Consistency by Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje and Wiaan Mulder helped the Proteas take early wickets in the 1st session of the Boxing Day Test at Centurion against Sri Lanka, writes Khalid Mohidin.
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The Proteas fielded an inexperienced bowling attack, which was a result of injuries.
Kagiso Rabada was ruled out ahead of the series, but the big news was Glenton Stuurman, who had a quad muscle strain. He should be cleared for the second match at the Wanderers.
The golden length to bowl on this lively Centurion strip was around 5th stump outside off, angling in towards the top of off stump or shaping between the keeper and 1st slip.
Tests are all about consistency and we could see this when we compare Lungi Ngidi and Lutho Sipamla’s opening spells.
While Ngidi kept a short-to-good length forcing the Sri Lanka batsmen to play, Sipamla, on debut, struggled to find consistency in his first spell bowling either too full, too short or too far down leg. As a result he went for 28 runs in his first spell.
Sipamla’s lack of 4-Day Cricket was evident, as he struggled to find his rhythm.
Ngidi’s consistency paid off – he took the big wicket of Sri Lankan captain Dimuth Karunaratne. Ngidi took advantage of the nip on the pitch, as the batter chopped a back-of-the-length delivery onto the base of his stumps.
Bringing on Anrich Nortje added the necessary pressure to unsettle the Sri Lankans with his raw pace. It paid off in the 10th over when Kusal Mendis tried to pull a back-of-the length delivery but looped it to Ngidi at mid-on.
Wiaan Mulder was then brought into the attack and he built the pressure with four dots. Kusal Perera tried to swing at a length ball wide outside off stump and edged Mulder to the keeper, for his second wicket in Test cricket and first in the series.
The partnership between Mulder and Nortje kept Sri Lanka on the back-foot, both bowlers finding perfect areas consistently, searching for a mistake from the batsman. They had Sri Lanka on 54-3 after 11 overs.
What kept Sri Lanka in the session, is the way, particularly Dhananjaya de Silva (32*), patiently waited to capitalise on South Africa when they missed their lines.
The pair took Sri Lanka to 102-3 by lunch on Day 1.
Photo: Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix
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