Lankans outclass young Natal team

Sri Lanka gained the second victory of their South African tour when they beat a KwaZulu-Natal XI by 57 runs at the Chatsworth Oval on Tuesday, but they may well have been left wondering exactly what had been achieved.

Exactly one week before the first Test match against South Africa the Sri Lankans found themselves playing a one-day game against a young and understrength Natal team. If that makes little sense, then think about an itinerary which goes: two one-day internationals, two Test matches, four one-day internationals, one Test.

It's fair to say, then Tuesday's match did very little for the tourists in terms of getting them ready for Kingsmead on Boxing Day. And it was, perhaps because of its pointlessness, a fairly desultory affair.

Sri Lanka's 266 for eight was built around Mahela Jayawardene's 85, an innings which lasted 88 and in which Jayawardene helped himself to seven fours and a six. There were contributions of 28 from Kumar Sangakkara and 23 from Russel Arnold, but the kick towards the end came from Chaminda Vaas who thumped out 52 off 41 balls, clubbing three sixes during the course of his innings.

Vaas probably felt it was the least he owed his team. Virtually the first thing he did on arriving at the crease was to run out Arnold.

In reply Natal slipped to 120 for seven before Gulam Bodi, with 53, and Gary Gilder (28) got stuck into the Sri Lankan bowling. They put on 70 for the eighth wicket, but it was very much a case of being too little too late and the innings lasted two balls less than 45 overs before closing at 209.

Sri Lanka now play a three-day game against Natal in Pietermaritzburg in circumstances that, all being well, should more closely approximate what they might expect in next week's Test match.