South Africa’s 109 Runs Victory Against Sri Lanka Revolutionized Their WTC Campaign .

SOUTH AFRICA VS SRI LANKA, 2ND TEST, GQEBERHA :  South Africa’s 109 Runs Victory Against Sri Lanka Revolutionized Their WTC Campaign .

South Africa triumphed over Sri Lanka by 109 runs on the final morning of the second cricket Test at St George’s Park, securing a 2-0 series victory on Monday. The situation heavily favored South Africa, who needed just five more wickets, while Sri Lanka required 143 additional runs in their pursuit of 348, with their last reliable batters at the crease. South Africa quickly dismantled the resistance of captain Dhananjaya de Silva and Kusal Mendis within the first half-hour, exposed the lower order, and bowled out Sri Lanka for 238 before lunch. Spinner Keshav Maharaj captured three of the remaining wickets, finishing with figures of 5-76, his 11th career five-wicket haul. South Africa also bolstered its chances of making its first World Test Championship final, climbing to the top of the standings with two more home Tests against Pakistan beginning December 26. South Africa’s 109 Runs Victory Against Sri Lanka Revolutionized Their WTC Campaign .

TOSS

South Africa won the toss and elected to bat.

PLAYING XI

South Africa Squad:

Aiden Markram, Tony de Zorzi, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, Temba Bavuma (c), David Bedingham, Kyle Verreynne (wk), Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Dane Paterson

Sri Lanka Squad:

Dimuth Karunaratne, Pathum Nissanka, Dinesh Chandimal, Angelo Mathews, Kamindu Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva (c), Kusal Mendis (wk), Prabath Jayasuriya, Vishwa Fernando, Asitha Fernando, Lahiru Kumara

DAY 1

Sri Lanka seized the initial advantage in the match after South Africa opted to bat. Their breakthrough came in the second over when Tony de Zorzi fell to a low full-toss from Asitha Fernando. Attempting a flick, he was trapped lbw. Despite the Sri Lankans’ confident appeal, Zorzi gambled on a review and was ousted for a first-ball duck.

Aiden Markram made a bright start with some elegant boundaries but was dismissed by Lahiru Kumara’s pace. The ball darted back in and uprooted the opener’s stumps. Celebrating his 100th Test wicket, Kumara soon also dismissed Tristan Stubbs, caught behind, reducing the hosts to 44 for 3.

Bavuma, who was aggressive against short deliveries, eventually fell to Asitha’s short-ball strategy just moments before lunch, edging to the ‘keeper on 78. By then, he had forged a 133-run partnership for the second wicket with Rickelton, who had also reached his half-century.

In the final session, Prabath Jayasuriya ended David Bedingham’s brief but troubled stint at the crease. Having survived two drops in 18 balls, Bedingham was ultimately bowled by the spinner. At 186 for 5, despite the century stand, South Africa relied on Rickelton to rebuild alongside Kyle Verreynne.

In the day’s closing hour, Rickelton, after enduring several hits, tapped a good length delivery to mid-on for a single, securing his first Test century. Even as Verreynne accelerated with three boundaries, Rickelton’s stay was cut short with two overs remaining, edging Kumara to gully, ending a 77-run partnership. In the following over, Marco Jansen inside-edged a delivery from Vishwa Fernando onto his stumps. Verreynne remained not out on 48 at stumps.

DAY 2-

After reducing the hosts to 269 for 7 on the first day, Sri Lanka made an early breakthrough on the second morning when Vishwa Fernando dismissed Keshav Maharaj for no score, caught at slip. Despite this setback, a spirited 66-run partnership for the ninth wicket between Verreynne and Kagiso Rabada was crucial in helping the hosts post a solid total.

Sri Lanka, on their part, began cautiously. Benefiting from some wayward deliveries early on, they collected 12 runs in byes before the Lunch break. South Africa struck quickly in the afternoon session as Dimuth Karunaratne edged Rabada to the wicketkeeper. However, with a watchful Nissanka and an aggressive Dinesh Chandimal at the crease, the visitors maintained their momentum. Nissanka had a bit of fortune along the way with a couple of close calls for leg before and a dropped catch.

Together, they compiled a 109-run partnership for the second wicket, firmly tipping control towards Sri Lanka. Nissanka found his rhythm early in the Tea session with a few superb boundaries and later celebrated his seventh Test fifty. He even hit a slog-sweep off Maharaj for a six, while Chandimal, adopting a more restrained approach, eventually edged Paterson to the keeper for 44 after some quiet play.

Sri Lanka slowed their advance briefly, focusing on rotating the strike, before Angelo Mathews increased the tempo with a series of boundaries. Just when they seemed to regain dominance, Nissanka was bowled attempting a sweep shot off Maharaj.

With the score at 199 for 3, Sri Lanka eased their pace in the final hour. Nevertheless, an unbroken 43-run partnership between Mathews and Kamindu Mendis positioned them well for the third day’s play. They are now trailing South Africa by 116 runs.

DAY-3

On the third morning, Sri Lanka relied heavily on Kamindu Mendis and Angelo Mathews. Ideally, the visitors would have preferred these two to tackle the second new ball. Nonetheless, Marco Jansen upset those plans by delivering a ball that unexpectedly bounced higher, glancing off Mathews’s glove and into the keeper’s hands with just four overs remaining. Jansen struck again shortly afterward using the new ball to dismiss Mendis.

A nervous Kusal Mendis pushed Sri Lanka’s tally close to the 300-run threshold, but aspirations for a first-innings lead quickly crumbled within six balls as Dane Paterson unleashed a remarkable over, taking three wickets to unsettle the visitors. Unable to recover, Sri Lanka lost their last two wickets soon after lunch resumed, giving South Africa a slim lead of 30 runs.

With the match essentially a second-innings battle, South Africa needed a strong start—and they delivered. The openers skillfully negotiated the new ball, gathering crucial runs along the way. Aiden Markram played with flair while Tony de Zorzi provided solid support at the other end. Despite Asitha Fernando disrupting this partnership by dismissing the left-hander, South Africa maintained their momentum.

Markram’s succession of boundaries secured his fifty, but just as he seemed set for a substantial score, a wide delivery lured him into a thick edge. He returned to the pavilion visibly annoyed, yet Sri Lanka seized this opportunity when Prabath Jayasuriya trapped Ryan Rickelton with the lead holding at 139.

A few more wickets at this juncture could have instantaneously put Sri Lanka back in the game. Nevertheless, Temba Bavuma and Tristan Stubbs repeated their first Test heroics. They withstood challenging spells from Fernando and Jayasuriya until after the drinks break, when they began to take command. Rotating the strike effectively and seizing occasional boundaries, including Bavuma’s couple of sixes, their steady partnership extended the lead beyond 200. South Africa now looks poised to make decisive moves on the fourth day.

DAY 4-

Sri Lanka’s hope in the daunting pursuit of 348 largely rested on the resilience displayed by Dhananjaya de Silva and Kusal Mendis. Loss of their openers before Tea meant Sri Lanka had to rely heavily on the middle order trio of Dinesh Chandimal, Angelo Mathews, and Kamindu Mendis. Although Mathews hit a boundary to start the final session, Kagiso Rabada relentlessly tested his defense in the subsequent deliveries.

Meanwhile, Dane Paterson made his mark quickly by dismissing Chandimal lbw, weakening the visitors further. He nearly took Kamindu’s wicket in the next over, but the batter overturned the decision. Kamindu then found his rhythm, striking consecutive boundaries off Marco Jansen and even lofting one over backward square leg for a six. Sri Lanka’s runs came easily at this phase, with Mathews also hitting a six off Keshav Maharaj.

Despite their progress, Maharaj penetrated Mathews’ defense, breaking a promising partnership that had surpassed 50 runs for the fourth wicket. Faced with pressure, South Africa captured the crucial wicket of Kamindu, thanks to Kyle Verreynne’s exceptional diving catch. Another wicket at this crucial juncture could’ve exposed the Sri Lankan lower order, but Kusal entered with determination, particularly targeting Maharaj for several boundaries.

Dhananjaya, on his end, appeared confident and frequently picked Paterson and Maharaj for boundaries, steadily closing in on the target. Sri Lanka ended strongly, aiming for these two to continue their stellar performance into the final day for a memorable victory. Yet, the home team knew one more wicket could give them the upper hand.

Earlier, Sri Lanka fought back in the morning session after Temba Bavuma once again reached fifty in this series. Prabath Jayasuriya led the charge, claiming crucial wickets to secure a five-fer. Although South Africa extended their lead beyond 300, some key boundaries from the tail post-lunch almost pushed it to 350 before Rabada and Paterson each struck, setting the stage for the unpredictable final session.

DAY 5

South Africa started the day with their seasoned bowlers, Maharaj and Kagiso Rabada, searching for the wicket that would let them tackle the lower order. However, Kusal Mendis picked up from where he left off, striking a boundary past mid-on. His time was short-lived as he nicked one to slip, where Aiden Markram took a low catch, bringing about the moment South Africa had been eagerly awaiting.

Encouraged by the early success, South Africa quickly gained momentum towards victory when Dhananjaya, the last key batter, edged one outside off, resulting in a catch behind. The departure of the half-centurion essentially sealed Sri Lanka’s fate.

Prabath Jaysuriya, despite being given a second chance, couldn’t capitalize and regretted a poor shot selection when he sent a half-tracker from Maharaj straight to cover. The match concluded soon after the drinks break, with Maharaj and Marco Jansen each taking a wicket, securing a win for the hosts and propelling them to the top of the WTC standings.

Brief Scores:

South Africa 358 (Kyle Verreynne 105, Ryan Rickelton 101; Lahiru Kumara 4/79) & 317 (Temba Bavuma 66; Prabath Jayasuriya 5/129) defeated Sri Lanka 328 (Pathum Nissanka 89; Dane Paterson 5/71) & 238 (Dhananjaya de Silva 50; Keshav Maharaj 5/76) by 109 runs.