Philander Shares The Love

Philander 5-53

Vernon Philander continued where he started against Australia last month with a dominant display of pace bowling against the vulnerable Sri Lankan batting line up at Super Sports Park in Centurion. South African captain, Graeme Smith, won the toss and invited Sri Lanka to bat. His pace attack would have been licking their lips in anticipation of a hearty meal in prospect on what looked a pacey strip.

Dale Steyn and Philander soon had the opposition in trouble, with Tillerkeratne Dilshan and Kumar Sangakkar both gone within six overs. It was another abysmal shot from the Sri Lankan captain, playing a cross batted slog to a ball that was at best slightly short of a length from Steyn and skying it to Philander at mid wicket. Sangakkara got one from Philander which jumped at him. Early in an innings anyone would be suspect against such quality and Sangakkara could only parry it to Jacques Kallis at second slip.

A series of handy contributions first from opener Tharanga Paranavitana, then Mahela Jayawardene, Thilan Samaraweera and Angelo Mathews bolstered the score. Samaraweera and Mathews had the best partnership with 65 for the 5th wicket but Philander just kept knocking them down each time they started to haul themselves up from the canvas. The tail collapsed as Steyn returned with his exocets firing straight through meagre defences but it was Philander, with his third five wicket return in five Test innings, who was the destroyer, taking down five of the top seven. The South African's missed nothing, with Kallis snaring three at slip, including a beauty via Mark Boucher's thigh from Thisara Perera off the leg spinner Imran Tahir. Boucher picked up two catches, both won on referrals from feathers which barely dusted edges but the batsmen were found guilty by Hotspot.

South Africa had the last session to bat and progressed slower than the more adventurous Sri Lankans but knocked off half of the deficit by stumps. Graeme Smith was the only casualty, lbw to Fernando with only an over left. His had been a bright half century, driving beautifully, especially early in his innings but only after escaping yet another inside edge in the second over which shaved his off stump. Jacques Rudolph, knowing he needs runs to justify the chance the selectors have taken with him, dug in for a long stay. The Sri Lankan bowled to set plans and executed them well. The task lies ahead of them to dismiss this talent batting line up which ripples with runs but the batsmen have left them in defence of too little.