Proteas batter, Keegan Petersen, emphasized that South Africa are ahead of the game despite the failure of the top-order to turn their starts into big scores on Day One.
The Proteas have picked up from where they left off in Kingsmead, Durban. The opening batters shared a fifty-plus partnership and three of the top-five batters scored the fifties but failed to kick on to get hundreds.
Petersen told the media that they are not able to identify the reason behind not kicking on to score big hundreds for the team amongst the top-five batters.
“I don’t know to be honest (why they are not converting). There have been plenty of chances. There have been quite a few fifties but no one’s really kicked on. Even myself, that hundred keeps eluding me or us. It’s not a lack of trying. We are trying to get that big score, it’s just not getting there for us,” he said.
“Sometimes the fifties get the game in the balance. When we’re in front it kind of balances us out whereas a hundred would put us ahead.”
The Bangladeshi team took to the field this morning as Dean Elgar set them in to bowl first. It was apparent in their appeals and at times in their poor reviews, that they had a bit of doubt in the decisions made by the on-field umpires.
But after his dismissal, Petersen alluded that it was a fair decision for both teams at the end of the day and that he needs to accept it and move on from it.
“It was given out I can’t argue with it. Technology showed it was out as well. I’ve got to accept that. It’s fair also for both teams. I’ve got to accept that. Everyone’s got the same system.”
The Proteas will start Day two five wickets down with Kyle Verreynne unbeaten on 10 off 24 and Wiaan Mulder who’s yet to get off the mark.
“I think it’s a decent score. The few wickets we lost towards the backend kind of levels it out a little bit. I think we are just a bit ahead of the game. It would’ve been nice to be three down because we would’ve been in the driving seat.
“I think we did well today. The wicket was a bit tricky. There was a bit in it for the seamers and I think we dealt with it well enough to get us in this position.”
