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Jansen's seven wickets lead South Africa to a big win over Sri Lanka at Kingsmead
Jansen's seven wickets lead South Africa to a big win over Sri Lanka at Kingsmead
SL were bowled out for 42 and their lowest test score
Day 2 of the Test at Kingsmead was noticeable, with 19 wickets falling and several records broken. Sri Lanka were bowled out for just 42 runs, their lowest score in Test history and also the lowest ever against South Africa. They faced only 83 balls, making it the second-shortest innings in history. Marco Jansen led the South African attack, taking seven wickets for just 13 runs in only 41 balls—the joint-fewest ever to take a seven-wicket haul. By the end of the day, South Africa had a solid lead of 281 runs, with Temba Bavuma and Tristan Stubbs sharing a partnership of 43 runs, the second-highest of the match so far.
Despite sunny skies, batting conditions remained tough due to the movement on offer. South Africa started the day at 80 for 4 and soon slipped to 117 for 7. At that point, they were at risk of recording their lowest total against Sri Lanka (128 runs), but a few lower-order contributions and Bavuma’s 70-run innings helped them reach 191. This turned out to be a decent score as Sri Lanka crumbled in their reply.
Sri Lanka’s batting collapse was a mix of great bowling and poor shot selection. Only two Sri Lankan players reached double figures. Several batters played risky shots instead of leaving the ball. Pathum Nissanka, Angelo Mathews, Kamindu Mendis, and Dhananjaya de Silva all got out chasing deliveries they could have avoided.
The collapse began with Kagiso Rabada dismissing Sri Lanka's captain, Dimuth Karunaratne. Karunaratne edged a delivery to the slips. Soon after, Jansen got Nissanka to edge to the slips too. Dinesh Chandimal was bowled after leaving a gap between his bat and pad, while Mathews edged another wide delivery to the slips, leaving Sri Lanka in deep trouble at 16 for 4.
South Africa made only one bowling change, bringing in Gerald Coetzee. Coetzee gave away a boundary on his first ball but quickly struck back, dismissing Kamindu Mendis, who edged to the slips after attempting a big shot. Jansen continued his dominance, taking two more quick wickets, including Dhananjaya de Silva, who was bowled while trying to drive.
Sri Lanka’s innings ended in just over an hour, with Jansen finishing with seven wickets. Coetzee also took a few key wickets, and Sri Lanka’s poor shot choices made things easy for South Africa.
Earlier in the day, Sri Lanka’s bowlers had impressed with their pace and accuracy. Lahiru Kumara and the Fernando duo, Asitha and Vishwa, took five wickets between them, making good use of the bouncy pitch. They also fielded well, taking important catches in tricky, windy conditions.
South Africa struggled early on, losing Kyle Verreynne to a fast delivery from Kumara. Wiaan Mulder was hit on the hand by a ball and eventually had to retire hurt. Despite his injury, he later returned to bat and even came out in the second innings, though X-rays confirmed he had fractured his finger and couldn’t bowl or field.
Kumara’s fierce bowling was supported by spin from Jayasuriya. Jayasuriya quickly took two wickets, including Marco Jansen and Coetzee, who were lured into bad shots. South Africa had lost three wickets for just 34 runs at one stage.
Keshav Maharaj broke his streak of ducks and gave South Africa a boost. He hit a few boundaries, including a six, and made 23 runs before getting out. Bavuma kept fighting but eventually top-edged a shot and was caught.
In South Africa’s second innings, Tony de Zorzi and Aiden Markram gave a steady start. Their partnership ended at 47 runs when de Zorzi was caught off Jayasuriya, who claimed his 100th Test wicket in just his 17th match, equaling a 74-year-old record.
Mulder batted bravely again but was clearly in pain. He made 16 runs before being dismissed lbw. Markram also looked good but was bowled after inside-edging a delivery onto his stumps. Bavuma and Stubbs saw out the day and will look to build on their lead on Friday, with conditions expected to favour batting more.
Best figures for SA vs SL in Tests
- 9/129 - Keshav Maharaj, Colombo, 2018
- 7/13 - Marco Jansen, Durban, 2024*
- 7/81 - M de Lange, Durban, 2011
Lowest totals for Sri Lanka in Tests
- 42 vs SA, Durban, 2024*
- 71 vs PAK, Kandy, 1994
- 73 vs PAK, Kandy, 2006
- 81 vs ENG, Colombo, 2001
- 82 vs IND, Chandigarh, 1990
- 82 vs ENG, Cardiff, 2011
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