South Africa Surpasses Australia to Claim First Spot in WTC Standings with Dominant Victory Over Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka’s tour of South Africa, which included two Test matches, concluded with the host nation winning both matches and clinching the series in style.
Match Details
The second Test match took place at Gqeberha from December 5th to 9th. South Africa won the toss and chose to bat first.
South Africa First Innings
Aiden Markram and Tony de Zorzi opened for South Africa but failed to provide a strong start. Ryan Rickelton stabilized the innings alongside captain Temba Bavuma, with both players registering half-centuries. Bavuma fell to AM Fernando, but Rickelton pressed on, completing a well-earned century before being dismissed by Lahiru Kumara.
Kyle Verreynne’s impressive century towards the tail end of the innings helped South Africa post a competitive total of 358 runs.
Sri Lanka First Innings
Sri Lanka began their response with openers Pathum Nissanka and Dimuth Karunaratne, but they failed to convert their starts into substantial scores. Pathum anchored the innings with a valiant knock of 89 runs, while brief contributions from the top order helped Sri Lanka reach 328 runs, falling just short of South Africa’s first-innings score.
South Africa Second Innings
Looking to extend their lead, South Africa’s second innings began with Aiden Markram and Tony de Zorzi. However, Jayasuriya quickly removed de Zorzi. Markram continued his good form, scoring a half-century, while Temba Bavuma contributed a crucial 66 runs. South Africa set Sri Lanka a target of 348 runs, finishing at 317 runs in their second innings.
Sri Lanka Second Innings
Chasing 348 runs to draw the series, Sri Lanka’s innings faltered. Openers Pathum and Dimuth struggled to provide a solid foundation, and wickets fell regularly. Dhananjaya de Silva was the lone bright spot, scoring a determined 50 runs, but the team could only manage 238 runs before being bowled out. South Africa secured a 109-run victory.
This win not only sealed the series for South Africa but also propelled them to the top of the ICC World Test Championship rankings, overtaking Australia.
A new leader in the race for #WTC25 Final spots 👏
More 👉 https://t.co/CN8g0rRS2j#SAvSL pic.twitter.com/YhhktLUXxI
— ICC (@ICC) December 9, 2024