Their unbeaten 144-run partnership at the break basically batted the Sri Lanka out of the game. The Proteas will probably be looking to bat until before or after the tea break to have a go at the visitors’ top-order with the new ball before the end of the day’s play.
The Sri Lankans bowled like a team defeated in that session, while they also dropped a couple of chances. For the most part they didn’t trouble Stubbs 70 (149 balls, 5×4, 1×6) and Bavuma (145b, 6×4), who went into the break with his second-half century of the match.
Both Stubbs and Bavuma will be looking to bat through at least until tea and get big scores in conditions that have been a lot easier for batting, especially in the bright Durban sunshine
Unfortunately, Sri Lanka don’t have the pace that the South African bowlers possess, with only Lahiru Kumara capable of bowling over 140km/h. So it’s rather easy going for the home side at the moment.
Proteas left-arm quick Marco Jansen, who took a career-best 7/13, said that they bowled with a lot of energy when bowling out Sri Lanka for a record low 42 on Thursday Maybe the Sri Lankans can take some advise from Jansen..
“We bowled really well in terms of our intensity and our energy on the ball. We realised the ball was moving quickly off the pitch, and we saw that if we out the ball in the right areas, with the ball nipping, we will always be in the game,” Jansen said.
“We all assessed that the fuller ball was easier to play, even though the ball was nipping. When you bowl at the top of the stumps, the ball has a longer time to move.
“After the first five wickets in our innings, we saw a particular length or area was a good length. Then it’s just a case of making the batters play. If the batters leave well on length and line, then it doesn’t really matter where you bowl.
“But if you can try and make them play, than you are always in the came,” Jansen added.
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