seven was always too much for the visitors, who managed only 191 in reply.

The hosts' commanding all-round performance was highlighted by Kallis with 82 to complete the double, opener Boeta Dippenaar's career-best 77, and a South African record fifth successive half-century from Jonty Rhodes.

Not to be outdone, paceman Makhaya Ntini earned the man-of-the-match award for his career-best five for 37.

Romesh Kaluwitharana and Mahela Jayawardene were the exceptions with 74 and 37 respectively, as the Sri Lankan batting crumbled in the face of some fine, disciplined bowling.

Captain and opener Sanath Jayasuriya was caught at cover off Roger Telemachus for 12 and his dismissal sparked the regular fall of top-order wickets.

Kaushalya Weeraratne was bowled by Ntini, Marvan Atapattu fell to a smart catch in the gully by Shaun Pollock off Kallis and when Kaluwitharana was finally bowled by Ntini, Sri Lanka were 150 for five and required nearly 10 runs per over.

Jayawardene's departure hastened the inevitable, and the Sri Lankans were bowled out soon afterwards.

South Africa captain Pollock had little hesitation in deciding to bat first when he won the toss and the way his batsmen responded vindicated him entirely.

The total was a record for a side batting first at Newlands, comfortably beating the 258 for seven by New Zealand last November.

Kallis led the way, although he should have been dismissed on 55 when wicketkeeper Kaluwitharana spilled one of the simplest chances he will ever be offered off an irate Muttiah Muralitharan.

Kallis went on to smash three massive sixes, eventually falling in the final over.

He also became only the sixth player, but comfortably the fastest, to compile 4,000 runs and 100 wickets in one-day internationals.

Kallis, making his 118th limited overs appearance for his country, beat the record set by Jayasuriya, who achieved the mark in 151 appearances for his country.

The other players to have reached the milestone are Hansie Cronje, Viv Richards, Carl Hooper and Steve Waugh.

Dippenaar played some delightful strokes off the front foot, while Rhodes was his usual busy self, scoring at a run-a-ball.

The only real failure for the South Africans was opener Herschelle Gibbs, brilliantly caught at square-leg by a diving Weeraratne off Chaminda Vaas for 13.

It was the third successive failure for Gibbs since his return to the national side after his ban.

The fifth one-day international is scheduled for Bloemfontein on Sunday.

Mail Cricket Editor