Final test turning into anticlimax

The final test match of a previously enthralling series has become an anticlimax, a victim of the timid approach of both sides and the return of the monsoon. At the end of the forth day at the Sinhalese Sports Club the match now looks set to be a draw.

Play was delayed in the morning due to heavy overnight rains and was then abandoned after tea due to a torrential tropical storm that left large pools of surface water on the outfield. The ground is reaching saturation point and a heavy shower in the morning may well terminate the match prematurely.

If it does then there will be few disappointed. The cricket in the last two days has been insipid and dull. Both sides have appeared too fearful of defeat in a game that was there for the taking, but cried out for someone with the necessary guts to grasp the initiative.

In the 69 overs that were bowled today South Africa progressed from their overnight score of 27 without loss to 157 for five. Content to crawl ahead at under two runs per over one feels that South Africa have missed an opportunity to win a series they had seemed destined to lose just 10 days ago.

The mental scars of their failed run chase in Kandy cannot have completely healed and with the additional pressure of chasing to win the series, a series win that would make history, the Sri Lankans could well have struggled. They may well do still of course, if the weather holds and the scheduled 105 overs are bowled.

In South Africa's defense, the match remained evenly poised throughout most of the day and there is always the perennial threat of Muttiah Muralitharan running through the side. Indeed at one stage South Africa slipped to 59 for 3, losing three wickets for just nine runs.

Neil Mckenzie (17) and Gary Kirsten (40) had added 50 for the first wicket with ease before poor McKenzie was run out on the brink of his first significant test innings. Reacting late to Gary Kirsten's call he was unable to beat Jayasuriya's throw to the non-strikers end.

In the next over, Aravinda De Silva, who had bowled his experienced off breaks with guile throughout the morning, bowled Jacques Kallis off his bat after an undecided poke at the turning ball.

The loss of the wickets forced Kirsten into his shell and he became strokeless, content to monotonously defend Muralitharan. The game now stagnating Darryl Cullinan (3) fuelled Kirsten's fear when he was brilliantly caught by Russel Arnold at silly point.

Jonty Rhodes (54), perky as ever, enlivened the game briefly with some attacking intent. Picking up three boundaries off the spinners he made up for his partners inertia and South Africa went into lunch on 84 for 3.

After lunch, with the exception of when Rhodes picked up 13 runs from De Silva's 18th and last over, the South African batsmen struggled to score freely off the spinners. Kirsten was eventually trapped LBW and even Lance Klusener, who scored 17 from his first 17 deliveries but only 10 from his next fifty, did not raise the tempo.

The pair added 45 runs for the sixth wicket before Jonty Rhodes was wrongly adjudged to have been caught at silly point. Umpire B.C. Cooray took and age to make the decision but the ball had clearly evaded the bat. Jonty Rhodes was clearly displeased and refused to comment afterwards saying: "I don't want to talk in case I say something that I regret."