Paterson fifer, Markram’s steady start help SA regain control

Paterson fifer, Markram's steady start help SA regain control

South Africa vs Sri Lanka, 2nd Test

South Africa has seized control of the 2nd Test against Sri Lanka, leading by 106 runs with 9 wickets in hand. A productive morning session, where they took 5 wickets, has put them in a commanding position.

The session began with Prabath Jayasuriya scoring boundaries in a streaky manner. However, it was at the other end where South Africa made the breakthrough. Dane Paterson, 35, claimed his first-ever five-fer in Test cricket, dismissing Vishwa Fernando. Keshav Maharaj then dismissed Jayasuriya in the following over, giving South Africa a 30-run lead.

In their second innings, South Africa's openers made a positive start, with Aiden Markram hitting a boundary in the 2nd over. They raced to 26 in just 5 overs against the new ball. After surviving the first spell against the new ball, the openers continued to score freely. Markram's half-century stand with Tony de Zorzi was broken when Jayasuriya beat de Zorzi's defense, but Ryan Rickelton's decent start before Tea kept the hosts in a strong position.

Brief scores:

South Africa: 358 & 76/1 (Aiden Markram 39*)
Sri Lanka: 328 (Pathum Nissanka 89; Dane Paterson 5-71)