South Africa leads Sri Lanka by 221 runs in 2nd test
South Africa leads Sri Lanka by 221 runs in 2nd test
South Africa’s captain Temba Bavuma watches his shot during the third day of the second Test cricket match between South Africa and Sri Lanka, at St George’s Park in Gqeberha, South Africa, Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
South Africa’s Tristan Stubbs plays a reverse scoop shot during the third day of the second Test cricket match between South Africa and Sri Lanka, at St George’s Park in Gqeberha, South Africa, Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
South Africa’s Dane Paterson holds the ball after taking 5 wickets, at the end of Sri Lanka’s innings during the third day of the second Test cricket match between South Africa and Sri Lanka, at St George’s Park in Gqeberha, South Africa, Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
South Africa’s Dane Paterson, right, celebrates after dismissing Sri Lanka’s Vishwa Fernando for a duck during the third day of the second Test cricket match between South Africa and Sri Lanka, at St George’s Park in Gqeberha, South Africa, Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
South Africa’s Marco Jansen, second from right, celebrates with his teammates after taking a catch to dismiss Sri Lanka’s Lahiru Kumara for a duck during the third day of the second Test cricket match between South Africa and Sri Lanka, at St George’s Park in Gqeberha, South Africa, Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
Sri Lanka’s Prabath Jayasuriya, right, celebrates after dismissing South Africa’s Ryan Rickelton for 24 runs during the third day of the second Test cricket match between South Africa and Sri Lanka, at St George’s Park in Gqeberha, South Africa, Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
South Africa’s captain Temba Bavuma watches his shot during the third day of the second Test cricket match between South Africa and Sri Lanka, at St George’s Park in Gqeberha, South Africa, Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
South Africa’s captain Temba Bavuma watches his shot during the third day of the second Test cricket match between South Africa and Sri Lanka, at St George’s Park in Gqeberha, South Africa, Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
South Africa’s Tristan Stubbs plays a reverse scoop shot during the third day of the second Test cricket match between South Africa and Sri Lanka, at St George’s Park in Gqeberha, South Africa, Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
South Africa’s Tristan Stubbs plays a reverse scoop shot during the third day of the second Test cricket match between South Africa and Sri Lanka, at St George’s Park in Gqeberha, South Africa, Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
South Africa’s Dane Paterson holds the ball after taking 5 wickets, at the end of Sri Lanka’s innings during the third day of the second Test cricket match between South Africa and Sri Lanka, at St George’s Park in Gqeberha, South Africa, Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
South Africa’s Dane Paterson holds the ball after taking 5 wickets, at the end of Sri Lanka’s innings during the third day of the second Test cricket match between South Africa and Sri Lanka, at St George’s Park in Gqeberha, South Africa, Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
South Africa’s Dane Paterson, right, celebrates after dismissing Sri Lanka’s Vishwa Fernando for a duck during the third day of the second Test cricket match between South Africa and Sri Lanka, at St George’s Park in Gqeberha, South Africa, Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
South Africa’s Dane Paterson, right, celebrates after dismissing Sri Lanka’s Vishwa Fernando for a duck during the third day of the second Test cricket match between South Africa and Sri Lanka, at St George’s Park in Gqeberha, South Africa, Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
South Africa’s Marco Jansen, second from right, celebrates with his teammates after taking a catch to dismiss Sri Lanka’s Lahiru Kumara for a duck during the third day of the second Test cricket match between South Africa and Sri Lanka, at St George’s Park in Gqeberha, South Africa, Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
South Africa’s Marco Jansen, second from right, celebrates with his teammates after taking a catch to dismiss Sri Lanka’s Lahiru Kumara for a duck during the third day of the second Test cricket match between South Africa and Sri Lanka, at St George’s Park in Gqeberha, South Africa, Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
Sri Lanka’s Prabath Jayasuriya, right, celebrates after dismissing South Africa’s Ryan Rickelton for 24 runs during the third day of the second Test cricket match between South Africa and Sri Lanka, at St George’s Park in Gqeberha, South Africa, Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
Sri Lanka’s Prabath Jayasuriya, right, celebrates after dismissing South Africa’s Ryan Rickelton for 24 runs during the third day of the second Test cricket match between South Africa and Sri Lanka, at St George’s Park in Gqeberha, South Africa, Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
GQEBERHA, South Africa (AP) — South Africa was building a defendable total against Sri Lanka as it reached 191-3 in its second innings and a lead of 221 runs on day three Saturday of the second test.
Aiden Markram’s 55 moved the Proteas’ lead past 100, and captain Temba Bavuma and Tristan Stubbs gave the lead more gloss by stumps with an unbroken stand of 82.
The Proteas, already up 1-0 in the short series, ought to feel more confident with a few more runs on the board by lunchtime on Sunday. The highest successful run chase at St George’s Park was 271 by Australia in 1997 against South Africa.
At the start of the day, Sri Lanka was handily placed at 242-3. But its first innings was stopped at 328, short of South Africa’s total by 30 runs, after a maiden five-wicket haul by medium-pacer Dane Paterson.
Gerald Coetzee’s injury replacement took three wickets in one over and 5-71 overall.
The Proteas started batting soon after lunch, and Markram and Tony de Zorzi put on 55 until the latter drove at spinner Prabath Jayasuriya and missed on 19.
After lunch, Markram achieved his 12th test fifty, but he was out for 55 when he mistimed an attempted drive at pacer Vishwa Fernando and Kusal Mendis took a great one-handed catch.
When first-innings century-maker Ryan Rickelton was out for 24 to Jayasuriya, South Africa was 109-3 and Sri Lanka was in the ascendency.
But Bavuma and Stubbs regained the momentum with a chanceless stand.
Bavuma, the leading run-scorer in the series after knocks of 70, 113 and 78, was 48 not out at stumps and Stubbs on 36.
While Paterson received deserved acclaim in the morning, teammate Marco Jansen got the ball rolling for the Proteas.
Sri Lanka overnight batters Angelo Mathews and Kamindu Mendis were cruising until they were ripped out by extra bounce produced from the 2.06-meter (6-foot-7) Jansen.
Mathews fell just before the new ball was optional for 44, and Kamindu Mendis just after the new ball was taken for 48.
Kusal Mendis should have been Jansen’s third wicket but he was dropped by Markram at second slip.
Markram made amends four overs later when he caught captain Dhananjaya de Silva off Paterson’s bowling.
In the same over, Kusal Mendis paid for shouldering arms at Paterson and lost the top of his off stump, and Lahiru Kumara’s thick outside edge flew to gully where Jansen took a stunning left-hand catch.
After three wickets in five balls in the one over, Paterson had his first four-for in tests. The five-for came after lunch when he got Vishwa Fernando to edge behind. But, importantly for Sri Lanka, Fernando and Jayasuriya added a valuable 29 runs for the ninth wicket.
The last wicket was a stumping for Kyle Verreynne, after making four catches.
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