Lunch South Africa 453 for 4 (de Villiers 84*) v Sri Lanka
There was a sense of déjà vu as the action unfolded on the second morning at Newlands. Sri Lanka were systematically deflated in the pre-lunch session, raising visions of a nightmarish day, such as the one India had endured a few hours earlier in a different part of the world. Like Michael Clarke in Sydney, Jacques Kallis strolled inevitably to a double-century in front of his home crowd. Like in Centurion, where he had scored his only previous double-ton in December 2010, Kallis had AB de Villiers for company when he reached the landmark. Back then, de Villiers had smashed the fastest century by a South African. This time he was on the verge of a more sedate but equally assured ton, though Kallis succumbed to boredom at the stroke of lunch.
Sri Lanka began the day against two world-class batsmen, under bright sunshine, with the pitch at the flattest it is likely to be over the course of the Test. As if to reiterate their woeful position, five of the first 12 balls sped to the boundary. Two of those were outside edges from de Villiers that ran through a sparsely populated slip cordon, but Sri Lanka couldn't have been blamed for not having too many catchers. The three other boundaries were vintage Kallis strokes, unfurled seemingly for the benefit of those who may have missed the first day's action - the sumptuous cover drive, the violent pull in front of square, and the coaxed on-drive that gained speed as it bounded down the ground.
Sri Lanka had their rare moments, but weren't alert enough to make them count. Dhammika Prasad got one to take Kallis' edge as it moved away off the seam, but Mahela Jayawardene couldn't hold on to a regulation take at second slip. That was in the third over of the day, and by the time the second chance came, Sri Lanka were down to just one fly slip. Angelo Mathews produced a nifty legcutter that reared up alarmingly and jumped away, though it was delivered at a speed of just 121 kph. Kallis fended and got another edge, but Jayawardene couldn't reach it as he dived desperately to the left.
The fields were spread out, but the runs flowed generously all the same. Sri Lanka managed only two maidens in the session, and the first one left Welegedara pleasantly surprised as Kallis shouldered arms six times. Their plight was epitomised by a breath-taking stroke from de Villiers off Mathews. The ball landed short of a length, well outside off stump, with the field set on the off side. Only mid-on, deep backward square leg and deep midwicket patrolled the leg side, and de Villiers tagetted the gap at wide mid-on by skipping across audaciously and whipping against the angle.
A robust cut and another punched drive through mid-on took Kallis through the 190s, and he brought up the double by chopping Perera through point. Just as murmurs of a first 300 by a South African batsman began to do the rounds, Kallis lost his concentration and gifted Rangana Herath his wicket with a feeble lofted drive. That breach gave Sri Lanka some heart after Herath had got a few to spin and bounce sharply. de Villiers and the lower order, though, will be keen on keeping them on the field for the bulk of the day.
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