26/12Result
1st Test, Sri Lanka tour of South Africa at Gqeberha, Dec 26-30 2016
South Africa won by 206 runs
Player of the Match
Stephen Cook
Stephen CookSouth Africa
26/12Result
1st Test, Sri Lanka tour of South Africa at Gqeberha, Dec 26-30 2016
South Africa won by 206 runs
Player of the Match
Stephen Cook
Stephen CookSouth Africa

That's gone better than Sri Lanka could have wished for. Four wickets inside the first hour, South Africa wrapped up for under 300. South Africa were 178 for 2 at one stage yesterday and later 213 for 3. That's a tremendous fight back from the visitors, led by Lakmal's maiden five-wicket haul. But there is some help for the quicks today. In a few minutes we'll see what Rabada, Abbott and Philander can do. Back with you shortly.

98.5
W
Pradeep to de Kock, OUT, cleaned up! Fantastic delivery to end the innings. Pradeep gets his yorker in from round the wicket, spears under de Kock's bat as he tries to jab down and the off stump goes flying. Great sight for Pradeep

Q de Kock b Pradeep 37 (106m 68b 5x4 0x6) SR: 54.41

98.4
0
Pradeep to de Kock, no run, width outside off, slashed down to third man...two balls left, but doesn't run

Murali: "Why is Dale Styen not playing" Because of the shoulder injury he picked up in Australia

98.3
0
Pradeep to de Kock, no run, back round the wicket, angled down to third man
98.2
4
Pradeep to de Kock, FOUR, over the wicket and that's crunched...lashes a delivery from full outside off straight down the ground, even with the boundary men that beats them
98.1
0
Pradeep to de Kock, no run, round the wicket, back of a length, heaved to the leg side somewhat ungainly as the bottom hand comes off the bat...farms the strike

END OF OVER:
98 | 1 Run | SA: 282/9

  • Kagiso Rabada0 (6b)
  • Quinton de Kock33 (63b)
  • Suranga Lakmal27-9-63-5
  • Nuwan Pradeep21-5-62-1

Aashish Calla: "Abbott at 10 and Rabada at 11, when the latter averages almost 15 to Abbott's 6.5? Shouldn't it have been the other way round? Although it doesn't matter much now..." Yes, I think Rabada looks like he knows what he's doing

97.6
0
Lakmal to Rabada, no run, changes to over the wicket, on off stump, pushed to the covers
97.5
0
Lakmal to Rabada, no run, stays round the wicket, full outside off, defended
97.4
1
Lakmal to de Kock, 1 run, back of a length outside off, pushed into the covers without much timing and he gives Rabada two deliveries
97.3
0
Lakmal to de Kock, no run, some width, late cuts down to third man and again stays where he is
97.2
0
Lakmal to de Kock, no run, full outside off, driven firmly to long-off and he declines the run

Slip and a gully in place then everyone else on the boundary

97.1
0
Lakmal to de Kock, no run, full at off stump, pushed back to the bowler

END OF OVER:
97 | 5 Runs 1 Wkt | SA: 281/9

  • Kagiso Rabada0 (4b)
  • Quinton de Kock32 (59b)
  • Nuwan Pradeep21-5-62-1
  • Suranga Lakmal26-9-62-5
96.6
0
Pradeep to Rabada, no run, a bouncer to end the over, Rabada lets it travel over his back
96.5
0
Pradeep to Rabada, no run, on a length outside off, defended back to the bowler

Short leg comes in

96.4
0
Pradeep to Rabada, no run, gloved, but short of the slips! A short ball from round the wicket, angled in at Rabada but he managed to play it reasonably softly

Tiaan: "If Lakmal is such a handful we can only imagine what its gonna be like to face Philander and Abbott on this pitch..."

96.3
0
Pradeep to Rabada, no run, stays round the wicket, full at off stump, defended to the leg side

Well, all of a sudden South Africa are nine down. What a morning for Sri Lanka.

96.2
W
Pradeep to de Kock, 1 run, OUT, that's a shambles! Abbott has been run out. De Kock thrashed it square through the off side, he was desperate to get back on strike, set off the for the second but then a bailed out and by then Abbott had no chance of getting back despite the throw from the deep being away from the stumps. Chandimal kept his cool, gathered and then moved towards the stumps to break them

KJ Abbott run out 0 (4m 3b 0x4 0x6) SR: 0.00

96.1
4
Pradeep to de Kock, FOUR, round the wicket, full outside off, de Kock throws his hands through a cover drive and places it wide of mid-off...will he cut loose now?

END OF OVER:
96 | (wicket maiden) | SA: 276/8

  • Kyle Abbott0 (3b)
  • Quinton de Kock27 (57b)
  • Suranga Lakmal26-9-62-5
  • Nuwan Pradeep20-5-57-1
95.6
0
Lakmal to Abbott, no run, three in a row! Another one shapes past the outside edge of Abbott's bat. A superb over from Lakmal

Four slips in place now

95.5
0
Lakmal to Abbott, no run, that's lovely, again...back of a length, movement in the air then off the seam. No doubt this time that Abbott was beat as he shuffled across the crease
95.4
0
Lakmal to Abbott, no run, past the edge! Almost another nick. This was just a fraction shorter which allowed Abbott to just about hold the bat inside the line

Lakmal's first five-wicket haul in Test cricket and he's been outstanding. Nishan: "Now wouldn't it be nice if SA was bundled out for under 300? With the amount of seam on offer the SL top order is going to have its work cut out with this first innings score." You might get your wish

95.3
W
Lakmal to Maharaj, OUT, edged and that's five for Lakmal! They might not even get 300 now, though. Ideal delivery. In the channel, just outside off, forces the batsman to play, a hint of movement away to take the edge. A good catch from Chandimal, to atone for the early miss, as he dives in front of first slip

KA Maharaj c †Chandimal b Lakmal 0 (6m 3b 0x4 0x6) SR: 0.00

Mayank: "How many do you think SA would be happy with in the first innings? I would say 300." With this SA attack, at home, 300 will be a decent total

95.2
0
Lakmal to Maharaj, no run, on middle and off, straightens from a good length, pushed to the off side and he was keen for the single but got sent back

A helmet comes out as short leg goes in place

95.1
0
Lakmal to Maharaj, no run, nice delivery, shapes away outside off, Maharaj is in two minds but decides to leave at the last moment

Three slips in

END OF OVER:
95 | (wicket maiden) | SA: 276/7

  • Quinton de Kock27 (57b)
  • Keshav Maharaj0 (0b)
  • Nuwan Pradeep20-5-57-1
  • Suranga Lakmal25-8-62-4
94.6
0
Pradeep to de Kock, no run, defended to the off side

Match Coverage

All Match News

Fourth Innings Hero

69.75

Mathews' average in 4th inns of Tests. Only Bruce Mitchell, Jeffrey Stollmeyer and Bradman average higher (min 500 runs)

Tough ask

410

Most runs scored by SL in the 4th inn of a Test. This was scored against Aus at Hobart in 2007. Their highest 4th inn score in SA is 306.They need 488 to win.

Starting Strong

3

Number of centuries scored by Stephen Cook this year - Highest for any player from South Africa. Amla, Du Plessis and De Kock have 2 hundreds each.

Rare Feat

1

Instances of the same opening pair for RSA before Elgar and Cook to have 2 100+ run stands in both innings of a Test.Bob Catteral and Bruce Mitchell did so in 1929

Opening Salvo

1970

Last instance of the opening stand having 2 50+ run stands in a Test Match for RSA at Port Elizabeth. Barry Richards and Eddie Barlow added 157 and 73 against Aus

Favourite Team

17.34

Philander's average versus Sri Lanka in Tests. 2nd best against any team.He now has 3 five wicket hauls against SL, Aus and NZ.

bowlers' session

7/56

Score in the 1st session on the 2nd day of the Test at Port Elizabeth. Only six wickets fell on the 1st day and 267 runs were made.

Maiden five-for

0

No. of five-wicket hauls by Suranga Lakmal before this. He is playing his 32nd Test.

Getting starts, getting out

5

Instances of South Africa's top five all being dismissed between 20 and 65 in a Test innings. This is only the third such instance since their readmission

Amla's dip in form

49.92

Hashim Amla's career average; he needs to score 62 (if dismissed) in the 2nd innings to bring his average back up to 50

A long time coming

1970

The last time South Africa had a century stand for the first wicket here in Tests, before today: Eddie Barlow and Barry Richards added 157 v Australia

Fifty stand at last

16.25

SA's average opening stand in Port Elizabeth in their 12 previous Test innings from 2001. Their highest opening partnership in this period was 47