November 29, 2024

Stubbs, Bavuma Centuries Put Sri Lanka on the Brink

South Africa set Sri Lanka a daunting target of 516 runs after declaring their second innings at 366 for 5.

Temba Bavuma and Tristan Stubbs both scored centuries in the first two sessions, pushing South Africa’s lead to a commanding position. The Sri Lankan quicks struggled as the day progressed, with five wickets falling before the end of day three. South Africa now need just five more wickets to secure a crucial 1-0 lead in the World Test Championship series, while Sri Lanka trail by 413 runs. The pitch at Kingsmead has become unpredictable, making batting difficult.

The standout moment of the day was the 249-run partnership between Stubbs and Bavuma, which matched a record for the fourth wicket at the ground. The two batters laid the foundation for their centuries in the morning, handling a few challenging overs. By then, the pitch had lost much of its earlier bounce. South Africa picked up the pace in the afternoon, scoring at 4.81 runs per over.

The Sri Lankan bowlers, tired after nearly 150 overs in the match, managed to dismiss Stubbs and Bavuma late in the second session. By that point, South Africa’s lead had grown past 500 runs. When they declared at tea, they had set Sri Lanka a nearly impossible chase of 516.

The crowd at Kingsmead was particularly thrilled by Bavuma’s century, which had a dramatic moment as he nervously approached 100, surviving lbw appeals and a series of close calls.

Click here and check out more latest cricket news.

Bavuma and Stubbs Shine with Centuries in Challenging Conditions

Bavuma’s milestone of reaching his third century was the most dramatic moment of the day. On 98, he attempted a lap sweep off Prabath Jayasuriya and was struck on the pad. The umpire initially ruled it not out, allowing the batters to run three runs. However, after Bavuma had removed his helmet to celebrate, Sri Lanka opted for a review. Replays on the big screen revealed a faint deflection off his glove before hitting the pad, leading to an eventual “not out” decision. Bavuma raised his bat in triumph as the crowd cheered, celebrating his second century as captain and third overall in his career.

Stubbs reached his second Test century with more ease, spending just 14 balls in the 90s before nudging Asitha Fernando through midwicket for a couple to reach the milestone. He was given out lbw in the next over by Lahiru Kumara but successfully reviewed the decision, as the ball was found to have pitched outside the line of off-stump. Earlier, he was dropped on 33 when Angelo Mathews failed to take a low catch at slip off Vishwa Fernando’s bowling.

Despite the pitch conditions improving, it was remarkable for Bavuma and Stubbs to survive the entire first session, especially after 19 wickets fell the previous day. Both players started cautiously; Kumara bowled short to test them, while Jayasuriya varied his deliveries, searching for breakthroughs. Stubbs displayed his strength down the ground, while Bavuma preferred to strike square, using his feet against the spinner and occasionally playing both hard, flat sweeps and delicate ones past the keeper. Apart from Stubbs’ one dropped chance, the pair seemed largely untroubled, though they faced a few lbw appeals that were not particularly close.

South Africa’s Bowlers Dominate as Sri Lanka Struggles in Final Session

In the final session, South Africa’s fast bowlers were relentless, and Sri Lanka’s batters continued to show poor discipline, even as fading light and South Africa’s aggressive bowling kept the pressure high. Sri Lanka exhausted all three of their reviews; Pathum Nissanka and Angelo Mathews both unsuccessfully reviewed lbw decisions that were fairly clear-cut, and Kamindu Mendis reviewed after edging the ball to the wicketkeeper.

Mendis’ dismissal marked his first pair in his nine-Test career, having scored just 13 in the first innings and 10 in this one. South Africa’s taller fast bowlers exploited the pitch conditions more effectively than Sri Lanka’s seamers earlier in the day. Mathews’ lbw dismissal, in particular, was due to the low bounce; the ball skidded through, surprising him as he anticipated it to rise to waist height. Marco Jansen was the bowler responsible, taking his tally to nine wickets in the match.

Kagiso Rabada struck first, dismissing Dimuth Karunaratne in the fifth over. Karunaratne drove at a wide ball outside off-stump, only to be caught at third slip. Rabada also claimed the last wicket of the day, removing nightwatchman Prabath Jayasuriya with a stunning reflex catch by short leg fielder Tony de Zorzi.

Read More: IPL 2024 Highlights: Key Moments from Recent Games