Sri Lanka peg back South Africa with three early wickets
Cricket
Sri Lanka made early inroads with three wickets before lunch
GQEBERHA (Reuters) - Sri Lanka made early inroads with three wickets before lunch as they pegged back South Africa to 82-3 on the opening day of the second test on Thursday.
Lahiru Kumara took his 100th test wicket as he bowled opener Aiden Markram for 20 and followed that up with the dismissal of home favourite Tristan Stubbs, who was caught behind for four runs.
Kumara’s pair of wickets, at the cost of 17 runs, came after Tony de Zorzi had been dismissed first ball, trapped leg before wicket by Asitha Fernando in the second over of the day.
Ryan Rickleton (29) and captain Temba Bavuma (27) were unbeaten at lunch on a wicket offering assistance for the bowlers despite South Africa gambling on the pitch turning flat and choosing to bat after Bavuma won the toss.
Conventional wisdom at St George’s Park is that when the wind is blowing across the ground, conditions quickly turn ideal for batting, but South Africa did not find it easy in the opening session.
De Zorzi attempted a review of the decision again him but failed while Markram’s run of mediocre test scores continued as he went for a booming drive to a ball that came back in at the right-hander and played onto his wicket. Markram has averaged 25 runs over his last 10 test innings.
Stubbs, who scored a century in the first test last week and would have been looking for more runs on his home field, pushed at a rising delivery with wicketkeeper Kusal Mendis taking a sharp diving catch.
Both countries are looking for victory to stay on track for a place in next year’s World Test Championship final.
South Africa won last week’s first test in Durban by 233 runs
South Africa XI:
Aiden Markram, Tony de Zorzi, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, Temba Bavuma (c), David Bedingham, Kyle Verreynne, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Dane Paterson
Sri Lanka XI:
Dimuth Karunaratne, Pathum Nissanka, Dinesh Chandimal, Angelo Mathews, Kamindu Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva (c), Kusal Mendis, Prabath Jayasuriya, Asitha Fernando, Lahiru Kumara, Vishwa Fernando
