Staff Reporter.
Captain Temba Bavuma (27no) and Ryan Rickelton (29no) led a Proteas fightback to lunch on day one of the second test against Sri Lanka, taking their side to the break on 82/3 at St George’s Park in Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth) on Thursday.
The hosts were in a spot of bother after losing three early wickets, but Bavuma and Rickelton looked confident during an unbeaten 38-run fourth wicket stand to set the platform for them to kick on from during the afternoon session.
At the start of play the Proteas won the toss and chose to bat first, but it was a dreadful start as opener Tony de Zorzi missed a yorker first up from Asitha Fernando to be trapped LBW for a golden duck at the start of the second over.
Aiden Markram (20) and Rickelton then combined for a 32-run second wicket stand, but after looking good in hitting a few boundaries, Markram tried to drive Lahiru Kumara down the ground, only to miss the ball and be bowled off his legs leaving them on 32/2.
First test centurion Tristan Stubbs (4) was next in, but didn’t last long, before he wafted at a wide ball with no foot movement, getting an edge to keeper Kusal Mendis to become Kumara’s second scalp as they slipped to 44/3.
That brought Bavuma to the crease and he looked in good nick, striking four boundaries and pulling a lovely six in the final over before lunch, during his 37 balls so far at the crease and he will be eager to continue in the day’s second session.
South Africa: Aiden Markram, Tony de Zorzi, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, Temba Bavuma (capt), David Bedingham, Kyle Verreynne (wk), Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Dane Paterson
Sri Lanka: Dimuth Karunaratne, Pathum Nissanka, Dinesh Chandimal, Angelo Mathews, Kamindu Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva (capt), Kusal Mendis (wk), Prabath Jayasuriya, Lahiru Kumara, Asitha Fernando, Vishwa Fernando.