Kumara joins the 100 wicket club

Rex Clementine
in Port Elizabeth

Fast bowler Lahiru Kumara bowled with fire and picked up two wickets in the morning session in the second Test against South Africa and in the process became only the fifth Sri Lankan quick to claim 100 Test wickets. South Africa after losing three for 44, recovered thanks to a 133 run partnership between Ryan Rickelton and Temba Bavuma and were 179 for four at tea.

Kumara, who started the game on 99 wickets cleaned up Aiden Markram with a delivery that swung back in. He then had Tristan Stubbs caught behind by Kusal Mendis to put South Africa in trouble.

Asitha Fernando, meanwhile, was on the money dismissing Tony de Zorzi with his first delivery in the game. Operating from the Duck Port End, Asitha sent down a yorker which the batter wasn’t able to keep away and was given out leg before wicket.

The third wicket partnership between Bavuma and Rickelton, making a comeback to the side, was threatening when Asitha came back for a fresh spell and dismissed the South African captain five minutes before tea.

Bavuwa was tested by a barrage of short, pitched bowling and he survived twice attempting to take on the bowler, but eventually gloved one to the wicketkeeper to depart for 78.

Rickelton carried on regardless and was unbeaten on 72.

South Africa opted to bat first after winning the toss and Sri Lanka’s bowlers toiled hard with the pitch offering little help for the bowlers.

Sri Lanka were contemplating to go with an all seam attack as the curators had left quite a bit of grass on the pitch. However, in the morning of the Test, they opted to play the same eleven that featured in Durban retaining left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya.

Jayasuriya bowled with control but couldn’t pick up a wicket.

Sri Lanka had a disastrous start to the series when they were bowled out for 42 in Durban. It is their lowest total ever in Test match cricket. Although they fared much better in the second innings, South Africa went onto complete comprehensive win with a day to spare.

The loss pushed Sri Lanka to number four in the points table of the World Test Championship and they badly need a win in Port Elizabeth to keep their chances alive in the WTC.They have got two more Tests in Galle against Australia in the cycle, but another defeat in South Africa will make their chances to go through to Lord’s next June difficult.