Right-arm seamer Suranga Lakmal produced his best bowling performance to help Sri Lanka’s resurgence against South Africa in their first Test match which started on Boxing Day at St George’s Park, Port Elizabeth.
Impeccable line and length together with excellent consistency by the 29-year old fast bowler got him 4 scalps for 62 runs on a tough day as the Proteas reached 267 for 6 at stumps.
After opting to bat first, the South African opening duo, Dean Elgar and Stephen Cook had no troubles in putting away the Lankan bowlers in the opening session to reach 92 but after lunch, Lakmal and Mathews dried up the runs which eventually led to Cook’s dismissal.
Lakmal induced the off-side edge with a peach of a delivery to break the 104-run opening stand. Cook slammed 59 to mark his 2nd Test half-ton. After a couple of overs, Lakmal struck again when he got the outside edge of Elgar and Chandimal held onto a brilliant diving catch as both openers were dismissed inside one run.
Hashim Amla took 23 deliveries to get off the mark but JP Duminy stroked one of his nine boundaries through the off-side in the very first ball as the pair added 73 runs for the 3rd wicket.
Right after tea, Lakmal ended Amla’s 76-ball misery when he nicked behind to a good length delivery which shaped off the seam as Chandimal grabbed his 3rd take behind the stumps.
Duminu continued to score runs freely even though he struggled for at least 10 balls on 49 but the spin maestro, Rangana Herath struck Duminy right in front on 63 with the replays confirming the dismissal.
Angelo Mathews made a brave DRS call when Temba Bavuma was given not out after Herath trapped him plumb in front of the stumps. The DRS replays confirmed the ball would crash the leg stump and the umpire had to overrule his on-field decision.
As Sri Lanka took the second new ball, Lakmal returned for yet another spell and got the prized scalp of Faf Du Plessis with another a beauty which got the outside edge and Dimuth Karunarathne held onto a low catch at first slip.
Angelo Mathews returning from a calf injury bowled 13 economical overs to give away only 26 runs while speedster Dushmantha Chameera failed to impress on his return conceding 68 off 14 overs.
Quinton De Kock and Vernon Philander unbeaten on 25 and 6 respectively managed to hang in there till stumps as Sri Lanka captured six wickets in the final two sessions and would go into sleep as the more happier team at the end of a great day to commence the three-match series.
