Sri Lanka’s Lahiru Kumara celebrates with teammates after bowling South Africa’s David Bedingham 4 runs, at Kingsmead stadium in Durban, South Africa, Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AP
Sri Lanka reduced South Africa to 80-4 in 20.4 overs before rain washed out the rest of the first day of the first cricket test at Kingsmead on Wednesday, November 27, 2024.
The Sri Lankans, who have not lost three previous tests in Durban, won a crucial toss and opted to bowl in overcast conditions with a pace-heavy attack.
Fast bowlers Asitha Fernando and Vishwa Fernando, no relation, removed the openers by the fourth over.
Lahiru Kumara got the other two wickets and could have had captain Temba Bavuma on 20, but Kumara was no-balled for overstepping.
Bavuma rode his luck to 28 and Kyle Verreynne was on 9 — they were a combined 26 off 21 balls — when stumps were called after a 3 1/2-hour wait.
Aiden Markram, who has one century and one half-century in five previous tests this year, hit a couple of boundaries through cover and point in the first over but then edged Asitha Fernando to first slip on 9.
Two balls later, fellow opener Tony de Zorzi gave a thick edge off Vishwa Fernando to second slip and South Africa was 14-2 in the fourth over.
Tristan Stubbs was joined by Bavuma, who was dropped on 1 off Vishwa Fernando by Dimuth Karunaratne at second slip.
With the sun out, Lahiru Kumara’s first over went for 17 runs, including a couple of Stubbs boundaries, but he claimed Stubbs on 16 in his second over and Karunaratne made amends with the catch at third slip.
When Kumara bowled David Bedingham at 54-4 in the 18th over, Kyle Verreynne came in.
Verreynne and Bavuma plunded 17 runs off another over by Kumara, who should have made Bavuma his third wicket for a catch behind, but he was no-balled.
Published – November 28, 2024 03:20 am IST
