All smiles

AIDEN SCORES BIG: DE VILLIERS IS STILL ALL CLASS Wickets galore as batting under lights proves to be a real nightmare.

Opener Aiden Markram yesterday played with the necessary judgement and caution against the pink ball before Morne Morkel ripped through the Zimbabwean top-order under lights as the Proteas used the conditions to thoroughly dominate the opening day of the first day/night Test in South Africa, at St George’s Park in Port Elizabeth.

South Africa declared their first innings closed on 309/9, their lowest ever total in their nine Tests against their neighbours, and had then reduced Zimbabwe to 30/4 in reply, thoroughly enjoying the extravagant movement on offer in the 16 overs they bowled under floodlights.

Markram’s fine innings of 125 proved vital for South Africa as the pink ball nipped around even under sunny skies after AB de Villiers decided to bat first.

As tricky as the conditions were – a green-tinged pitch was in use to preserve the ball – South Africa’s batsmen were also guilty of tossing several wickets away.

Dean Elgar (31) put on 72 with Markram before flicking Kyle Jarvis, the best of the bowlers with 3/57, straight to midwicket, with Hashim Amla (5) falling three overs later as he picked out cover-point with a backfoot drive.

Christopher Mpofu was the bowler and he was able to celebrate pocketing another major scalp when he took a good return catch to dismiss De Villiers, but not before the returning hero had shown his class remains undiminished with 53 off just 65 balls.

Markram fell on the stroke of the dinner break and, then, with the lights on, a clatter of wickets convinced De Villiers to declare as South Africa lost 5/57 in the final session.

The wicket feast gained momentum when Zimbabwe batted, with Morkel trapping Hamilton Masakadza lbw with the first ball of the innings.

As a new development for Test cricket, day/night play with a pink ball was more freak show than fair competition under lights and the revelation that Zimbabwe were considering sending in all their bowlers and preserving their remaining batsmen for sunny skies on the second afternoon said it all.

Picture: Gallo Images The Proteas celebrate the wicket of Zimbabwe’s Hamilton Masakadza yesterday during the first day of the day/night Test at St Georges Park.

Picture: Gallo Images PITCH PERFECT. Aiden Markram acknowledges the crowd after scoring a century against Zimbabwe on the first day of the Test in Port Elizabeth yesterday.