South Africa Vs Sri Lanka Live Cricket Score - 1st Test match - Summary

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South Africa beat Sri Lanka by 206 runs | South Africa Vs Sri Lanka 1st Test match

With that, we come to the end of our coverage of this game. Sri Lanka competed initially but didn't have the quality to stretch South Africa deep. Let's hope the visitors can show better fight in the next Test that begins in Cape Town on 2nd January 2017. Do join us for that one. Cheers and have a great New Year weekend!
STEPHEN COOK (MAN OF THE MATCH) feels it's good to return to form and says that he wants to capitalize as much as possible on this purple patch. Says that he sticks to his work ethics every day regardless of whether South Africa are batting or not. Hopes to keep his form going forward.
FAF DU PLESSIS feels that it's been a good Test to end the day. Says that they had to work hard especially in the first few days. Credits his team for the good effort. States that 2016 has been great in the last six months for them. Feels that it was good to start well on a green surface and although they were 50 runs lesser than they wanted, opines that the bowlers were very good. Feels that the 81-run lead was big for such a total. Says that he knew it would be more difficult to get wickets in the second innings. Credits the bowlers for stepping up, especially the pacers and also lauds Maharaj's knack of showing good support. Hopes his side can maintain the consistency and keep going strong.
ANGELO MATHEWS feels that the bowling was good but they didn't quite bat well in the first innings. Feels that the pitch was tough in the first two days and then eased on. Laments poor shot selection as a reason for their loss. Admits that they fought back well but adds that they should have shown it from the start of the game. Feels that the short break between matches isn't a matter, stresses on the mindset factor. Hopes that his team can better their team and individual performances in the next Test.
With a lead of 487, du Plessis declared rather early on day four and it was always going to be big ask for the Lankans. They had a good opening stand but once it was broken due to a bizarre run out, they lost the plot. Some poor shots coupled with excellent bowling saw the visitors five down by stumps and from there, it was going to be a superhuman challenge for them. Thoroughly professional performance by Proteas.
Mathews, Chandimal and de Silva minimized the damage but an 81-run lead was always going to be massive on such a pitch. Philander with a fifer and Abbott with a 3-fer did bulk of the damage for the hosts. South Africa then drove home the advantage with a fantastic batting performance on day three. Cook followed his first innings fifty with a century while Elgar, Faf and de Kock all struck fifties too.
After opting to bat, a good opening partnership along with a Duminy fifty had set the platform for the Proteas as they were 213-3 at one stage. However, on a pitch with enough movement for the pacers, Lakmal's fifer brought the Lankans back in the game as the last 7 SA wickets fell for just 73 runs to give the visitors a chance. However, poor batting let them down as nobody really went on to get a big score.
Emphatic win for the Proteas and they go 1-0 up in the 3-match Test series. It was always going to be an uphill task this morning with a lot riding on Mathews and de Silva. Both departed quite early to Abbott and it was a mere formality after that as the hosts sealed the game just after the drinks break. Rabada, Maharaj and Abbott took three wickets apiece in the innings. It was a promising start to the game for the Lankans though as they competed well in the first two days.
10 wickets down for SL. Out batsman is Nuwan Pradeep. It is all over for SL. 96.3Keshav Maharaj to Nuwan Pradeep. out, OUT! That's it! It's all over and the Proteas are absolutely elated. Slower through the air around off, drifting in and Pradeep plays for the angle but the ball just holds its line to go past the outside edge and hits the top of off stump. That finishes the proceedings, SOUTH AFRICA WIN BY 206 RUNS.
96.2Keshav Maharaj to Nuwan Pradeep. no run, Drifting in from around off, blocked well from the crease.
96.1Keshav Maharaj to Suranga Lakmal. 1 run, Floated outside off, steps out to that one and drives it down to long off for a single.
End of over 96 ( 5 Runs )SL 280/9 95.6Kagiso Rabada to Nuwan Pradeep. no run, Good length around off, Pradeep looks to block but gets an inside edge to the leg side.
95.5Kagiso Rabada to Nuwan Pradeep. FOUR, FOUR! That looked comical. Back of a length on middle, Pradeep was backing away and pushes at it. Gets an inside edge that goes off the body and past leg stump. De Kock is wrongfooted and it beats him to the right to the fence.
95.4Kagiso Rabada to Nuwan Pradeep. no run, Good length closer to off, defended well from the crease.
95.3Kagiso Rabada to Nuwan Pradeep. no run, Just falls safely! Back of a length on off, Pradeep looks to fend but gets an edge that lobs up in the air. Doesn't carry to the man at point.
95.2Kagiso Rabada to Suranga Lakmal. 1 run, Good length on middle, clipped through backward square leg for a single.
95.1Kagiso Rabada to Suranga Lakmal. no run, Short ball on middle, Lakmal ducks under the bumper.
End of over 95 ( 1 Runs )SL 275/9 94.6Keshav Maharaj to Suranga Lakmal. 1 run, Flatter around off, Lakmal steps out and jams it to long off for a single.
94.5Keshav Maharaj to Suranga Lakmal. no run, Fuller on middle, clipped towards mid-wicket.
94.4Keshav Maharaj to Suranga Lakmal. no run, Beaten! Drifting in from around off, holds its line after pitching to go past the outside edge.

Updated at: 2016-12-30 15:13:18

Match details

Toss: Toss won by South Africa

Umpires: Aleem Dar (PAK) and Bruce Oxenford (AUS)

TV umpire: Shaun George (SA)

Match referee: David Boon (AUS)

PLAYING XI

South Africa

Stephen Cook, Dean Elgar, Hashim Amla, JP Duminy, Faf du Plessis (C), Temba Bavuma, Quinton de Kock (W), Vernon Philander, Keshav Maharaj, Kyle Abbott, Kagiso Rabada

Sri Lanka

Kaushal Silva, Dimuth Karunaratne, Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews (C), Dinesh Chandimal (W), Dhananjaya de Silva, Kusal Perera, Rangana Herath, Suranga Lakmal, Nuwan Pradeep, Dushmantha Chameera

South Africa will face stern challenge of Sri Lanka as they face them in the first of the three Tests at the St George's Park, Port Elizabeth from 26 to 30th of December. The second Test of the series will be played at the series will be played at the Newlands, Cape Town from 2nd to 6th of January while the third and the final will be played from 12th to 16th January at the New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg. This series is going to be a cracker of one as both teams have had successful Test series in the recent times.
South Africa recently toured Australia where they played three Tests which they won 2-1 in Australia. They did lose the last day-night Test but despite this loss, their confidence level would definitely be soaring high given the way they performed against Australia.

Sri Lanka on the other hand, too had one of the best Test series against Australia as they humiliated the Steven Smith lead side with a whitewash in the five Test series. Rangana Herath played anchor’s role for Sri Lanka as he went on to scalp 28 wickets in the series.

Given the way, these two teams have performed, both will be on a high not as they enter in this series. On paper, South Africa does look like a stronger side and also have the advantage of playing in their own country. Also with the recent happenings of AB de Villiers stepping down from the Test captaincy gives Faf du Plessis a huge responsibility of leading his side with a different mindset.

There are certain apprehensions over how the South African team will perform in the upcoming series as they will be playing with De Villiers and also without their pace attack leader Dale Steyn. Steyn suffered a shoulder injury during the Australia tour which has put him to sideline for almost 6 months. On the contrary, the emergence of Kagiso Rabada, South Africa won’t miss Steyn much.

Sri Lanka on the other hand, played exceptionally well against Australia back in home, but they playing against the Proteas in their den, situation will definitely be different for them. Sri Lanka will also have to make some improvements in their batting as none of their batsmen could show consistency against Australia and it was only their bowlers (mainly Herath) who id the damage and brought home victory.

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