De Kock saves Proteas’ blushes
COLLAPSE: DE KOCK SAVES PROTEAS AS TOP-ORDER FAILS
Unheralded Sri Lanka began their series in tremendous style, their seamers hitting the home team hard as they bowled them out for just 235 – and the tourists then began their reply in solid fashion, reaching 49 for one at stumps at Kingsmead yesterday,
Sent in to bat first on a typically steamy Durban morning on a pitch sporting a healthy covering of grass, South Africa collapsed in ignominious fashion to 17 for three as left-armer Vishwa Fernando swung the ball beautifully to remove both openers, Dean Elgar (0) and Aiden Markram (11).
Hashim Amla managed to survive being plumb lbw to Vishwa on 0 as umpire Aleem Dar gave him not out and then refused to allow Sri Lanka a review as he incorrectly deemed their 15 seconds to be up.
It didn’t matter much as Suranga Lakmal had him caught in the slips soon thereafter for just three, but Faf du Plessis (35) and Temba Bavuma (47) rebuilt in promising fashion, adding 72 for the fourth wicket.
It was on the stroke of lunch, however, when Du Plessis was caught down the leg-side off the erratic Kasun Rajitha and Bavuma, who was batting superbly, was out in even more unfortunate fashion in the fifth over after lunch, as he was run out at the non-striker’s end, by no more than a centimetre, as Quinton de Kock’s straight drive deflected off Vishwa’s boot and into the stumps.
South Africa were 110 for five, but De Kock responded with a highly mature innings of 80 off just 94 balls to lift the Proteas to a competitive, if mediocre total.
“We didn’t think we would have such a bad start, but credit to Sri Lanka for bowling very well up front. Faf and Temba started to rebuild well, but we were caught a bit off guard by their bowlers, although we know Lakmal very well. The angle of their bowling, their skills, different actions and the way the ball skids or bounces is all a bit different,” said De Kock.
“I’m getting used to batting with the tail now, but I think our total is still under par. Unfortunately the lower-order weren’t able to stick around long enough, but it’s also not their job, it’s the top-order’s job to score the runs. But it was quite tough batting on that pitch, there was a lot of movement in the morning, and we also lost two jammy wickets.”