Sri Lanka will be the happier of the two sides after day one of the Boxing Day Test match against South Africa at Supersport Park in Centurion. The visitors won the toss and opting to bat first, scored 340 for six.
Standing against racism and violence against women, the Proteas added their voice to the global Black Lives Matter movement, with a traditionally South African take, using the iconic gesture of power; signifying South Africa’s triumph in the struggle.
Sri Lanka, no doubt oozing confidence from their prior clean sweep on South Africa soil in February 2019, made an attacking start to their innings after winning the toss and choosing to bat.
But despite the brisk start, Sri Lanka’s top order struggled a bit against the Proteas’ pace-attack.
Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje and Wiaan Mulder took a wicket a piece to reduce the visitors to 54 for the loss of three wickets, early in the opening session. Dinesh Chandimal and Dhananjaya da Silva however, steadied their innings before the break, with a 48-run fourth wicket partnership, going to lunch on 102 for three.
Chandimal and Da Silva continued to score freely in the second session. Da Silva scored his seventh Test half-century as the pair added 83 more runs to their total before he was forced to retire hurt, with a thigh strain.
Chandimal picked up where he left of with Niroshan Dickwella, with Chandimal also notching up a half-century, his nineteenth in Tests, as Sri Lanka was cruising on 212 for three at tea-time.
The pair continued to trouble South Africa’s bowlers in the final session. They extended their fifth wicket partnership to 99 runs before Mulder finally made a breakthrough with the scalp of Chandimal for 85 and a few overs later the wicket of Dickwella for 49, leaving the visitors on 296 for five.
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Lutho Sipamla, making his debut also opened his international account and the visitors were reduced to 320 for six. But that was all the success the Proteas enjoyed on day one as Sri Lanka ended the day on 340 for the loss of six wickets. – SABC News
