Muralitharan bowls out South Africa for 361

COLOMBO, Aug 4 (Reuters) Sri Lanka off spinner Muttiah Muralitharan claimed his 650th victim as South Africa were bowled out for 361 on the first day of the second test today.

The hosts, leading the two-match series 1-0, dominated the morning and evening sessions after the tourists had won the toss and batted on a fine batting pitch at the P Saravanamuttu Stadium.

However, South Africa rallied during the afternoon session with a record 161 run partnership between stand-in captain Ashwell Prince (86) and middle order batsman AB de Villiers (95).

All rounder Shaun Pollock, who missed the first test to attend the birth of his second daughter, provided late resistance with a whirlwind 57 from 70 balls in the final hour of the day.

The South Africans were aggressive against Muralitharan, but could not prevent the off spinner from extending his career tally to 650 wickets as he claimed the 55th five-wicket haul of his career.

The 34-year-old finished with 5-128 from 33.4 overs.

Muralitharan, playing on his home ground, is looking to equal his own world record achieved in 2001-02 of four successive 10-wicket hauls.

Only Australia leg spinner Shane Warne has more test wickets with a career haul of 685.

Pace bowler Lasith Malinga also contributed with the ball, taking two early wickets during a fiery new ball spell and then coming back later in the day to dismiss de Villiers to finish with 3-81.

FIGHT BACK In the morning, left-armer Chaminda Vaas celebrated his return from a hamstring injury with a second-ball wicket as Herschelle Gibbs was trapped lbw for a duck by an inswinger.

Malinga beat Andrew Hall (0) with a series of outswingers before finding the outside edge in the fourth over. Tillakaratne Dilshan pouched a sharp catch in the slips.

Jacques Rudolph (13) was later bowled off-stump by a full-length delivery that swung back through the gate.

Hashim Amla, dropped by wicket-keeper Prasanna Jayawardene on 17, led a fight-back with a positive 40 from 47 deliveries, a cameo that included seven boundaries.

Muralitharan dismissed Amla with an off break that pinned him lbw on the backfoot to leave South Africa in trouble on 70-4.

But de Villiers and Prince counter-attacked with a brave stand full of positive strokeplay.

Both batsmen refused to let Muralitharan settle into his normal parsimonious groove, using their feet expertly and sweeping productively.

De Villiers was the most aggressive, striking 17 boundaries in his 141-ball 95.

Muralitharan finally broke through immediately after the tea interval as Prince was caught behind trying to force through the off side.

Wickets tumbled again as de Villiers was dubiously adjudged to have nicked a Malinga delivery that television replays indicated he had probably missed as he scuffed the ground with his bat.

Wicketkeeper Mark Boucher (32) gathered runs industriously before dragging a Muralitharan delivery onto his stumps and Nicky Boje (11) was caught at backward point.

After Dale Steyn (6) was snared by Muralitharan, Pollock hit the ball powerfully during a useful 34-run last-wicket stand that was ended in the last over of the day.

REUTERS DH RN1847