Watch cricket video highlights of Sri Lanka tour of South Africa 2024. 2nd Test between Sri Lanka and South Africa. Venue of the match will be Gqeberha.
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On an evenly distributed day at St George’s Park in 2024, Ryan Rickelton became the eighth South African batsman to reach 100 runs, scoring his first Test century in his eighth game. South Africa struggled at 44 for 3 in the morning session after opting to bat first in windy conditions, but they took control with to a 133-run fourth wicket partnership between Rickelton and Temba Bavuma, who reached his third consecutive score of fifty. Rickelton and Kyle Verreynne put up 77 for the sixth wicket to steady them after they were rocked again at 186 for 5.
After taking two late wickets during the day, Sri Lanka will aim to dismiss South Africa for less than 300 and take full advantage of the favorable batting conditions that are anticipated on day two. Although they lost the toss, Sri Lanka, who chose to bowl first on a wicket with a lot of grass covering, would be happy with their performance because their seamers asked a lot of questions. Lahiru Kumara was used well in bursts, Asitha Fernando and Vishwa Fernando found just enough movement up front, and all three were dangerous with the short ball.
The fact that two of their chances were denied and several more were missed did them no favors. However, they will be happy with their efforts on what is often a solid batting surface on the first day. It was a wise move for South Africa to employ Rickelton in his favorite position in addition to adding an additional batter. He demonstrated his aptitude for being higher up the order by batting at No. 3, where he had a domestic average of 60.68, for the first time in Test cricket.
Rickelton batted for the most of the day after being called in as early as the second over. Before jumping on any width, he displayed restraint. After an early wobble, he showed some of South Africa’s batting depth before being removed with eight minutes remaining in the day’s play. He would have been upset to have edged to gully after playing at a Kumara ball outside off. With his first ball, Asitha, who took the new ball after Vishwa, got Tony de Zorzi out leg before wicket for a duck after he was inswinging.
De Zorzi reviewed, but the umpires’ decisions on impact and wickets-projection stood. Then, when Aiden Markram attempted to drive a delivery that nibbled back into him to end what might have been a threatening innings, Kumara became the fifth seamer from Sri Lanka to reach 100 Test wickets. Markram was unafraid to throw his hands at anything wide and hit four fours in his 20s. In his maiden Test match at home, Tristan Stubbs edged to wicketkeeper Kusal Mendis, who made a brilliant catch moving to his right, after reaching hard for a wide Kumara delivery four overs later.
As a result, Bavuma joined Rickelton, full of confidence after his Kingsmead ton. To reach South Africa’s fifty, Bavuma hit Prabath Jayasuriya behind square with the fifth ball he faced. He used some skillful strokes, such as through point and steers between second and third slip. He blasted Jayasuriya over midwicket and off of the ground for six to end the morning session after riding the bounce beautifully. After lunch, South Africa quickly got into gear and won the second over of the match by 10 runs.
On the drive and in the area through point, where he hit the single that reached his fifty, Bavuma was especially forceful. After his 52-ball fifty in the innings where he made his first hundred, it came off 57 balls, making it his second-fastest total in Test cricket. Even though it appeared to be easy against the spinners, Rickelton was more careful and needed 122 balls to reach fifty. He also never got ahead of himself. Sri Lanka used Asitha for a short-ball burst as tea time drew near, and it was successful.
Bavuma edged to Kusal after attempting to hook the final ball of Asitha’s eleventh over. After getting to tea, David Bedingham was resolved to play as offensively as he could. He sent the sixth ball he faced—from Asitha—up over the on-side with a swipe. Vishwa, from deep midwicket, yelled for it and briefly caught it as three fielders converged on it, but the opportunity eluded him. Bedingham attempted to hit a short ball that he top-edged to fine leg two overs later. The ball passed right through Dinesh Chandimal, the lone fielder, even though he nestled beneath it.
When Bedingham attempted to take on Jayasuriya, he was bowled after missing a slog while moving down the track. In the following over, Asitha nearly had Verreynne glove a short ball, but he made it out alive. But the runs dried up. Rickelton only contributed four runs to South Africa’s tally of 17 runs in 12 overs after tea until he broke the shackles by scything Kumara past point for four. The two sprinted effectively when the second new ball came up, and Verreynne made good use of the crease to create scoring possibilities.
Prior to being given out lbw off Vishwa, Rickelton, who was in his 90s at the time, reached 98 with a cover drive. Reluctantly, it appeared, he reviewed, and Ultra-Edge displayed a spike. He reached a 231-ball century to thunderous cheers after hitting the ball clear beyond Verreynne two balls later. As soon as the second new ball was available, Sri Lanka seized it, and Rickelton’s wicket was their reward. After working unsuccessfully throughout the day, Vishwa managed to get past Marco Jansen’s defenses and bowl him out on the final ball of the day after he had smoked the first ball he faced through the covers for four.
