Pollock's record onslaught has Lanka reeling

Paul Martin in Cape Town

Could Shaun Pollock have set a new world Test record on Tuesday? He took seven wickets in a row without conceding a run, in the two Sri Lankan first innings of this series. Get out those Wisdens.

He captured three wickets in five balls to wrap up the Sri Lanka innings in the first Test in Durban last week, in the process capturing his 200th Test wicket.

Then, on Tuesday, in the second Test, Pollock ripped through the Sri Lankan line-up after Sanath Jayasuriya won the toss and decided to bat on a good wicket under sunny skies.

The South African captain and the world’s top-ranked bowler took the first four wickets, and then rounded off his glorious morning with a sharp catch at slip.

South Africa surged into a first innings lead before the close of play, scoring 130 for two, after Pollock took six for 30 as Sri Lanka crashed to 95 all out.

The Sri Lankans were virtually defenceless against a bombardment of short-pitched bowling after Pollock ripped the heart out of their batting with a spell of four wickets for no runs in 13 deliveries.

Mfuneko Ngam took three for 26 as he and Pollock exploited a pitch with good bounce and some lateral movement after Sri Lanka won the toss and batted.

All 10 Sri Lankan batsmen were caught, seven in the cordon between wicketkeeper and gully.

Herschelle Gibbs, recalled to the South African team after a six-month ban for conspiring in match fixing, was out second ball for nought but Gary Kirsten (52) and Jacques Kallis (49 not out) put on 96 for the second wicket.

Pollock began in the third over by having Marvan Atapattu caught by Kallis at second slip for 5. Next over, Pollock enticed an outside edge from Jayasuriya to give Mark Boucher the catch. It was 13 for two with Jayasuriya making 8 of them.

It got worse. Three balls later Mahela Jayawardene gave Kallis his second catch -- so low down that the third umpire Wilf Diedricks gave the decision on a video replay.

Pollock then had Russel Arnold caught when he flicked Pollock’s delivery to Gary Kirsten at short leg. Pollock had taken four for none in the space of 13 balls.

Then he was heavily punished -- heavily by his recent standards!! He gave away nine runs and came off with figures of 9-4.

That's when he got into the act again, with Tillekeratne Dilshan driving at Kallis, for Pollock to dive low for a catch at third slip. It was 33 for 5.

Kumar Sangakkara, meanwhile, had been having a torrid time. He fell over when ducking a bouncer from South Africa's new young speedster Mfuneko Ngam. He snicked a four past Boucher, and on 13 he was very lucky not to be given out lbw off Kallis. And then, one run later, he edged a Makhaya Ntini delivery just over the top of his off stump. It went for four.

Still, he and Avishka Gunawardene somehow survived until lunch, with Sangakkara on 30 and Gunawardene on 13.

The Sri Lankans made one change to their first Test team. Avishka Gunawardene replaced wicketkeeper Romesh Kaluwitharana, with Kumar Sangakkara taking over behind the stumps. In the South African side the now unbanned Herschelle Gibbs came in for Boeta Dippenaar.

Mail Cricket Editor