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CENTURION: Dinesh Chandimal and Dhananjaya de Silva scored fluent half-centuries as Sri Lanka took advantage of some lacklustre South Africa bowling to post 340 for six at the close of day one of the first Test at the SuperSport Park in Centurion on Saturday.
Dasun Shanaka (25 not out) and Kasun Rajitha (seven not out) will resume on the second day having come through a difficult spell late in the evening session against the new ball, though South Africa aided them by not attacking the stumps enough.
The tourists won the toss and elected to bat, recovering from a poor start that was largely self-inflicted to seize the initiative on a wicket with plenty of bounce that is likely to become uneven as the Test goes on.
Former Sri Lankan skipper Chandimal’s bright innings of 85 came to an end when home seamer Wiaan Mulder (3-68) got the ball to leap spitefully off a length, clipping his glove and flying to Faf du Plessis in a second slip position.
He had put on 99 with wicket-keeper Niroshan Dickwella, and was involved in a stand of 131 runs in just 34.1 overs with the excellent de Silva, who retired hurt on 79 from 105 balls having punished the home side’s inconsistent line.
De Silva was in complete control at the crease but suffered a hip injury as he jogged through for a comfortable single, dropping to the floor at the end of the run in obvious discomfort. He will have a scan on Saturday evening to assess the damage.
South Africa bowled poorly in the first hour, but still managed to reduce the visitors to 54 for three as Sri Lanka gave their wickets away with injudicious stroke-play.
Captain Dimuth Karunaratne raced to 22 from 20 balls before he played the ball onto his own stumps off Lungi Ngidi (1-54), while Kusal Mendis tried to pull Anrich Nortje (1-60), but was beaten for pace and looped a catch to Ngidi at mid-on.
Kusal Perera then chased a ball that was far too wide from Mulder and was caught behind by new South Africa Test captain Quinton de Kock for 16.
But Sri Lanka effectively added another 230 runs before losing another wicket when Chandimal fell, and Mulder then removed Dickwella for a well played 49, and seamer Lutho Sipamla (1-68) bowled fellow debutant Wanindu Hasaranga (18).
Meanwhile, South African players raised their fists in an anti-racism gesture at the start of the two-Test series in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.
The team issued a statement that said the players had on multiple occasions declared their support for the campaign against racial injustice and “wanted to own our journey”.
The players were criticised for not ‘taking a knee’ ahead of a recent series against England as had been done by other sporting teams following the death of George Floyd in the United States earlier in the year.
The statement said the decision to show a raised fist was reached ‘through a process of deep democracy’ to be appropriate in a South African context.
Scoreboard
SRI LANKA (1st Innings):
F.D.M. Karunaratne b Ngidi 22
M.D.K.J. Perera c de Kock b Mulder 16
B.K.G. Mendis c Ngidi b Nortje 12
L.D. Chandimal c du Plessis b Mulder 85
D.M. de Silva retired hurt 79
N. Dickwella lbw b Mulder 49
M.D. Shanaka not out 25
W. Hasaranga b Sipamla 18
C.A.K. Rajitha not out 7
EXTRAS (B-8, LB-8, W-7, NB-4) 27
TOTAL (for six wkts, 85 overs) 340
FALL OF WKTS: 1-28, 2-54, 3-54, 4-284, 5-296, 6-320.
TO BAT: M.V.T. Fernando, C.B.R.L.S. Kumara.
NOTE: de Silva retired hurt at 185-3.
BOWLING (to-date: Ngidi 16-2-54-1; Sipamla 14-1-78-1 (2nb); Nortje 18-3-60-1 (2w); Mulder 18-3-68-3 (2nb, 1w); Maharaj 19-3-74-0.
SOUTH AFRICA: D. Elgar, A.K. Markram, R.E. van der Dussen, F. du Plessis, T. Bavuma, Q. de Kock, P.W.A. Mulder, L. Sipamla, A. Nortje, L. Ngidi.
UMPIRES: M. Erasmus (South Africa) and A.T. Holdstock (South Africa).
TV UMPIRE: A. Palekar (South Africa).
MATCH REFEREE: A.J. Pycroft (Zimbabwe).