Sri Lankan batsmen self-detonated and were bowled out for a disappointing 110 by the South African bowling unit on day two as the hosts took the upper hand in the second Test at Newland’s on Tuesday.
After bowling out the hosts to 392 in the opening session, the visitors lasted only 43 overs, 204 minutes as Kagiso Rabada and Vernon Philander took four wickets apiece to hand South Africa a 282-run first innings. Dean Elgar and Stephen Cook started strong for the hosts in second innings to extend their lead to 317 putting on an unbroken 35-run opening stand.
The Sri Lankan openers Kaushal Silva and Dimuth Karunaratne defied the Proteas for more than an hour adding 31 runs before Rabada hurried Silva and was forced on to the back foot by a nippy delivery which he played on to his stumps.
Photos: Sri Lanka v South Africa 2nd Test – Day 2
Sri Lanka’s number 3 batsman once again failed to shine. This time, Kusal Mendis, who had earlier slog-swept left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj for six after taking 13 balls to get off strike, tried to repeat the same shot and top-edged a simple catch to JP Duminy at short cover as the visitors went into tea with only 2 wickets down for 56 runs.
After the resumption, Karunarathne falsely cut Rabada to point where Temba Bavuma took a neat diving catch while skipper Angelo Mathews, strangely opting to bat on an off-stump mark edged to slips to hand Rabada’s third victim.
Dhananjaya De Silva promoted to number four looked good during his brief stay of 22 balls to score 16 runs but came down the track to Maharaj and missed a straighter one only to be adjudged LBW. Dinesh Chandimal went hard to another outside the off-stump delivery by Kagiso Rabada only to nick behind as Sri Lanka continued to slide.
Philander was brought into the attack to wrap up the tail and he did so perfectly. After appealing twice, the right-arm seamer was third time lucky as he caught Rangana Herath plumb in front.
Upul Tharanga batting at number seven was stranded not out on 26 without partners as the seam trio, Suranga Lakmal, Lahiru Kumara and Nuwan Pradeep fell in no time to the bowling of Philander. Lakmal edged to slips, Kumara shouldered a pretty much straight delivery and Pradeep fell for a golden duck as the visitors lost their last nine wickets for just 54 runs.
Earlier in the day, South Africa began in positive fashion with Quinton de Kock creaming one through the covers off the very first ball to take South Africa past the 300-run mark. De Kock made his third Test century and fast bowler Lahiru Kumara took six wickets before the South African innings ended when Kumara took his sixth wicket with the last ball before lunch.
Kumara, 19, who had not taken more than two wickets in an innings in his previous two Test matches and three other first-class games, finished with 6 for 122 and became Sri Lanka’s second youngest bowler to take a five-wicket haul after Ravindra Pushpakumara.
De Kock made 101 off 124 balls with 11 fours, before edging Kumara to wicket-keeper Dinesh Chandimal. Philander became Kumara’s fifth victim, edging a drive to Chandimal. The same combination accounted for last batsman Kagiso Rabada.
Rangana Herath got one to turn away slightly and had Kyle Abbott edged behind to Chandimal as he together with Kusal Mendis, Chandimal’s substitute shared seven wicket-keeping catches, one more than the Sri Lankan Test record and equal to the world record.
