Sangakkara leads Sri Lankan charge after South Africa’s surprise declaration

New Proteas captain Hashim Amla's decision to declare turned match on its head

Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara, left, and Kaushal Silva run between the wickets during the fourth day of the first Test against South Africa in Galle on July 19, 2014. Dinuka Liyanawatte / Reuters

GALLE, Sri Lanka // Kumar Sangakkara smashed his 49th half-century as Sri Lanka launched a fightback on the fourth day of the first Test against South Africa on Saturday.

The prolific left-hander also shared 96 runs in an unbroken second-wicket partnership with Kaushal Silva (37) to take Sri Lanka to 110 for one at stumps.

The hosts need 260 runs with nine wickets in hand to pull off a magical come-from-behind win with three full sessions left in the match.

“In a situation like this where you have 90 overs to bat, a win is not guaranteed, but there is a chance,” Sri Lankan coach Marvan Atapattu said after the day’s play.

“It’s a challenging total, but we’ve got a team which is willing to fight.”

Sri Lanka had been forced onto the back foot after they were bowled out for 292 to concede a 163-run lead in the first innings.

But a sporting declaration by new South African captain Hashim Amla at the tea score of 206-6 turned the game on its head.

Although no team has ever scored more than 300 runs in the final innings at Galle, the 36-year-old Sangakkara made a target of 370 look achievable.

The star batsman hit seven fours and a six in his 58-run knock that came off 89 deliveries.

South Africa began their defence well, with Dale Steyn again giving his side the early breakthrough by dismissing opener Upul Tharanga for 14.

But Sangakkara stood like a rock at the other end, once dispatching a full toss from Tahir over the midwicket fence for six.

He completed his half-century in style, sweeping leg-spinner Imran Tahir through midwicket for a four. Silva also knocked off some easy runs, smacking part-timer Jean-Paul Duminy for two fours in a row.

“Look, they are very much in the contest, there’s no doubt about it. But so are we,” South African coach Russell Domingo said.

“We are set up for a cracker of a day tomorrow [Sunday]. If we take two early wickets, we will be right on top of the game.”

Earlier, AB De Villiers hit six boundaries in his 58-ball 51 and also shared 62 runs with Quinton de Kock (36) to set up the South African second innings.

To their credit, the Sri Lankan spinners exploited well the dry and dusty track, accounting for all the wickets that fell in the South African second innings.

Off-spinner Dilruwan Perera picked an impressive 4-79 while Rangana Herath took 2-84.

South Africa had wrapped up the Sri Lankan innings in the fifth over of the day, with the hosts adding just nine runs to their overnight 283-9.

Elsewhere, Domingo denied his team was earning a reputation for tampering with the ball after Vernon Philander became the second Proteas bowler in the past nine months to be penalised for the offence.

Philander was fined 75 per cent of his match fees on Friday after footage emerged of him attempting to change the condition of the ball by scratching the surface with his fingers and thumb during the third day of the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle.

“No, I don’t think so [that we are earning a reputation]. I would hate to say that other sides are a bit better at doing it than we are,” Domingo said on Saturday. “We don’t try to do it intentionally. He [Philander] said he was cleaning it, but it’s [now] done.”

South Africa were involved in a similar incident during the second Test against Pakistan in the UAE last October.

In Dubai, TV coverage showed Faf du Plessis rubbing the ball close to the zip of his trouser pocket. The bowler was later fined 50 per cent of his match fees.

The coach said he had not seen the latest footage and it was hard for him to comment in detail.

“We need to move on and put it behind us,” Domingo said. “Nine times out of 10, if they have footage you will be found guilty.

“We try to play the game in the right spirit. It’s not something we set out to do. Maybe it’s something we should cut out completely.

“But at the same time, I haven’t seen the footage so it’s difficult to comment on. The umpires say the condition of the ball wasn’t changed at all, and that says it all.”

Philander has bowled 21 overs in the match without taking a wicket, allowing 44 runs in the process.

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