Proteas Crumble for 126, Hosts led by 176

Dimuth Karunaratne. (Photo AP)

PREVIEW SL vs SA: Sri Lankan opening drummer Dimuth Karunaratne hit a hundred undefeated defensemen on his return to the flank. The 30-year-old athlete carried his bat through the Sri Lankan innings to stay undefeated on 158 while the hosts finished on 287 after captain Suranga Lakmal won the pitch and chose to beat in the first series of two tests. Africa lost its first match, Aiden Markram, against veteran left arm left arm, Rangana Herath, to reach four-on-one on the strains. Dean Elgar and Nightwatchman Keshav Maharaj were at the crease. Regular captain of the hosts, Dinesh Chandimal, pleaded guilty to a disciplinary offense during the second test against the West Indies last month and chose to sit out of the series against South Africa. The International Cricket Council, the world governing body of sport, is expected to announce a verdict in the near future. On a playing surface at Galle, this is the fast bowling player Kagiso Rabada who inflicted the most damage to the circuit with four wickets for 50. The left wrist Tabraiz Shamsi, who played only his second test, found the numbers 3-91. Former spearhead Dale Steyn, back to the South African team after undergoing a final test in January, picked up Kusal Mendis' counter for 24 to trigger a mini-collapse. Rabada has kidnapped former captain Angelo Mathews and Roshen Silva in the same order as the hosts lost three wickets for four points to be left vacillating at 119-5.

Experienced Karunaratne, back to open the baton for the hosts after missing the West Indies Tour because of an injury, badembled significant stands with Niroshan Dickwella, who was 18, and Lakshan Sandakan, the duo adding 63 for the last wicket. The left-handed drummer hit 13 fours and a six during his undefeated shot of 222 balls.

Comment (Sri Lanka round)

The Faf du Plessis will be disappointed with the score. He should have had at least one wicket, but saw the new bullet almost be seen. None of his bowlers have gone bad but he needs to fill this wicket column quickly. The leader has risen to 186 and Faf will hope he tries and gets the Lankans throughout the next 100 races. Join us at 1500 local (9.30 GMT) for the remaining 27 overs of the day

Nice period for the Lankans. They could have lost a wicket or two, but managed to survive the difficult period. Gunathilaka began offensively but then slowed down, becoming cautious. Karunaratne, meanwhile, was more agile, taking all the singles into play and making the strike more often.

9.6 K Maharaj at Gunathilaka, Another defense of the back foot to end the session. TEA AT DAY 2, SRI LANKA LED BY 186! 25/0

9.5 K Maharaj in Gunathilaka, disembarked on the outside, defended from the fold. 25/0

9.4 K Maharaj at Gunathilaka, The drummer played that foot before and into the ground. 25/0

9.3 K Maharaj at Gunathilaka, complete and outward, pushed right to the cover. 25/0

9.2 K Maharaj at Gunathilaka, the drummer defends him from within the fold. 25/0

9.1 K Maharaj at Gunathilaka, Killed on the outside, Gunathilaka goes down the track to flick through but is not on the ground. He misses his shot and the ball loosens his leggings on the outside. 25/0

8.6 K Rabada at Karunaratne, Excellent yorker, a rarity in cricket test. Karunaratne entrusts it to the bowler. 25/0

8.5 K Rabada in Karunaratne, Outdoors, strikes through the blankets where the field player is doing extremely well to make a half-stop. Two runs taken. 25/0

8.4 K Rabada at Karunaratne, complete and nearby, defended with vigilance. 23/0

8.3 K Rabada at Karunaratne, The drummer hit that ball through the off side. 23/0

8.2 K Rabada at Karunaratne, stay behind and block. 23/0

8.1 K Rabada at Karunaratne, On a length off the line, vigilant defended on the off side. 23/0

Kagiso Rabada is back.

7.6 K Maharaj at Gunathilaka, Around there, vigorously defended. 23/0

7.5 K Maharaj at Gunathilaka, the drummer defends him from within the fold. 23/0

7.4 K Maharaj at Gunathilaka, Outdoors, Danushka stays behind and defends. 23/0

7.3 K Maharaj at Karunaratne, Played at the mid-wicket area by the drummer. A race has been added to the total. 23/0

7.2 K Maharaj at Gunathilaka, DEPOSITED! Lazy Bavuma. Full and outside, Gunathilaka crosses and paddles loudly and loudly. Temba Bavuma does extremely well to run on his left square leg, goes to the ball but takes it slightly and puts it down. One taken. 22/0

7.1 K Maharaj at Karunaratne, A short contact, spent the short leg for a single. 21/0

6.6 T Shamsi at Gunathilaka, Outdoors, a game and a miss. 20/0

6.5 T Shamsi at Karunaratne, the drummer shot the ball from his leggings. A race has been added to the total. 20/0

6.4 T Shamsi at Gunathilaka, The drummer carries it off for a single wrist. 19/0

6.3 T Shamsi at Gunathilaka, In the middle, pbaded his short leg. 18/0

6.2 T Shamsi at Gunathilaka, complete and outward, leads to the middle of the field. 18/0

6.1 T Shamsi at Gunathilaka, Full and around, moving away, Gunathilaka tries to defend himself but the ball takes the outside edge and pbades behind the ball. 18/0

Spin from both ends. Tabraiz Shamsi enters a bowl. The ground staff is as ready as a swimmer, about to dive into the pool on gun firing

5.6 K Maharaj at Karunaratne, The drummer defended him by standing behind the line of delivery. 18/0

5.5 K Maharaj in Gunathilaka, descends along the track and pushes him in the long run for a single. 18/0

5.4 K Maharaj at Gunathilaka, the drummer hit the ball with the back foot. 17/0

5.3 K Maharaj at Gunathilaka, call of Umpire! So close … some comfort for South Africa that they do not lose a criticism. But this window would have raised their morale. Not so short outside, but Danushka creates his own length by returning to a ball that should have been played on the front foot. Misses her movie and is hit on the pads. He had gone through and maybe the referee thought the impact was out of reach. The Proteas reflect for a moment before examining it and the impact is indeed the UMPIRE CALL. 17/0

A first review. Maharaj thinks Gunathilaka is LBW. Where is the impact?

5.2 K Maharaj in Gunathilaka, gets off the track, arrives on the field and defends him. 17/0

5.1 K Maharaj at Gunathilaka, Full and outskirts at the start, vigorously defended. 17/0

Keshav Maharaj is brought into a bowl. Meanwhile, the weather is cloudy and the ground staff is preparing with the blankets. It rained around 14h local yesterday

4.6 K Rabada in Karunaratne, Outdoors, left alone. 17/0

4.5 K Rabada in Karunaratne, the drummer hit that ball through the off side. 17/0

4.4 K Rabada at Karunaratne, The drummer shows the entire face of the bat and defends the ball from the back foot. 17/0

4.3 K Rabada in Karunaratne, Outside, went through the blankets for a couple. 17/0

4.2 K Rabada at Karunaratne, Bouncer! The drummer does well to avoid it. 15/0

4.1 K Rabada at Karunaratne, complete and nearby, defended with vigilance. 15/0

3.6 D Steyn at Gunathilaka, The drummer defended it by standing just behind the line of delivery. 15/0

3.5 D Steyn at Gunathilaka, The drummer hit the ball by the off side. 15/0

3.4 D Steyn in Gunathilaka, Fuller and around him, hidden with suspicion. 15/0

3.3 D Steyn at Gunathilaka, Around him, vigorously defended. 15/0

3.2 D Steyn in Gunathilaka, defended from the front foot by the drummer with the entire face of the bat. 15/0

3.1 D Steyn in Gunathilaka, complete and nearby, defended with vigilance. 15/0

2.6 K Rabada at Karunaratne, FOUR! Bordered. On a length outside, Karunaratne grows to this one and gets a healthy outer edge – but wide of the second slip – to the third man's barrier. 15/0

2.5 K Rabada at Karunaratne, The drummer played it in the middle of the wicket. Two pbadages added to the total. 11/02

2.4 K Rabada in Karunaratne returns to his territory and blocks. 9/0

2.3 K Rabada in Karunaratne, the drummer shows the entire face of the bat and defends the ball from the back foot. 9/0

2.2 K Rabada at Karunaratne, On the middle and the leg, Karunaratne shatters at the mid-wicket for a couple. Malfunctionning. Vernon Philander had been jogging since the middle of the race. There was an opportunity for the third. 9/0

2.1 K Rabada at Karunaratne, around the sea, defended towards the cover. 7/0

1.6 D Steyn in Gunathilaka, Around there, defended from the fold. 7/0

1.5 D Steyn at Gunathilaka, The drummer was hit on the thigh. 7/0

1.4 D Steyn in Gunathilaka, full in the middle, pushed towards the middle of the field. 7/0

1.3 D Steyn at Gunathilaka, ALMOST A CHANCE! Another slower ball in the middle, once again Danushka is at the start of his right run. He pushes just that, eventually chipping it by air. Steyn makes a leap for the return but the ball escapes him. 7/0

1.2 D Steyn to D Gunathilaka, Middle, pushed to the middle of the field. 7/0

1.1 D Steyn at Gunathilaka, Oohhh … astute ploy of the bowler. He comes running, giving the impression that he will play 150 clicks. Instead, he drinks a slower ball, completely deceiving Gunathilaka. The lefty is ahead a few months in a push forward and ends up chipping it. Fortunately or him, there is no half-time and he gets a couple. 7/0

Dale Steyn at the Cup on the other end

0.6 K Rabada in Gunathilaka, the drummer pushed the ball away. A race has been added to the total. 5/0

0.5 K Rabada at Gunathilaka, Outdoors, left alone. 4/0

0.4 K Rabada at Gunathilaka, The drummer hit the ball by the off side. 4/0

0.3 K Rabada in Gunathilaka, Out of Play, a play and a miss. 4/0

0.2 K Rabada in Gunathilaka, Stung on the outside of the leg, Danushka misses his film and is hit on the leggings. 4/0

0.1 K Rabada to D. Gunathilaka, FOUR! Quick shot to go from the front. On a length, not so short, out of reach, Gunathilaka throws his bat and gets behind the point for a border. 4/0

First published: July 13, 2018, 10:43 AM IST