02/01Result
2nd Test, Sri Lanka tour of South Africa at Cape Town, Jan 2-5 2017
South Africa won by 282 runs
Player of the Match
Kagiso Rabada
Kagiso RabadaSouth Africa
02/01Result
2nd Test, Sri Lanka tour of South Africa at Cape Town, Jan 2-5 2017
South Africa won by 282 runs
Player of the Match
Kagiso Rabada
Kagiso RabadaSouth Africa

END OF OVER:
62 | 3 Runs 1 Wkt | SL: 224/10

  • Rangana Herath35 (45b)
  • Vernon Philander14-1-48-3
  • Keshav Maharaj16-3-64-1

12.40pm: Okay, so it looks like we'll have to wait for confirmation on Abbott. South Africa can enjoy the moment, Sri Lanka have plenty to work on if they are going to save some face in Johannesburg. We'll be back for more than... Until the next time, thanks for your comments, and cheerio!

12.30pm: Right, presentations coming up. Sounds like Haroon Lorgat has rocked up, perhaps with impending Abbott-related news... Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews: "Disappointing, after winning the toss and having the advantage in the first session. Once again our batters have let the team down, haven't got enough runs on the board to give the bowlers a chance. We haven't concentrated for long hours, trying to hit good balls and getting nicked. [Kumara performance?] Just 19 years of age and bowling really well, taking six-for was fantastic. Credit to Rabada, the way he bowled in the second innings was brilliant. The bowlers have given us a chance but the batters haven't given the bowlers a chance, so that's what we need to change."

South Africa captain Faf du Plessis: "That's pretty much as close to the perfect game as you can play, we wanted to dominate Sri Lanka and every single opportunity the team stepped up. Obviously conditions play a role, when we go there it's tough. But we lost the toss on a green top, we would have bowled as well, but our opening batsman scored a hundred. Then our bowlers showed how tricky it would have been. Test cricket is about how disciplined your bowling attack can be, there are times when the opposition are allowed to bat well, but we kept on top of the run rate and stayed patient. [Win series with one to play?] Extremely nice, we set our challenges, to play well and win the series. Important to put in performances, would like to make it 3-0. [Rest players in Jo'burg?] Not something we've discussed, get our best team on the ground and get a 3-0 series win."

Kagiso Rabada is named Man of the Match for his ten-wicket haul: "I guess all the hard work paid off. The hours invested in gameplans and tactics, it's a good sign. I felt I was fighting for rhythm in the first innings, it kicked when I got a few wickets, so I was fortunate. Today I felt in decent rhythm. You want to get the top batters out, it says a lot about you as a bowler."

12.20pm: Poor Herath, stranded just 65 runs short of his maiden Test hundred. South Africa have no time for sentiment, wrapping up the match inside the first session of day four, a crushing margin of victory - exactly the same as their first-innings lead. Did they need to bat again? Probably not, but the Test has still finished in good time. Interestingly, Kyle Abbott has just received several handshakes and a few embraces from his team-mates. It looks like he may be heading off into the Cape Town sunset, wicketless in his final Test. South Africa will prefer to focus on the exploits of Kagiso Rabada, the coming man, who finished with 10 for 92; he signs the match ball and walks off to a warm ovation.

"It's a 2nd Inning tie! SA just won the 1st innings..." Sujith Leitan is firmly taking the positives for the tourists.

Here's KL: "Hadn't SA batted again to post that massive 507 target the attitude of SL batting could have been very different. The result could well be anything in that case, you never know. I think it did matter to shatter the confidence of the SL batsmen and boost that of their own bowlers."

61.6
W
Philander to Pradeep, OUT, bowled 'im, off stump pegged back! Philander finishes it, South Africa win by 282 runs and take the series with a Test to play

N Pradeep b Philander 5 (14m 12b 1x4 0x6) SR: 41.66

61.5
0
Philander to Pradeep, no run, shortish, on the body, defended down to the on side
61.4
1
Philander to Herath, 1 run, bangs the ball in short and Herath pulls with gusto once more, takes the single to deep midwicket

"Yes, Rangana is in Late 30's :)" Very good, abhishek agrawa

61.3
0
Philander to Herath, no run, goes round the wicket again, full outside off and driven towards mid-off, not timed
61.2
1
Philander to Pradeep, 1 run, length ball on middle and off, an inside edge runs through square leg
61.1
1
Philander to Herath, 1 run, short of a length and Herath nearly pulls himself off his feet swiping wide of mid-on

"Target below 300 now," chortles Juanre_RSA, "game on"

END OF OVER:
61 | 5 Runs | SL: 221/9

  • Nuwan Pradeep4 (9b)
  • Rangana Herath33 (42b)
  • Keshav Maharaj16-3-64-1
  • Vernon Philander13-1-45-2
60.6
0
Maharaj to Pradeep, no run, tossed up and blocked coming forwards once again
60.5
0
Maharaj to Pradeep, no run, floated up around the line of off, Pradeep lunges forward

Another man comes in - slip, gully, siily point and silly mid-off in, as well as short leg

60.4
0
Maharaj to Pradeep, no run, round the wicket and tossed up, takes the outside edge but runs wide of slip

"How can Abbott sign for Hampshire when his CSA contract ends in April?" Well, since that's when the county season starts, Dave, he might consider it fits pretty well

60.3
1
Maharaj to Herath, 1 run, flighted outside off, brings out the reversey-percy again, swept through point for one
60.2
0
Maharaj to Herath, no run, nearly a mix up, as Herath steers the ball to backward point, Pradeep had come three-quarters of the way down and had to be sent back - but Amla threw to the wrong end
60.1
4
Maharaj to Herath, FOUR, four more, a full toss from Maharaj and Herath belts it away through midwicket. Rangana into the 30s

END OF OVER:
60 | 5 Runs | SL: 216/9

  • Nuwan Pradeep4 (6b)
  • Rangana Herath28 (39b)
  • Vernon Philander13-1-45-2
  • Keshav Maharaj15-3-59-1
59.6
4
Philander to Pradeep, FOUR, pitched up and Pradeep decides to try and punch his way out, slogged towards long-on... and the top edge ends up at third man. One of those
59.5
0
Philander to Pradeep, no run, angled in, no swing this time, turned to the leg side
59.4
0
Philander to Pradeep, no run, wah-wee, too good for thee! Philander bends a peach of a ball into off stump and then away, past Pradeep's groping bat
59.3
0
Philander to Pradeep, no run, shuffles across and blocks another with a straight bat
59.2
0
Philander to Pradeep, no run, goes over the wicket, targeting the top of off, Pradeep gets into line

"What does Kurunegala Lara mean?" Well, he's from Kurunegala, Ritesh, and he bats left-handed... Need any more help?

59.1
1
Philander to Herath, 1 run, shortish, outside off, Herath rises up on his tippy toes and dabs one in front of square

END OF OVER:
59 | 1 Run 1 Wkt | SL: 211/9

  • Nuwan Pradeep0 (1b)
  • Rangana Herath27 (38b)
  • Keshav Maharaj15-3-59-1
  • Vernon Philander12-1-40-2
58.6
0
Maharaj to Pradeep, no run, full on off, leans into a front-foot block

One more to go, SA pretty much have their hands on the series trophy. Can Nuwan Pradeep help Herath through to a third Test fifty?

58.5
W
Maharaj to Kumara, OUT, gottim, stumped on the charge, SL nine down! Maharaj might have seen him coming, fired through wide of off stump as Kumara made room to try and flay through the covers, de Kock snaffled it and finished the job in a blink

CBRLS Kumara st †de Kock b Maharaj 9 (30m 16b 2x4 0x6) SR: 56.25

58.4
1
Maharaj to Herath, 1 run, flighted, Herath sweeps aggressively again, short leg takes evasive action... but deep square keeps them to one

"Haha 'Banking mode'. I see what you did there Alan :D" Nothing gets past Rashad

58.3
0
Maharaj to Herath, no run, pushed through outside off, Herath shuffles over and taps it away
58.2
0
Maharaj to Herath, no run, flatter, nudged off the pads towards short leg on the bounce
58.1
0
Maharaj to Herath, no run, floated up on the stumps from round the wicket, Herath blocks. He's not going anywhere, not while he's having this much fun

Unless he returns for a final burst, Kyle Abbott may have bowled his final ball in Test cricket. Firdose Moonda has the latest on ESPNcricinfo's developing story

Match Coverage

All Match News

Wickets Galore

1

Number of bowlers to take 10 wickets in a match for South Africa against SL before Kagiso Rabada. Philander took 10 for 102 in Durban in 2011.

Hometown Hero

4

Number of five wicket hauls for Kagiso Rabada at home. In 12 innings he has gone wicketless only once. He now has 40 wickets at home.

tough ask

410

Highest score made by SL ever in the 4th innings of a Test. They need to score 507 to win this match.

Can Lakmal do it?

1986

The last instance when 2 fast bowlers from SL took a five wicket haul in a Test- AK Kuruppuarachchi and Ravi Ratnayeke took 5 each against Pak in Colombo.

Consistent openers

3

Consecutive tests at home in which the SA openers have scored two 50+ scores - Elgar (129 & 55), Cook(59 & 117) and De Kock ( 82 & 50)

Batsmen Falter

79

Partnership runs added for the 2nd to the 10th wickets in Sri Lanka's first innings - Their worst vs SA in Tests.

Fifty and counting!!

13

Number of Tests taken for Kagiso Rabada to reach 50 wickets. He is the tenth fastest from South Africa to reach this mark

Pacers for SL in SA

4

Number of fast bowlers from SL to get a 5 wicket haul in SA. Lahiru Kumara joins Welegedara, Fernando and Lakmal to this feat.

Superb Start

23

Number of innings taken for De Kock to score 1000 Test runs. - Joint fifth quickest for SA behind G Smith,De Villiers,Barlow,G Pollock and Faf Du Plessis

Can he continue his form?

63.18

De Kock's average in 2016- Highest for any player from SA. He had 7 fifty plus scores and scored at a strike rate of 78.61