Proteas stutter, but still on top
GUTSY: VISITORS FIGHT BACK HARD BUT SA STILL ON TOP
South Africa lose three wickets for 25 late in the day.
South Africa gave away some soft wickets as Sri Lanka refused to lie down on the second day of the first Test at Kingsmead yesterday and the home side would be stupid to consider the outcome a foregone conclusion just yet.
The Proteas ended the day on 126/4 in their second innings, a lead of 170, but their last specialist batsmen are at the crease in first-innings hero Quinton de Kock (15*) and captain Faf du Plessis (25*).
And, as Sri Lanka discovered, wickets tend to tumble in the morning session with their over- night score of 49/1 quickly becoming 152/8.
But, in a portent of what would happen when they batted again, the hosts squandered their position of strength and Sri Lanka were able to rally and reach 191 all out, cutting the first-innings deficit to a more manageable 44 runs.
Kusal Perera was the major contributor with his stroke-filled 51, but there was a brave 94-minute effort of 24 from debutant Lasith Embuldeniya that piled on the frustration.
As Dale Steyn, who was the best of the South African bowlers with 4/48 in 20 overs of unstinting effort, said after the day’s play, the third morning will be very important for the home side and they have to be switched on.
“The pitch dictates a lot, it’s quite slow but there are wickets in there, there were periods when wickets would go quickly and at other times there would be partnerships. And you have to hand it to Sri Lanka, they took a couple on the head but they never gave it away, they gutsed it out.
“So it’s important that we rock up tomorrow, that old cliché about partnerships is crucial, and we need to be hard on ourselves. We were good this morning but we need to bring our A-game tomorrow because the third day is always very crucial,” Steyn said.
SA openers Dean Elgar (35) and Aiden Markram (28) batted solidly when they came out for the second innings after the tea break, although both will be disappointed at giving their wickets away. Markram edged a flatfooted slash at Kasun Rajitha to second slip and Elgar walloped a delivery from left-arm spinner Embuldeniya back at the bowler, who held on to a very sharp catch.
This was preceded by the loss of both Hashim Amla, edging Vishwa Fernando to gully for 16, and Temba Bavuma, who narrowly failed to get outside off-stump when trying to sweep Embuldeniya and was trapped lbw for three, as South Africa lost three wickets for 25 runs late in the day.