South Africa 269 for 7 (Rickelton 101, Bavuma 78, Kumara 3-54, Asitha 2-67) vs Sri Lanka
Ryan Rickelton scored a first Test century in his eighth match and became the eighth batter for South Africa to bring up a hundred in 2024 on an evenly shared day at St George's Park.
After choosing to bat first in blustery conditions, South Africa teetered on 44 for 3 in the morning session but a 133-run fourth wicket stand between Rickelton and Temba Bavuma, who brought up his third successive score over fifty, saw them take control. They were rocked again at 186 for 5 but Rickelton and Kyle Verreynne put on 77 for the sixth-wicket to re-steady them. Sri Lanka came back with two late wickets in the day and will eye dismissing South Africa for under 300 and making the most of what are expected to be good batting conditions on day two.
Sri Lanka, who wanted to bowl first on a surface with a significant grass covering and got their wish despite losing the toss, will feel fairly pleased with their performance, especially as their seamers asked plenty of questions. Asitha Fernando and Vishwa Fernando found just enough movement upfront while Lahiru Kumara was used effectively in bursts and all three were threatening with the short ball. They were not helped by two chances being put down and a few others falling short. But on what is usually a good batting surface on the first day, they will be pleased with their efforts.
South Africa's decision not only to include an extra batter but to use Rickelton in his preferred position paid off. This was the first time he has batted in Tests at No. 3, a position where he has a domestic average of 60.68, and he showed his suitability to being higher up the order. Called on as early as the second over Rickelton batted for most of the day. He showed restraint upfront and then pounced on any width. He was dismissed with eight minutes left in the day's play and would have been disappointed to have played at a Kumara ball outside off and edged to gully but that was after he had demonstrated some of South Africa's batting depth after an early wobble.
Asitha, who took the new ball after Vishwa, struck with his first ball when he had Tony de Zorzi given out lbw to an inswinging yorker for a duck. De Zorzi reviewed but both impact and wickets-projection were umpire's calls and the decision stood. Then, Kumara became the fifth Sri Lankan seamer to reach 100 Test wickets when he bowled Aiden Markram, who tried to drive a delivery that nipped back into him to end what could have become a dangerous innings. Markram struck four fours in his 20 and was unafraid to throw his hands at anything wide. Four overs later, Tristan Stubbs, in his first Test at his home ground, reached for a wide Kumara delivery with hard hands and edged to wicketkeeper Kusal Mendis, who took a good catch moving to his right.
That brought Bavuma, brimming with confidence from his Kingsmead ton, to join Rickelton. Bavuma flicked the fifth ball he faced off Prabath Jayasuriya behind square to bring up South Africa's fifty. He played some deft strokes including steers between second and third slip and through point. He rode the bounce well and finished the morning session by hitting Jayasuriya over midwicket and out of the ground for six. South Africa got into gear immediately after lunch and took ten runs off the second over of the session. Bavuma was particularly assertive on the drive and in the area through point, where he hit the single that brought up his fifty. It came off 57 balls, his second fastest in Tests after the 52-ball fifty in the innings where he scored his maiden hundred.
Rickelton was more cautious and took 122 balls to reach fifty and never got ahead of himself even as things seemed easier against the spinners. As tea approached, Sri Lanka brought on Asitha for a short-ball burst and it worked. Bavuma tried to hook the last ball of Asitha's 11th over and edged to Kusal.
David Bedingham got to tea but was then determined to play as attackingly as possible. He swiped at the fifth ball he faced, from Asitha, and sent it up over the on-side. Three fielders were converging on it and Vishwa, from deep midwicket called for it and caught it momentarily but the chance slipped out of his hands. Two overs later, Bedingham went for it again, this time to a short ball that he top-edged to fine leg. Dinesh Chandimal was the only fielder out there and settled under the ball but it went straight through him. Bedingham's luck ran out when he tried to take on Jayasuriya, advanced down the track, missed a slog and was bowled.
Asitha almost had Verreynne gloving a short ball in the next over but he survived. Runs, however, dried up. South Africa scored 17 runs in 12 overs post tea and Rickelton added only four runs to his total before he broke the shackles by scything Kumara through point for four. Verreynne used the crease well to manufacture scoring opportunities and the pair ran well as the second new ball approached. Rickelton was in the 90s then and got to 98 with a cover drive before being given out lbw off Vishwa. He reviewed, reluctantly it seemed, and Ultra-Edge showed a spike. Two balls later, he hit the ball straight past Verreynne to bring up a 231-ball hundred to much applause.
Sri Lanka took the second new ball as soon as it became available and were rewarded with Rickelton's wicket. Marco Jansen smoked the first ball he faced through the covers for four but was bowled on the last ball of the day as Vishwa, who had toiled without success through the day, broke through his defences.
