Cricket: Donald makes sure of victory

South Africa 418 & 264 Sri Lanka 306 & 306 South Africa win by 70 runs

TWO wickets off successive deliveries by Allan Donald set up victory for South Africa on the final day of the first Test against Sri Lanka in Cape Town yesterday.

Sri Lanka, chasing 377 to win, were all out for 306 when South Africa's debutant Makhaya Ntini bowled Pramodya Wickramasinghe after the tail- ender had made a defiant 51.

Sri Lanka had advanced to 234 for 5 when Donald, in his second over with the new ball, trapped Hashan Tillakaratne lbw for 13, ending a 59-run partnership with Romesh Kaluwitharana. Chaminda Vaas was controversially adjudged caught behind off the next ball.

In the next over, Shaun Pollock bowled Kaluwitharana, who had hammered 45 off 60 balls. Wickramasinghe went on the attack against the fast bowlers, hammering a 39-ball fifty before the home side struck back to seal victory with 37.5 overs to spare.

Despite Donald's efforts, this Test at Newlands will be remembered for Ntini's debut. The first black cricketer to represent South Africa in a Test finished with match figures of 2 for 74 from 15.3 overs and has yet to be dismissed in Test cricket, thanks to not-out innings of three and nought.

However, the captain, Hansie Cronje, held him out of the attack for over three hours yesterday, until Ntini responded to his belated call by wrapping up victory with only his third ball. His every contribution was cheered by a multi-racial crowd, who must wait to see if he is retained in the team for the second Test at Centurion Park, starting on Friday.

Final day; South Africa won toss

SOUTH AFRICA - First Innings 418 (D J Cullinan 113, S M Pollock 92, G Kirsten 62; M Muralitharan 4-135).

SRI LANKA - First Innings 306 (P A de Silva 77, M S Attapattu 60; S M Pollock 4-83).

SOUTH AFRICA - Second Innings 264 (W J Cronje 74, D J Cullinan 68; M Muralitharan 4-108).

SRI LANKA - Second Innings

(Overnight: 120-3)

M S Attapattu c and b Adams 71

*A Ranatunga c Kirsten b Kallis 43

H P Tillakaratne lbw b Donald 13

R S Kaluwitharana b Pollock 45

W P U J C Vaas c Boucher b Donald 0

G P Wickramasinghe b Ntini 51

M Muralitharan run out 10

K R Pushpakumara not out 9

Extras (b5 lb3 nb8) 16

Total 306

Fall (cont): 4-171 5-175 6-234 7-234 8-239 9-287.

Bowling: Donald 20-4-64-3; Pollock 23-3-77-2 (7nb); Kallis 15-5-45-1 (1nb); Ntini 5.3-0-17-1; Adams 27-3-90-2; Cronje 5-3-5-0.

Umpires: D L Orchard (SA) and R S Dunne (NZ).