Proteas Take Control as Bavuma and Stubbs Shine on Day 3 vs Sri Lanka

 


Temba Bavuma and Tristan Stubbs ensured South Africa held the upper hand against Sri Lanka at the close of day three in the second Test in Gqeberha. The Proteas ended the day on 191/3, leading by 221 runs.


Bavuma remained not out on 48, while Stubbs contributed a solid 36, guiding the team to a strong position by stumps.


Earlier in the day, Dane Paterson's outstanding five-wicket haul helped dismiss Sri Lanka for 328, leaving them 30 runs short of South Africa's first-innings total of 358.


With a narrow first-innings lead, openers Aiden Markram and Tony de Zorzi set a brisk pace, adding 55 runs for the first wicket. De Zorzi fell for 19 after Prabath Jayasuriya's delivery breached his defenses and rattled the stumps.


Markram and Ryan Rickelton then steadied the innings, taking the score to 76/1 by tea with a lead of 106. Resuming after the break, Markram showcased his class with a fluent half-century, only his second of the year. However, his aggressive approach led to his downfall as he edged a wide delivery from Vishwa Fernando, which was spectacularly caught one-handed by Kusal Mendis behind the stumps.

Rickelton, South Africa’s first-innings centurion, added 24 runs before falling victim to Jayasuriya, trapped plumb in front. The Proteas found themselves at 109/3.


Bavuma and Stubbs then formed a crucial partnership, adding 50 runs for the fourth wicket. The pair anchored the innings, taking the score past 150 and extending the lead to 181. Bavuma ended the day unbeaten on 48, just two runs short of his fourth score of fifty or more in his last four innings, while the partnership with Stubbs surpassed 80 runs.


Resuming the day on 242/3, Sri Lanka aimed to erase their 116-run deficit. However, a disciplined South African bowling performance saw them lose their remaining seven wickets for just 86 runs.


Angelo Mathews and Kamindu Mendis added 43 for the fourth wicket, but Marco Jansen removed both, dismissing Mathews for 44 and Mendis for 48.


Paterson then dismantled Sri Lanka’s middle and lower order in quick succession. He claimed the scalps of skipper Dhananjaya de Silva (14), Kusal Mendis (16), and Lahiru Kumara (0) in a single over, reducing the visitors to 298/8.


Despite some resistance from Prabath Jayasuriya and Vishwa Fernando, who took Sri Lanka past 300, Paterson completed his five-wicket haul by removing Fernando for 2 shortly after lunch. Keshav Maharaj wrapped up the innings by stumping Jayasuriya for 24, leaving South Africa in a strong position.


Paterson was the standout performer with career-best figures of 5/71 in 22 overs. Maharaj and Jansen chipped in with two wickets each, conceding 65 and 100 runs respectively.


As the match heads into day four, South Africa holds a commanding lead, with Bavuma and Stubbs poised to extend it further. Sri Lanka will need a remarkable effort to turn the game around.


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