South Africa struggle after partnership ends

COLOMBO, July 30 (Reuters) Sri Lanka pace bowler Dilhara Fernando broke a record opening stand and South Africa lost a trio of batsmen in quick succession to reach 209 for three wickets at tea on the fourth day of the first test today.

South Africa's Jacques Rudolph and Andrew Hall had resisted the home side's bowlers during the morning with a 165-run partnership before Fernando claimed two wickets during a probing post-lunch spell.

Skipper Ashwell Prince (17 not out) and AB de Villiers (nine not out), focused on survival after the loss of wickets and the pair escaped a handful of half chances and strong appeals to reach the tea interval still 378 runs adrift of Sri Lanka.

Dismissed for 169 in their first innings, South Africa resumed their second on 43-0 after the host's had piled up 756-5, and the tourists face the daunting task of batting out another four sessions to save the test with just seven wickets intact.

Following his 4-48 in the first innings, Fernando toyed with Rudolph outside the off stump before finding the outside edge.

Chamara Kapugedera took a fine low catch at second slip.

Opening in place of an unwell Herschelle Gibbs, Rudolph finished with 90 from 182 balls having hit 13 boundaries during a positive and solid innings.

The opening stand was a first-wicket record for South Africa against Sri Lanka, surpassing the 137 scored by Keppler Wessels and Andrew Hudson in 1993/94 at the same venue.

Fernando quickly followed-up with the wicket of Hashim Amla (two) with a full-length in-swinging delivery that trapped the right-hander lbw.

Skipper Mahela Jayawardene, employing innovative fields, used a combination of pace and spin throughout most of the second session as the old ball started to reverse swing for first Fernando and then Farveez Maharoof.

Spinner Muttiah Muralitharan, who was earlier denied a catch off Hall at bat-pad, claimed his first scalp of the innings when Hall was adjudged lbw to an off break bowled around the wicket.

Fernando finished with 2-40 from 13 overs.

Gibbs will only be able to bat at number seven after being laid-low by a virus during day two and three.

The second test starts on August 4 at the P. Sara Oval, also in Colombo.

REUTERS DH RS1556