Day three of the second and final Test match between South Africa and Sri Lanka at St George's Park in Gqeberha saw the hosts dominate with ball and bat as Temba Bavuma and Tristan Stubbs guided the Proteas to stumps with a 221 run lead heading into Day four. Ongama Gcwabe details Plays of tDay three.
1. Sticky hands
For a man who stands at 2.06 tall, one wouldn’t think of Marco Jansen as a specialist gully fielder. However, the 24-year-old has some of the safest hands and fastest reflexes in the team, a combination which makes him a perfect candidate for the gully position. When Dane Paterson found the outside edge of Lahiru Kumara’s bat, the ball flew to the left of Jansen at gully and what would have forced a big dive from any other fielder in that position only required the lanky Jansen to stick his left hand out and the ball stuck as the 24-year-old completed what was a brilliant catch.
2. Simple Pato
Simplicity is often underrated in professional sports. Paterson, South Africa’s ‘workhorse’ in the second Test in Gqeberha, reminded everyone why simplicity is not to be underrated. The right-arm seamer kept running in when the team needed the wicket and bowled consistent lines and lengths. He was rewarded for his consistency as he took his first Test five-for including three wickets in one over to help South Africa secure a 30-run first-innings lead.
3. Wicket
Having found his rhythm in the first session on Day three, Paterson was swinging the ball both ways at will, instilling confusion in the Sri Lankan batters’ minds. To get Kusal Mendis out, Paterson bowled a full-length delivery on off-stump, swung it into the right-handed batter and bowled him out as the batter left the ball thinking it would miss the stumps.
4. Saucey Cover-Drive
There are not too many sights prettier than an Aiden Markram cover drive in world cricket. To bring up his first half-century of the series, ‘Sauce’ unleashed one of his trademark, one knee on the ground cover drives for four off the bowling of left-arm seamer Vishwa Fernando. It was a shot that indicated that the opening batter is perhaps not too far from his best form ahead of what is an important summer of Test cricket.