Muralitharan aiming to join '300 club'

DURBAN, DEC. 24. Sri Lankan master off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan seeks to join Test cricket's ``300 club'' in the first Test with South Africa starting on Tuesday.

Muralitharan has taken 291 wickets in 57 Tests and if he captures his 300th scalp in this series he will have done so in fewer matches than any other bowler except for Australia's Dennis Lillee, who reached 300 wickets in his 55th Test.

``I think I must get those nine wickets in the first Test, because if I get eight or nine then we will have a good chance to win,'' Muralitharan told reporters.

But he agreed that the home side's ability to play spin bowling had improved.

``When I was here in 1992 they had no idea how to play spin,'' Muralitharan said. ``When I came in '95 they were better and now they are even better. They are better than the English.''

The home side has been pitched as firm favourites to win the three-match rubber, but it could have a fight on its hands if the Sri Lankans' extravagant style of batting pays off.

With exciting batsmen like captain Sanath Jayasuriya, Mahela Jayawardene and Romesh Kaluwitharana to draw inspiration and runs from, Sri Lanka is equipped to build sizeable totals against any opposition.

However, they could also prove vulnerable to South Africa's disciplined pace bowling and their preparation for the first Test has been less than perfect with 162 overs lost to the elements in the drawn three-day match against Natal which ended in Pietermaritzburg on Friday.

``You're never happy with preparation, you just make the best with what you've got,'' Sri Lankan coach Dav Whatmore said. ``We need to get used to the hard work and pressure that lies ahead of us.''

The first Test will be played on Kingsmead's traditionally high- bouncing, seaming pitch. ``We're looking forward to bowling on it with our quicks,'' Whatmore said. ``I know South Africa is looking forward to bowling on it.''

Sri Lanka looks almost certain to select three seamers to make up its frontline attack along with Muralitharan.

South Africa, fresh from its 2-0 home series win over New Zealand, is keen to let its fast bowlers loose. ``The pitch looks quite friendly for South Africa, but we won't know for sure until we bowl on it,'' coach Graham Ford told reporters.

But he added, ``Sri Lanka has some real matchwinners and we will have to be at our best to beat them.''

South Africa goes into the match with an unchanged team from the side that drew the third Test against New Zealand. Sri Lanka has yet to finalise its line-up.

lThe teams:

South Africa: Gary Kirsten, Boeta Dippenaar, Jacques Kallis, Daryll Cullinan, Neil McKenzie, Lance Klusener, Mark Boucher, Nicky Boje, Shaun Pollock (captain), Makhaya Ntini, Mfuneko Ngam. 12th-man: Justin Ontong.

Sri Lanka (from): Sanath Jayasuriya (captain), Marvan Atapattu, Russel Arnold, Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara, Avishka Gunawardene, Tillekaratne Dilshan, Romesh Kaluwitharana, Upul Chandana, Muttiah Muralitharan, Muthumudalige Pushpakumara, Chaminda Vaas, Nuwan Zoysa, Dilhara Fernando, Kaushalya Weeraratne, Pramodya Wickramasinghe.

- Reuters

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