Proteas on top after solid batting day

An unbroken fifth-wicket partnership of 97 between Faf du Plessis (55) and Temba Bavuma (41) enabled South Africa to close on a healthy 317 for four wickets at the end of the second day of the first Betway test at SuperSport Park in Centurion on Sunday.

This means that the Proteas lie just 79 runs behind Sri Lanka’s first innings total of 396 with six wickets in hand. They will want to push well beyond their opponent’s total on Monday, knowing that batting on this wearing pitch will get tougher in the second innings.

South Africa’s innings began deceptively well with Aiden Markram and Dean Elgar cruising almost effortlessly to an opening partnership of 141 after they dismissed their opponents in the morning.

The openers bullied Sri Lanka’s threadbare attack, putting together their third test century partnership in just 134 balls. At times it seemed almost too easy for the batsmen against an attack that lacked Kasun Rajitha who limped off with a groin strain after bowling 2.1 overs, as well as offspinner Dhananjaya de Silva who is out of this test and the series with a grade two tear to his left thigh.

LOOSE SHOTS

Markram, who played with eye-pleasing elegance, driving beautifully off the front and back foot as well as through the leg side, was the first to his half-century in 64 balls, including 11 fours. Elgar, who grew in authority, reached his 15th test fifty soon afterwards.

Perhaps it became too easy for Markram, because after the mid-afternoon drinks break he began to play one or two loose shots and it was one such, a drive outside the off-stump, that led to his demise, caught at gully off Fernando who had bowled some tight deliveries to him.

It was at this stage that the tone of the innings changed. Things got tougher for the batsmen because the Sri Lankans began to bowl better, hitting the right full but-not-too-full length that enabled the ball to deviate or rise sharply off a length.

It was if Dason Shanaka, Vishwa Fernando and the pacy Lahira Kumara suddenly discovered the secret to bowling at SuperSport Park.

Although Rassie van der Dussen (16) helped the pugnacious Elgar to add 59 for the second wicket he never looked comfortable and it was no surprise when he fell to Kumara, caught behind prodding at an excellent delivery in the “corridor of uncertainty”.

Elgar, who had never struck a century at the ground, then fell tantalisingly short of his goal, hitting a return catch to Shanaka who reacted quickly to hang on to the sharp chance.

The left-hander had made 95 in 130 balls, striking 14 fours, and his look of disappointment was palpable.

DEFEND SENSIBLY

Skipper Quinton de Kock looked in scintillating form as he struck three quick boundaries, but he then provided Sri Lankan debutant legspinner Wanindu Hasaranga with his first test wicket as the left-hander edged a top-spinner to slip.

Three wickets had fallen for 20 runs in four overs, and the South Africans urgently needed to rebuild their innings.

Former captain Du Plessis, who struck his 22nd test 50, and Bavuma were the perfect men for the job as they defended sensibly against an improved Sri Lankan attack without losing sight of punishing the occasional bad ball.

Earlier, South African debutant Lutho Sipamla bounced back well from his problems on day one by taking all three Sri Lankan wickets to fall after they had resumed on their overnight total of 340 for six wickets.

The Sri Lankans had begun the day brightly, piling on 47 runs in the first seven overs as they punished errant bowling from Anrich Nortje and Lungi Ngidi.

But Sipamla grabbed the wickets of Rajitha and Fernando with consecutive deliveries in his first over before knocking over tailender Kumara to end the innings, leaving Shanaka unbeaten on 66, an innings that included five sixes.

After suffering some punishment on the first day, it was encouraging for the home side that the 22-year-old Sipamla from Port Elizabeth finished on an up-note with 4-76 in 16 overs.

'VERY REWARDING'

Speaking after the day’s play, Elgar said: "Bit of graft, eh? Very rewarding to have that opening stand with Aiden. To have a 140-plus partnership to set it up for our middle order was extremely important. It's one of those wickets where if you apply yourself and simplify your game plans, you can score. It was a rewarding day for all of us and we really changed the momentum throughout the day after a tough day for us yesterday.”

"It was a rewarding day for all of us today, we really changed the momentum throughout the day and potentially had the momentum back in our change room after what was a very tough day for us yesterday," said Elgar.

"It's going to be hard graft but our chat in the change room has been about maybe batting once on this wicket, knowing what SuperSport Park is like," he said, referring to the ground's reputation for uneven bounce later in a match.

"That first hour (on Monday) is massive, knowing the new ball is coming in the morning," said Elgar. The new ball will be due eight overs into the day.

"We are down one bowler so it is a responsibility to bowl more overs," said allrounder Shanaka, who had to come into the attack in the sixth over when Rajitha broke down. "It is hard but it is test cricket."

"We are still in with a chance," said Shanaka. "The morning plan will be to bowl wicket to wicket and when the new ball comes hopefully get wickets."

Report Day 1

SOUTH AFRICA: Aiden Markram, Dean Elgar, Rassie van der Dussen, Faf du Plessis, Quinton de Kock (capt & wk), Temba Bavuma, Wiaan Mulder, Keshav Maharaj, Anrich Nortje, Lutho Sipamla, Lungi Ngidi

SRI LANKA: Dimuth Karunaratne (capt), Kusal Perera, Kusal Mendis, Dinesh Chandimal, Dhananjaya de Silva, Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Dasun Shanaka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Vishwa Fernando, Kasun Rajitha, Lahiru Kumara