It was the 1525th Test match in cricket history. It was South Africa's 249th and Sri Lanka's 106th Test. It was the ninth Test between the two sides. The record now reads: South Africa 5, Sri Lanka 1, drawn 3. It was the third Test between the two sides in South Africa. The record now reads: South Africa 2, drawn 1. It was the 28th match on this ground-first between these two sides. Umpires Dave Orchard and Riazuddin officiated in their 21st and ninth Test respectively. South Africa's first innings total (420) is its highest against Sri Lanka in South Africa. This obliterates the previous highest of 418 at Cape Town in 1997-98. Incidentally South Africa's all time highest against Sri Lanka-home or awaystill remains as 495 at Colombo SSC in 1993-94. Gary Kirsten's innings (180) is the highest by a South African against Sri Lanka beating Hansie Cronje's 122 at Colombo SSC in 1993-94. Incidentally the previous highest individual innings for South Africa in South Africa was Daryll Cullinan's 113 at Cape Town in 1997-98. Both Sri Lankan openers-Marvan Atapattu and Sanath Jayasuriya-were dismissed without scoring in first innings. This was the second such instance for this pair. Interestingly the previous instance was also against South Africa at Kandy in August 2000. Overall it was the fourth such instance for Sri Lanka. Sidath Wettimuny and Susil Fernando (v Australia at Kandy in 1982-83) and Roshan Mahanama and Chandika Hathurasinghe (v South Africa at Colombo SSC in 1993-94) provided the other two occurences. When he dismissed Nuwan Zoysa, Shaun Pollock completed his 200 wickets in Test cricket. He was playing his 49th Test. Pollock became the second South African after Allan Donald (308 wickets in 64 Tests) and 37th bowler overall to do so. Pollock also completed the allround double of 1000 runs and 200 wickets in Tests. He became the 15th allrounder to do so. He is also the fourth joint quickest to do so alongwith West Indian Malcolm Marshall and after Englishman Ian Botham (41 Tests), New Zealander Hadlee (44 Tests) and Pakistan's Imran Khan (45 Tests). The duck in first innings was 15th for Muralitharan in his 58th Test. Interestingly Muralitharan has not succeeded in opening his account in last four innings. His sequence is : 0, 0, 0* and 0. Sri Lanka at one stage 170 for two was bundled out for 216 in first innings thus losing last 8 wickets for only 46 runs. Only twice before Sri Lanka had lost last 8 wickets for lesser runs. Sri Lanka was dismissed for 82 after being 50 for two against India at Chandigarh in 1990-91 (losing last 8 wickets for only 32 runs) and from 140 for two to 175 all out against England at Colombo PSS in 1981-82. Sri Lanka, however, is nowhere near New Zealand's performance which was bowled out for 42 from a position of 37 for two (losing last 8 wickets for only 5 runs) against Australia at Wellington in 1945-46. The third wicket partnership of 168 runs between Kumara Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawerdena is Sri Lanka's best for this wicket against South Africa. This obliterates the previous record stand of 129 between Marvan Atapattu and Aravinda de Silva at Cape Town in 1997-98. The third wicket partnership contributed 77.77 % of Sri Lanka's first innings total of 216. This is a new Test record. The previous record of 76.54% was held by Australians Alick Bannerman and Percy McDonnell when they added 199 for the fourth wicket, only for the team to be dismissed for 260 against England at 1881-82. Shaun Pollock did not ask Sri Lanka to follow-on despite gaining a first innings lead of 204. He became the third South African skipper to do so after Ali Bacher who choose to bat second time against Australia at Cape Town in 1969-70 and Hansie Cronje who did not enforce follow-on against Pakistan at Johannesburg in 1994-95. However, (unlike this occasion) South Africa emerged winner on both previous occasions. Muralitharan completed 300 wickets in Test cricket when he had Shaun Pollock caught by Tuwan Dilshan in second innings. He became the first Sri Lankan and 17th bowler in Test annals to reach this landmark. The speed at which the Sri Lankan has got to his 300th wicket is astonishing. Only one man, Australian Dennis Lillee, did it in fewer Tests (55 as compared with Muraltharan's 58). Muralitharan's second innings figures of 6 for 39 is the best by a Sri Lankan bowler on South African soil. The previous best was 5 for 63 also by Muralitharan at Centurion in 1997-98. Muralitharan's match figures (11 for 161) are the best by any bowler against South Africa in South Africa since its return to international cricket. The previous best was Waqar Younis' 10 for 133 at Port Elizabeth in 1997-98. Mahela Jayawerdena's 98 in first innings is the highest score in the nineties in South Africa- Sri Lanka Tests surpassing Lance Klusener's unbeaten 95 at Colombo SSC in 2000-01. Incidentally the previous highest by a Sri Lankan batsman without reaching three figure mark was 92 by Hashan Tillekeratne at Moratuwa in 1993-94. It was the second time Jayawerdena was becoming a victim of nervous nineties in his career. He had made 91 against Zimbabwe at Harare in 1999-00. Muralitharan has now taken 69 wickets in just nine Tests against South Africa which makes him the third most successful bowler against South Africa alongwith England's Brian Statham (69 wickets in 16 Tests @ 20.67) and after England's Syd Barnes (83 in 7 @ 9.86) and Australia's Clarrie Grimmett (77 in 10 @ 15.57). Muralitharan has now taken five wicket innings hauls on 24 occasions, which equals England's Syd Barnes tally. Now only New Zealander Richard Hadlee (36 hauls in 86 Tests), Englishman Ian Botham (27 in 102) and Pakistani Wasim Akram (25 in 100) have taken more five wicket hauls than Muralitharan. Jayawerdena's innings is also the highest for Sri Lanka in South Africa beating Aravinda de Silva's 77 at Cape Town in 1997-98. When he dismissed Russel Arnold in the second innings, Shaun Pollock completed the allround double of 1000 runs and 100 wickets in first class matches at this venue. Pollock became the second player to do so after Mike Procter who had a career aggregate of 1616 runs and 164 wickets in first class matches at this ground. 