Player of the Match
Player of the Match
1874dThe Report by Karthik Krishnaswamy

South Africa surge ahead on seamers' day

Vernon Philander and Kyle Abbott led South Africa's fightback after they were bowled out for 286 early on day two, giving Sri Lanka no respite as they went to stumps seven down for 181

Match Centre

Statistics

Best performances - Batsmen

SC Cook
SC Cook
117(178) 11x4 - 0x6
Control %84%
  • Productive Shot
  • flick
  • 46 runs
  • 2x4 - 0x6
21 11 24 15 19 1 4 22
Q de Kock
Q de Kock
69(86) 6x4 - 0x6
Control %80%
  • Productive Shot
  • cut shot
  • 17 runs
  • 3x4 - 0x6
2 1 19 5 15 2 2 23

Best performances - Bowlers

VD Philander
VD Philander
O20
M7
R45
W5
Eco2.25
RHB
OFFLEG
1W
2W
1W
  • FTFULL TOSS
  • YYORKER
  • FFULL LENGTH
  • GGOOD LENGTH
  • SGSHORT OF GOOD LENGTH
  • SSHORT LENGTH
LHB
LEGOFF
1W
RAS Lakmal
RAS Lakmal
O27
M9
R63
W5
Eco2.33
RHB
OFFLEG
1W
3W
  • FTFULL TOSS
  • YYORKER
  • FFULL LENGTH
  • GGOOD LENGTH
  • SGSHORT OF GOOD LENGTH
  • SSHORT LENGTH
LHB
LEGOFF
1W

Match Details

Toss

South Africa , elected to bat first

Player Of The Match

Series result

South Africa led the 3-match series 1-0

Match number

Season

Hours of play (local time)

10am start, Lunch 12.00-12.40, Tea 14.40-15.00, Close 17.00; Friday: Lunch 12.30-13.30; Tea: 15.30-16.00; Close: 18:00

Match days

26,27,28,29,30 December 2016 (5-day match)

TV Umpires

Reserve Umpire

Match Referee

Scorecard Summary

SOUTH AFRICA 286(98.5 OVERS)
1ST INNINGS

SRI LANKA 205(64.5 OVERS)
1ST INNINGS

SOUTH AFRICA 406/6d(90.5 OVERS)
2ND INNINGS

SRI LANKA 281(96.3 OVERS)
2ND INNINGS

Scorer: Chandan Duorah | Commentator: Andrew McGlashan

South Africa win by 206 runs and have set down a strong marker for the series. Wasn't quite a complete performance, the fielding wasn't at its best in the second innings, but all-in-all a very impressive all-round display from the home side. It was an even game after the first day, but since then South Africa pulled further and further away. Vernon Philander and Kyle Abbott were outstanding, Kagiso Rabada was better in the second innings and Keshav Maharaj did his role ideally yesterday. It many ways it is what we expected before the series, Sri Lanka struggling in these conditions but they'll be disappointed with some of the top-order batting. They only have two days to think about things before the Newlands Test. I'll stay with you and for a little while and hopefully bring the presentation shortly.

Ankit Bakliwal: "It is so boring to see the home team win all the time. What do you suggest should be done to have more balance in these test matches?" Ideally more warm-up matches, but that's tough with the packed schedules these days. Maybe fewer Test - and tours - but with longer build-ups. Quality over quantity? Although I know the number of Tests between teams is already uneven. And South Africa have shown in recent times how it is possible to win away from home.

Presentation time...Angelo Mathews "I thought the bowlers did pretty well but it was hard work for the batters. If we can bat well from the beginning then we don't have to fight back. We've only got a couple of days to regroup. We'll try our best to start well in the second Test. We know we are up against a good-quality side. There were lots of positives but not enough for win."

Faf du Plessis "We had to toil for this one. But from day one we played some good cricket, very happy with how the game went. Last six months has gone very well. Everything went exactly that we would have liked. The wicket was green and we got a hundred stand. Thought we could have got 50 more, but to get an 80 lead was a fantastic effort. Boys worked hard yesterday but got their rewards today. We thought reverse may come into play, but the grass left on meant the ball never really scuffed up. The bowlers were relentless on their line and length. This seam attack, time and time again, has proven they can do it with three bowlers. Puts a lot of emphasis on the spinner, too, and Keshav has been doing a really good job. I feel like as a team were are at about 80% so hopefully we can get better as a batting unit."

The Man of the Match is Stephen Cook for his fifty and a hundred. "It's gone well the last couple of games. You know you will go through tough times. Wanted to make it count in the second innings. Nice to have the family around."

And that just about wraps things up for this Test and for Test cricket in 2016. There is an ODI left to complete international cricket for the year. We'll be back on January 2 for the second Test from Newlands but, for now, from Andrew McGlashan it's goodbye and thanks for joining us. Happy New Year.

96.3
W
Maharaj to Pradeep, OUT, and that's it! A beauty to win the Test. Pitches on middle, spins, beats the outside edge and takes the off stump. A delightful delivery for a left-arm spinner

N Pradeep b Maharaj 4 (13m 9b 1x4 0x6) SR: 44.44

96.2
0
Maharaj to Pradeep, no run, blocks a full ball to the off side
96.1
1
Maharaj to Lakmal, 1 run, down the pitch, swung in the air straight down the ground, Cook is at long-off but it's short of him

END OF OVER:
96 | 5 Runs | SL: 280/9

  • Nuwan Pradeep4 (7b)
  • Suranga Lakmal18 (19b)
  • Kagiso Rabada21-4-77-3
  • Keshav Maharaj30-7-85-2
95.6
0
Rabada to Pradeep, no run, almost bowled him, it's a full delivery, squeezes off the inside edge and trickles wide of the stumps
95.5
4
Rabada to Pradeep, FOUR, that goes through everything and everyone...Pradeep moving to leg, it's short of a length, nicks the inside edge onto his back leg and deflects past de Kock who had gone down the leg side
95.4
0
Rabada to Pradeep, no run, at the stumps, Pradeep moving to the leg side a little, defended to point

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