The Proteas reached the close of play on day three in a dominant position on 191-3 in their second innings, for an overall lead of 221 in the second test against Sri Lanka at St George’s Park in Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth) on Saturday.
A maiden five-wicket haul from veteran Dane Paterson helped the hosts bowl out the visitors for 328, in response to the Proteas' 358 all out in their first innings, followed by an unbeaten 82-run fourth-wicket stand between Temba Bavuma (48*) and Tristan Stubbs (36*) hammering home their advantage.
Day 3 | Stumps 🟢🟡
— Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) December 7, 2024
More runs and wickets in this thrilling test match, with a Paterson 5’ver and Markram half-century to top it off! 👏🏏
🇿🇦South Africa: 358/10 (1st Innings)
🇱🇰Sri Lanka: 328/10 (1st Innings)
🇿🇦South Africa: 191/3 (2nd Innings)
The Proteas lead by 221 runs at… pic.twitter.com/PEmpa26Adz
Bavuma and Stubbs will look to take the Proteas into an unassailable lead on the morning of day four, while Sri Lanka will be hunting quick wickets to get themselves back into the match.
Speaking after the day's play the 35-year-old Paterson said: “I am very happy with the maiden five wicket haul. There is a lot of relief. I have to dedicate this (milestone) to my wife back at home and all the family that help fill in when I am away, travelling for county cricket and stuff like that.
“I just saw the ball start nipping. Obviously being a harder ball (new ball after 80 overs), and the importance was you still had to use it well, because once it gets softer it gets easier to play.
“So just putting the ball in the right areas worked. The Sri Lankan batters have also been struggling with feeling outside off, and luckily it worked out for me in the end.”
After tea the Proteas resumed their second innings on 76-1, with Aiden Markram (55) and Ryan Rickelton (24) extending their second-wicket partnership to 41-runs, which also saw Markram bring up his half century.
Markram makes it 5️⃣0️⃣!
— Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) December 7, 2024
Aiden brings up his 12th career half-century with a beautiful cover drive.😮💨🏏#WozaNawe#BePartOfIt #SAvSL pic.twitter.com/ZMueFQrx1c
Vishwa Fernando then made the breakthrough for Sri Lanka, tempting Markram into a big drive, which saw him get a thick edge to keeper Kusal Mendis, who took a superb one-handed diving catch to his right, leaving them on 96-2.
Rickelton soon followed, missing a straight ball from spinner Prabath Jayasuriya, to be pinned dead in front LBW as the Proteas slipped to 109-3.
Stubbs then joined Bavuma and they set about putting their team into a position of dominance by the end of the day, batting carefully initially, defending the good balls and scoring off the bad.
Bavuma took a particular liking to Jayasuriya, pulling him over deep square leg and lofting over long off for sixes, as the Proteas cruised to the close in a great position.
'FIFER' FOR PATERSON
Earlier in the post lunch session Sri Lanka were bowled out in their first innings, followed by the Proteas getting off to a solid start in their second.
After lunch Sri Lanka resumed their first innings on 318-8 but could only add 10 to their total before they were nipped out.
Paterson secured his five-for when he had Fernando edging to keeper Kyle Verreynne, while Jayasuriya (24) was last man out, coming down the wicket to Keshav Maharaj and missing, with Verreynne completing the stumping to end the innings.
Paterson with 5-71 was by far the pick of the bowlers, while Maharaj, 2-65, and Marco Jansen, 2-100, also chipped in.
A first 5️⃣’ver!
— Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) December 7, 2024
Dane Paterson put on a superb display with the ball, as he took his first 5’ver in Test Match cricket.⚡️🏏
Very skillful bowling!😁#WozaNawe#BePartOfIt #SAvSL pic.twitter.com/qfBecIdLsz
The Proteas got off to a positive start in their second innings as Markram and Tony de Zorzi (19) combined for a good 55-run opening stand in just 13 overs.
But just as they looked to be taking full control De Zorzi aimed a drive at a ball from Jayasuriya that spun in between bat and pad and clipped his off stump, sending him on his way, with Markram and Rickelton then untroubled as they took them to tea.
In the morning session the visitors lost five wickets, after they looked in complete control at 261-3 at one stage, before tumbling to 298-8, with Jayasuriya and Fernando getting their side to the break without further trouble.
At the start of play Sri Lanka resumed on 242-3, with Kamindu Mendis (48) and Angelo Matthews (44) at the crease.
The Proteas had their first chance in the third over of the day, when Kamindu knocked a ball from Maharaj past De Zorzi at short leg, with him unable to react in time to take the catch.
That allowed them to take their side past the 250-run mark, but just before the new ball became available Jansen got the breakthrough, bowling a short ball that Matthews couldn’t do anything about, gloving the ball behind to Verreynne with the score 261-4.
As soon as the new ball was available the Proteas took it, and Jansen struck immediately with his third delivery, as he had Kamindu edging to Markram at second slip, while he also should have had Kusal Mendis (16) for a third-ball duck, only for Verreynne to drop a tough diving chance.
Dhananjaya da Silva (14) and Kusal managed to combine for a 29-run sixth- wicket partnership, aided by Kusal being dropped for a second time, by Markram diving across first slip, before Paterson wreaked havoc.
In just his second over of the day he had Da Silva caught by Markram, bowled Kusal with the ball clipping the top of the bails, and had Lahiru Kumara out for a second-ball duck, stunningly caught by a one-handed grab from Jansen at gully as Sri Lanka stumbled before getting to lunch.
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