Lakmal ended the day with figures of 4-62 off 23 overs
Image courtesy of: Zimbio
South Africa looked to be cruising in the first two sessions on the first day of the Boxing Day Test in Port Elizabeth, but Sri Lanka clawed their way back into contention and now have a slight edge going into the second day.
Choosing to bat first, South Africa got off to a fantastic start as openers Dean Elgar and Stephen Cook made Sri Lanka toil for more than a session.
The duo amassed a 104-run partnership, during which Cook surpassed his half-century, before Sri Lanka finally got the breakthrough they needed when Cook was caught behind off the bowling of Suranga Lakmal for 59, which came off 125 balls and included seven boundaries.
Cook made his second Test fifty
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This was the first time since 1970 that South Africa’s opening duo had put together a partnership of a 100 runs or more in Port Elizabeth.
Lakmal struck again soon after and removed Elgar, who made 45, via the same method he got Cook out.
Hashim Amla and JP Duminy steadied the innings with a 73-run stand before Amla became Lakmal’s third victim after having made 20.
Duminy went on to score 63 off 95 balls, which included 10 boundaries, before he was trapped lbw off the bowling of Rangana Herath.
Duminy scored his eighth Test fifty
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Just under four overs later, Temba Bavuma, who scored three runs, was walking back to the crease after also being given out lbw off the bowling of Herath.
Things went from bad to worse for the Proteas as captain Faf du Plessis made an encouraging 37 before he was removed by Lakmal.
With the tide having suddenly turned in Sri Lanka’s favour, wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock and Vernon Philander guided South Africa safely to stumps with an unbeaten 14-run partnership.
De Kock finished on 25 off 40 balls, which included three boundaries, while Philander remained undefeated on six off 20 deliveries, which included one boundary.
Lakmal was the pick of the bowlers with four wickets, while Herath claimed two.
South Africa ended day one on 267/6 and will continue batting on Tuesday at 10:00 local time or 08:00 GMT.