SA vs SL 2024/25, SA vs SL 1st Test Match Report, 27 November – 1 December 2024

On By Littum

South Africa 80 for 4 (Bavuma 28*, Kumara 2-35) vs Sri Lanka

Under dark Durban skies, Sri Lanka almost had their perfect first morning in a first Test, with their captain putting the opposition in before his seamers removed four South African batsmen.

But only 20.4 overs were possible on the first day before the rain came just before the scheduled lunch. It was set over Kingsmead until the game was abandoned at around 7pm.

Vishwa Fernando and Asitha Fernando had led Sri Lanka’s progress, zipping the ball around on a somewhat damp surface to often hit and occasionally collect the outside edges of South African batsmen.

Vishwa, the left-arm quick, was particularly disciplined as he found considerable swing in the air from over the wicket, as well as movement away from the cover. He took the wicket of Tony de Zorzi, who was caught by a diving Kamindu Mendis at second slip, soon after Asitha had Aiden Markram in the cordon – both bowlers struck in their second over of the day.

Temba Bavuma and Tristan Stubbs clawed their way through to the drinks break and put on 32 together, with many of those runs coming from the outer edge through the deep third. But Lahiru Kumara, Sri Lanka’s fastest bowler, offered a wayward first over by getting Stubbs to edge one to third slip. Soon after, he nipped a ball through David Bedingham’s defense to send his stumps on the cart – the most dramatic dismissal of a short day’s play.

Sri Lanka could have had an even better morning if not for two indiscretions. Bavuma, who survived 47 balls to end the day on 28, should have been held by Dimuth Karunaratne for 1 but he had the low chance at second slip. It was off Vishwa’s bowling. Then, shortly before the rain came to interrupt the session four minutes short, Bavuma hit a Kumara bouncer which he tried to hook but Kumara was found to have overstepped marginally. Bavuma was on his way to the dressing room when the referees called him back. He was 20 at the time.

However, Bavuma was perhaps the most composed of South Africa’s batsmen. He covered the line of his stumps nicely when Sri Lanka’s opening bowlers stopped in the channel, and although he often got his outside edge hit, he didn’t seem particularly keen to feel bat on ball. He had wicketkeeper-batsman Kyle Verreyne for company as the showers came through.

Although Kumara took two wickets, his four overs cost 35 runs. Asitha and Vishwa both went in less than three an over.

The forecast for Thursday is better weather. Sri Lanka will feel they did justice to the good bowling conditions they got by winning the toss.