Collective batting effort powers Sri Lanka’s fightback on Day 2

Collective batting effort powers Sri Lanka's fightback on Day 2

Led by Pathum Nissanka's 89, Sri Lanka made a strong comeback on the second day of the second Test against South Africa. The visitors scored 242/3 in response to South Africa's 358, trailing by 116 runs at St George's Park.

Sri Lanka started the day by dismissing Keshav Maharaj for a duck, reducing South Africa to 269/7. However, a 66-run partnership between Kyle Verreynne and Kagiso Rabada helped the hosts reach a respectable total. Verreynne remained unbeaten on 105, scoring a century in the process.

Sri Lanka's cautious start was aided by 12 byes before lunch. They lost Dimuth Karunaratne early in the second session, but Nissanka and Dinesh Chandimal added 109 runs for the second wicket, shifting the momentum in Sri Lanka's favor. Nissanka brought up his seventh Test fifty and even hit a six off Maharaj.

Chandimal was dismissed for 44, and Sri Lanka slowed down for a while before Angelo Mathews picked up the pace with a flurry of boundaries. Nissanka was clean bowled by Maharaj, but Mathews and Kamindu Mendis remained undefeated, leaving Sri Lanka in a good position heading into the third day's play.

Brief Scores:

• South Africa: 358 (Kyle Verreynne 105*, Ryan Rickelton 101; Lahiru Kumara 4-79, Asitha Fernando 3-102)
• Sri Lanka: 242/3 (Pathum Nissanka 89, Dinesh Chandimal 44; Kagiso Rabada 1-40)

Trail by 116 runs.