Lunch South Africa 191 in 49.4 overs (Temba Bavuma 70, Keshav Maharaj 24,; Asitha Fernando 3-44, Lahiru Kumara 3-70, VishwaFernando2-35, Prabath Jayasuriya 2-24) vs Sri Lanka

South Africa recovered from 117 for 7 – and the possibility of their lowest total against Sri Lanka at home (128) – but fell nine short of 200 in their first innings at Kingsmead. While blue skies and sunshine meant batting conditions should, in theory, have been easier, Sri Lanka’s excellent attack took 6 for 111 in the morning session and will feel they have given their side the advantage.

Sri Lanka were led by good pace from Lahiru Kumara, who maintained speeds in the 140s and finished with 3 for 70.  Asitha Fernando and Vishwa  shared five wickets between them, found movement and enjoyed operating on a surface with good bounce and carry. Add to that Sri Lanka’s good catching in breezy conditions and they won the morning session despite three lower-order partnerships in the 20s.

Temba Bavuma on comeback after two months on the sidelines from an elbow injury, scored his 22nd Test fifty and held South Africa together. His stroke-play, and particularly his drives, did not suggest he had not played a competitive match in almost eight weeks and with more support, he may have been able to build on what was a solid knock.

After just 20.4 overs were possible on a rain-hit first-day, Vishwa picked up where he left off and found early movement. He appealed for an lbw against Kyle Verreynne second ball but replays showed an inside edge. Verreynne only faced three more balls before Kumara fired in a 141kph ball that beat him and rapped him on the front pad. At first glance it looked as though the impact may have been outside the line but Verreynne did not consult with Bavuma and walked off. Replays showed he was out anyway.

Three balls later, Sri Lanka wasted a review as Wiaan Mulder inside-edged onto his pad but his troubles were only just beginning. In Kumara’s next over, he was hit on the right hand as he tried to defend a ball that nipped back in. He received treatment on field and tried to continue despite struggling to grip the bat. He kept out the next ball he faced and immediately wrung his hand in pain, left the last ball of the over and then retired hurt. He batted again in the session but will be taken for an x-ray during the lunch break.

Marco Jansen got his first runs when he clipped a Vishwa full toss off his legs for four and then punched Kumara wide of fourth slip. Kumara’s impressive first morning spell ended when Bavuma pushed him through the covers for four and his figures read 8-1-51-3.

Sri Lanka went for a double-change with Asitha replacing Kumara and Prabath Jayasuriya’s spin coming on for Vishwa. Jayasuriya had success with his 10th ball when Jansen missed a tossed-up delivery and was hit on the pad in front of leg stump. He reviewed unsuccessfully. Gerald Coetzee was also drawn in by one that was tossed up and recklessly hit Jayasuriya to deep mid-wicket where Kamindu Mendis ran forward to take a good catch. South Africa had lost 3 for 34 in 9.1 overs at that stage, with no real batting to come.

Keshav Maharaj joined Bavuma on the back of four successive Test ducks, and made his highest Test score in nine innings. He showed some fight against Jayasuriya, whose fourth over he hit for 15 runs, including a stunning six, straight down the ground. When Jayasuriya was replaced by Vishwa, Maharaj did not rein his instincts in, reached for a wide ball and drove it aerially to Dhananjaya de Silva at mid-off.

Bavuma had only just reached fifty but was running out of partners and took matters into his own hands. He left his feet to ramp Kumara for six, then drove him through extra cover and back past him for four more. The fun didn’t last long and when Kumara was replaced by Asitha and Bavuma swiped across the line, he top-edged to midwicket, where Kumara judged the catch well in the wind. Bavuma was dismissed on the stroke of what should have been the scheduled lunch break but as he was the ninth wicket to fall, the session was extended by half an hour. Sri Lanka only needed 17 minutes of that time before Kagiso Rabada hooked Asitha to deep backward square.

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