Lankan quicks strike four times before bad weather intervenes

Thursday, 28 November 2024 02:07 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

David Bedingham has his stumps shattered by Lahiru Kumara

Lahiru Kumara is all pumped up after striking twice in two overs to rattle South Africa

First Test against South Africa at Durban

Rain allowed only 20.4 overs of the first day of the first cricket Test at Kingsmead, Durban yesterday but it was enough time for Sri Lanka to strike four times and reduce South Africa to 80-4 before heavy rain at lunch ended play for the rest of the day.

In murky conditions it was no surprise when Sri Lanka chose to bowl and their bowlers didn’t let their skipper Dhananjaya de Silva down. With the ball swinging prodigiously under overcast and cool conditions there was something on the pitch for the bowlers.

Asitha Fernando and Vishwa Fernando got rid of the openers cheaply to have South Africa down 14-2. They should have had the South African captain Temba Bavuma twice (dropped once by Dimuth Karunaratne at second slip and caught behind by Kusal Mendis off a Lahiru Kumara no-ball), but not to be.

After the brilliant opening hour from the Fernandos, it was the turn of Kumara in the second. After conceding 17 (including 4 leg byes) off his opening over, Kumara removed a promising Tristan Stubbs for 16 – Karunaratne managing to hang onto the catch via his thighs and David Bedingham with a corker that rattled his stumps – in quick succession to push South Africa into further trouble.

Unfortunately, that was all the action that was possible in the first session. The next two sessions were wiped out due to rain. The forecast however for the rest of the Test looks promising.

Bavuma (28*) will be the key to South Africa getting to a decent total.