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Perera bats Sri Lanka to famous victory

KUSAL PERERA played one of the most significant innings for Sri Lanka outside the sub-continent to get his side over the line for a one-wicket victory over the Standard Bank Proteas in the first Castle Lager Test match at Kingsmead on Saturday. In plain statistics Perera (153 not out off 200 balls, 12 fours and 5 sixes) scored more than half the 304 runs needed for victory and shared an unbroken 10th wicket partnership of 78 with Vishwa Fernando who stuck it out during a time when the Proteas could take the second new ball in the final few overs to finish on 6 off 27 balls. For both batsmen it was their highest Test match score. Castle Lager Man of the Match Perera finished with 204 runs in the match which itself was a remarkable statistic as he had only scored 686 runs in his previous 14 Test matches. It was his second career century with both of them having been made on the African continent. Sri Lanka’s total was the third highest successful runs chase at Kingsmead and their victory was only their second in South Africa – the previous one having also occurred at this venue in 2011. If Perera was the day’s hero then Fernando was not far behind him, particularly taking into account the 8 wickets he took as well (4 in each innings), nor was Dhananjaya de Silva whose 96-run partnership for the sixth wicket with Perera also had a lot to do with the outcome. The Proteas twice looked to hold a winning hand, first when Dale Steyn took two wickets with successive deliveries in the morning session and then when Keshav Maharaj broke through into the Sri Lankan tail with 3 wickets. But they could not get the wickets of Perera or Fernando. The Proteas were not helped by the hamstring niggle suffered by Vernon Philander that kept him off the field for the entire final day and they will also be left to reflect on the fact that their batsmen did not make enough runs in either innings. The Sunfoil Education Trust (SET) benefited to the extent of R217 500 from the boundaries and sixes hit and wickets taken by both sides during the course of the match. The second Castle Lager Test starts at St. George’s Park next Thursday.

Du Plessis and De Kock set tough target for Sri Lanka

FAF DU PLESSIS shared successive half-century partnerships with Quinton de Kock and Vernon Philander to set a tough target for Sri Lanka on the third day of the first Castle Lager Test match at Kingsmead on Friday. The Standard Bank Proteas were bowled out for 259 in their second innings thanks in the main to Du Plessis’ innings of 90 (182 balls, 11 fours) and 55 from De Kock (62 balls, 6 fours) to set Sri Lanka a target of 304 – it would represent the third highest successful chase at this particular venue. Sri Lanka reached an early close brought about by bad light on 83/3, needing a further 221 to claim a famous upset victory. Du Plessis, who shared stands of 96 with De Kock and 60 with Philander, seemed certain to record his 10th career century and his second of the current home season until he totally misjudged the line of a delivery from the Sri Lankan left-arm seamer, Vishwa Fernando, and was trapped leg before wicket without offering a shot. His dismissal was part of a remarkable Proteas collapse that saw the last 5 wickets fall for just 8 runs against the combined onslaught from Fernando and the debutant left-arm spinner, Lasith Ambuldeniya, who took an outstanding 5/66 in 26 overs. Remarkably, the latter was only introduced into the attack more than halfway through the morning session by which time Du Plessis and De Kock had scored 59 runs in the first hour’s play. He dismissed De Kock with his 12th delivery of the day and thereafter Sri Lanka were always well in the game. Their target might have been considerably lower had he been introduced at an earlier stage. The most pleasing feature to come out of a disappointing Proteas batting performance throughout the match has been the new-found consistency of De Kock who has a century and three half-centuries to his credit from his 5 Test match innings this summer and has pushed his career average close to the benchmark of 40. He and Du Plessis have excelled in making runs when they are really needed as witnessed by their respective centuries against Pakistan at the Bidvest Wanderers Stadium and at PPC Newlands. The bowlers nevertheless have a reasonable total to defend, particularly as the three Sri Lankan wickets to fall include the key one of their captain, Dimuth Karunaratne, who was dismissed leg before wicket by Philander for the second time in the match. In addition, Keshav Maharaj can be expected to play a much more dominant role when play gets underway on the fourth day.

Proteas take crucial lead but Sri Lanka keep chipping away

DALE STEYN led the way with four wickets as the Standard Bank Proteas continued their run throughout the summer of bowling their opponents out in the first innings inside 60 overs. Sri Lanka only batted two balls fewer than the Proteas had done in their first innings but it was sufficient to give the Proteas a crucial lead of 44 runs in what is turning out to be a low-scoring Test match. Steyn took 4/48 in 20 overs to move at least temporarily ahead of England’s Stuart Broad into seventh place on the all-time wicket-taking rankings with the other three seamers providing five wickets while Aiden Markram contributed a run out from a smart piece of fielding at short leg. The Proteas top-order, however, failed to bolt the back door when they batted a second down as Sri Lanka kept chipping away with wickets to leave the opening Castle Lager Test match at Kingsmead reasonably balanced at the close of play on day two with the Proteas leading by 170 runs with 6 wickets in hand. The pitch was a lot more docile than it had been on the first day but there were nevertheless 13 wickets that fell compared with the 11 on day one. While the Sri Lanka batsmen struggled to cope with the Proteas pace, the big change in Sri Lanka’s second innings bowling effort came from the debutant left-arm spinner, Lasith Embuldeniya. His control had been poor in the first innings but this time he bowled with accuracy and guile and captured important wickets in Temba Bavuma and Dean Elgar. He contributed a good all-round performance by holding up his end with the bat as did some of the other tail-enders to enable Sri Lanka to score 49 runs for their last three wickets in 20 overs to turn what looked like being a three-figure deficit into something a lot more manageable. The top score for the visitors came from Kusal Perera (51 off 63 balls, 7 fours and a six) and he would probably have been less inclined to throw his wicket away if he had known how the tail was going to buckle down and play their part. The Proteas are in the comfortable position of still having Faf du Plessis and Quinton de Kock at the crease and the latter will relish the opportunity to bat with a fellow specialist instead of having to shepherd the tail and curb his natural instincts.

Cobras fall short after draw with Dolphins

There was heartbreak for the World Sports Betting Cape Cobras after a defiant final-day display by the Hollywoodbets Dolphins batsmen – coupled with the bizhub Highveld Lions winning – led to them missing out on the 4-Day Domestic Series title in Pietermaritzburg on Thursday. The men from Cape Town had to match what happened between the only side that could catch them and the Warriors in Potchefstroom, but they fell short after half-centuries by Michael Erlank, Vaughn van Jaarsveld, Khaya Zondo and Marques Ackerman saw the hosts bat out the final day. There was little help from the final day pitch and the KwaZulu-Natal heat, meaning Ashwell Prince’s side, who led the standings for almost the entire first-class season, had to settle for second spot after the Lions claimed a dramatic late win in the North West. The draw for the Dolphins, meanwhile, ensured they avoided ending the campaign with the wooden spoon after they were propelled to fifth by the result, condemning defending champions the Multiply Titans to last spot. This thanks to strong efforts by their top four that helped them amass 358 for two at the City Oval. The home side started day four on 66 for none and still trailing the visitors by a substantial 147. Openers Erlank and Van Jaarsveld knocked most of those runs off during an opening stand that was eventually worth 169 that reduced the deficit to 44. The former, playing just his second game for the franchise, made 85 (147 balls, 13 fours, 1 six), while the latter struck 79 (110 balls, 8 fours, 3 sixes). Both fell on the same score, with a massive 189-run third-wicket partnership then completely deflating the Cobras. The stand was between captain Zondo, who amassed an unbeaten 88 (137 balls, 11 fours), and rookie Ackerman after he top-scored with 89 not out (128 balls. 12 fours). The Cape side tried everything in their bid to claim victory, including tossing the ball to Standard Bank Proteas batsman Zubayr Hamza, star opener Pieter Malan and the unfamiliar face of David Bedingham, but nothing worked. And with the game heading nowhere, Zondo and counterpart Dane Piedt decided to shake hands shortly before tea, ending the four-day season in KwaZulu-Natal.

4 Day Franchise Series - Lions vs Warriors - SA Record 7th Wicket Partnership

During the 4 Day Franchise series match between the Lions and the Warriors, two Lions Batsman Bjorn Fortuin and Delano Potgieter ,broke a 73 year old South African batting partnership record. The pair put on 301 for the 7th wicket.

Proteas vs Pakistan - 1st T20 - Pre Match

Van Jaarsveld lays solid Dolphins platform

A century by Vaughn van Jaarsveld helped the Hollywoodbets Dolphins make a solid start to their 4-Day Domestic Series encounter against the log-leading World Sports Betting Cape Cobras in their decisive final-round encounter in Pietermaritzburg on Monday. The hosts reached the close at the City Oval on 293 for six thanks to the opener’s 21st career century. Van Jaarsveld made 120 (153 balls, 16 fours, 1 six) and shared in a 111-run opening stand with Michael Erlank, who made exactly 50 (121 balls, 8 fours) in his second game for the franchise. Their partnership laid a solid foundation for basement side the Dolphins against a visiting side that need nothing less than victory in their pursuit of a first four-day crown since 2013/14. They went int the game with just over a three-point lead over the bizhub Highveld Lions, but were on the backfoot early on as the home openers got away after losing the toss and being asked to bat first. After their stand was eventually broken by George Linde, who was outstanding with four for 62, wickets began to fall more regularly. The Dolphins batsmen would have been kicking themselves, though, as everyone bar Sibonelo Makhanya (0), had starts. Marques Ackerman (23) added 50 for the second wicket with Van Jaarsveld, with 55 following between the latter and captain Khaya Zondo (25) for wicket number three. After the dismissal of the centurion left the score on 226 for five, Grant Roelofsen (17) and Senuran Muthusamy (27 not out) added 38 together, with Keshav Maharaj (20 not out) keeping the latter company at the close.

Weather frustrates Dolphins and Knights best efforts

Rain and bad light ultimately proved to be the main winner as the 4-Day Domestic Series encounter between the Hollywoodbets Dolphins and VKB Knights ended in a draw at the City Oval in Pietermaritzburg on Thursday. The inclement weather, which led to no play on day two and just over 50 overs squeezed in on day three, again briefly returned on the final day, allowing for only 72 overs to be sent down. To their credit, both teams tried to initiate a result, before the visitors finished the game on 181 for three in pursuit of a target of 295. The Central Franchise resumed at the start of play on 174 for six, but three wickets in 15 balls early on by Keith Dudgeon (3/32) gave the Dolphins hope. However, Rudi Second, who ended unbeaten on 80 (138 balls, 11 fours), found support in a stubborn Tshepo Ntuli (one not out) to frustrate the home side, before they declared on 206 for nine. The hosts then attacked their way to 146 for three declared thanks to quick-fire half centuries by Sarel Erwee (57 off 72 balls, 10 fours, 1 six) and Khaya Zondo (59 not out off 45 balls, 10 fours). With only 35 overs available, the Dolphins needed to strike and strike early too. And they did that through Ethan Bosch (3/44) after he removed Grant Mokoena (2) in the first over, but a partnership of 126 between Raynard van Tonder (60 off 89 balls, 6 fours) and Keegan Petersen (71 not out off 92 balls, 7 fours) ended all hope of a result. Play was also halted in between due to poor light as the weather again had its say, while right-hander Petersen, one of the stars of the season, went past 5 000 first-class career runs.