Proteas claim just one wicket in first session as Sri Lanka show resilience

Sri Lanka extended the first Test in Durban into an extra session as a determined Dinesh Chandimal notched up his 30th half-century to frustrate SA’s plans for a shortened fourth day. 

The home team managed just one wicket in the extended first session as Sri Lanka went into the lunch break on 220/6, with Chandimal not out on 69 and Kusal Mendis on 11.

The tourists were set a target of 516 on Friday, but already lost half their batting line-up in the final session of the third day. They resumed on 103/5 on Saturday with Chandimal and his captain Dhananjaya de Silva keen on showing they’d learnt lessons from the loose effort produced by all of the touring team’s batters in the first innings, when they were bowled out in just 13.5 overs for 42. 

There were fewer flirtations with balls outside their off-stump and they were more disciplined in defence. 

Though the pitch has shown some signs of wear, very few deliveries misbehaved on Saturday morning and it looked like the best period to bat in the match so far.

It allowed the Sri Lanka batters, once they settled in, to play some attacking shots, with both driving purposefully, and on one occasion Dhananjaya moved elegantly down the wicket and launch Keshav Maharaj over long off for six.   

South Africa had to wait until half an hour before lunch before making their first breakthrough, when the Sri Lankan captain got his timing wrong as he attempted to flick Maharaj through the leg-side, only managing to locate Tristan Stubbs at short midwicket, who held on to a comfortable catch. 

Dhananjaya’s innings of 59 included nine fours and the six off Maharaj, while his sixth-wicket partnership with Chandimal was worth 95 runs. 

The may not win this Test, but the resilience shown by two of their senior batters will stand Sri Lanka in good stead as the plot a way back into the series in Gqeberha next week.