South Africa vs Sri Lanka, 2nd Test: Hosts lose 4, but Dean Elgar’s fifty takes lead past 400
SA vs SL, 2nd Test: Hosts lose 4, but Elgar's fifty takes lead past 400
South Africa’s lead went past 400 on Day Three of the second Test against Sri Lanka at Cape Town. At lunch, the hosts were well placed at 136 for 4, with Faf du Plessis (20*) batting. The overall lead is now 418 runs, with South African still having 6 wickets in hand. First innings’ centurion Dean Elgar scored yet another fifty and his opening partner Stephen Cook scored 30.However, Hashim Amla fell without scoring. With 8 more sessions yet to be played in the match, South Africa will like to assess their declaration plans during lunch, for they still have sufficient time to bowl out Sri Lanka in their second innings.
Sri Lankan bowlers bowled well in the first session. They needed wickets; in fact plenty of them, but their bowlers had to wait for the initial success. The South African openers began Day Three from their overnight score of 35 for no-loss. Soon Elgar and Cook put up yet another fifty-run opening stand — their third in the series after hundred-plus stands in both the innings of the first Test at Port Elizabeth. They kept the scoreboard ticking by taking singles coupled with occasional boundaries in between.
Full Cricket Scorecard, South Africa vs Sri Lanka, 2nd Test at Cape Town
With runs continuing to come, Sri Lankan captain was in dire need of a breakthrough and his go-to man Suranga Lakmal delivered. The Lankan pace got the customary first wicket for his side when he made Cook poke to an outside the off stump delivery and give a regulation catch to Dimuth Karunaratne in the first slip. However, there was more action to follow as Amla also fell in the same over, giving a simple catch to Dinesh Chandimal behind the stumps and making it a double-wicket maiden over. From 64 without loss, South Africa were 64 for 2.
JP Duminy then joined Elgar, who continued with his good form to bring up yet another half-century; fifth of his Test career. Two of them added 46 runs for the third wicket before Rangana Herath dismissed Elgar fell for 55. Duminy, who had some luck by his side today, went on from the other end along with du Plessis. He survived twice in Nuwan Pradeep’s over. First, he edged one, which went between the keeper and the first slip, then he reviewed an lbw decision against him and survived. But his luck ended just at the stroke of lunch as he was trapped in front of the stumps by Lakmal for 30. This time though, even the review could not save him. Lunch was taken with the fall of his wicket.
Earlier, South Africa scored 392 in their first innings with the help of centuries from Elgar and Quinton de Kock. Later, their pace duo of Vernon Philander and Kagiso Rabada dismantled Sri Lanka for 110, sharing 8 wickets between them. The match, at the moment, rests firmly in the grip of the hosts. They scored 101 runs in the first session and lost 4 wickets. The second session will determine how far the South African lead stretches.
Brief scores: South Africa 392 (Dean Elgar 129, Quinton de Kock 101; Lahiru Kumara 6 for 122) and 136 for 4 (Dean Elgar 55, Stephen Cook 30, JP Duminy 30; Suranga Lakmal 3 for 34, Rangana Herath 1 for 19) lead Sri Lanka 110 (Dimuth Karunaratne 24*, Kaushal Silva 11, Kusal Mendis 11; Keshav Maharaj 1 for 7, Kagiso Rabada 1 for 23) by 418 runs.