Sri Lanka will probably have the happier dressing room after day one of their Boxing Day Test against South Africa in Centurion.
The tourists reached 340/6 by stumps on day one after winning the toss and electing to bat first.
Sri Lanka punish wayward Proteas
Sri Lanka made the most of some loose bowling from the Proteas in the first half an hour before a flurry of wickets pegged them back to 54/3 with Dimuth Karunaratne (22), Kusal Mendis (12) and Kusal Perera (16) back in the hut.
Debutant Lutho Sipamla offered plenty for the Sri Lanka batsmen to punish and team management will hope that he learns from the experience.
Dinesh Chandimal and Dhananjaya de Silva put in the star turn of the day for Sri Lanka during a 131-run fourth-wicket stand that was ended when the latter suffered an injury.
De Silva made 79 off 105 balls before pulling up clutching his left hip as he completed a run. He had treatment on the field before being taken off on a motorised stretcher.
Chandimal went on to make 85 sharing in another crucial partnership with Niroshan Dickwella.
Mulder muscles in
Wiaan Mulder struck twice in quick succession after tea to pull the Proteas back into the contest but Sri Lanka’s lower-order proved resilient.
Mulder got one to rise on Chandimal who gloved it to the slip corden and then denied Dickwella a 50 with a ball that kept low and thudded into his pad. Dickwella reviewed, but replays couldn’t save him this time.
Dasun Shanaka frustrated the Proteas attack and ended the day on 25 not out with Kasun Rajitha (7*) for company.
South Africa vs Sri Lanka – Scorecard
Sri Lanka, first innings
D. Karunaratne b Ngidi 22
K. Perera c De Kock b Mulder 16
K. Mendis c Ngidi b Nortje 12
D. Chandimal c Du Plessis b Mulder 85
D. de Silva retired hurt 79
N. Dickwella lbw b Mulder 49
D. Shanaka not out 25
W. Hasaranga b Sipamla 18
K. Rajitha not out 7
Extras (b8, lb8, nb5, w6) 27
Total (6 wkts, 85 overs) 340
Fall of wickets: 1-28 (Karunaratne), 2-54 (Mendis), 3-54 (Perera), 4-284 (Chandimal), 5-296 (Dickwella), 6-320 (Hasaranga)
Bowling: Ngidi 16-2-54-1, Sipamla 14-1-68-1 (2nb), Nortje 18-3-60-1 (2w), Mulder 18-3-68-3 (3nb), Maharaj 19-3-74-0
To bat: V. Fernando, L. Kumara
South Africa: Q. de Kock, D. Elgar, A. Markram, H. van der Dussen, F. du Plessis, T. Bavuma, W. Mulder, K. Maharaj, A. Nortje, L. Sipamla, L. Ngidi
Match situation: Sri Lanka are 340 for six wickets in the first innings
Toss: Sri Lanka
Umpires: Marais Erasmus, Adrian Holdstock (both RSA)
TV umpire: Allahudien Paleker (RSA)
Match referee: Andy Pycroft (ZIM)
