De Silva and Mendis give Sri Lanka hope going into last day

Sri Lanka’s Dhananjaya de Silva and Kusal Mendis gave their team a major boost with an unbeaten half-century partnership that kept them in with a shout for victory heading into Monday’s final day of the second Test in Gqeberha.

With the tourists chasing 348 for victory over the Proteas, De Silva and Mendis took their team to the close of play on 205/5 by the close of day four on Sunday.

When stumps were drawn, De Silva and Mendis were both unbeaten on 39, accumulating 83 runs for the sixth wicket so far with the visitors needing another 143 runs to win and three sessions on the fifth day in which to get it.

SA started the fourth innings of the Test well, picking up a few early wickets.

They thought they had collected the first of those when Pathum Nissanka was sent on his way by umpire Joel Wilson, trapped in front by Marco Jansen.

However, the decision was reviewed and changed to not out after it was revealed the ball had pitched marginally outside the leg stump.

Kagiso Rabada would answer the call for the first wicket when he got rid of Dimuth Karunaratne for a single.

Nissanka (18) and Dinesh Chandimal combined to add 37 before the former was dismissed by Dane Paterson, caught behind by Kyle Verreynne, with Sri Lanka on 47/2, still 301 runs in arrears.

Chandimal was Paterson’s second victim, trapped leg before wicket for 29 before Angelo Mathews and Kamindu Mendis shared a valuable 57 runs for the fourth wicket.

However, the duo fell within eight balls of each other, both taken by Keshav Maharaj, who bowled Mathews for 32 before getting rid of Kamindu for 35 after a sharp reflex catch behind the stumps that left the hosts reeling on 122/5, still needing 226 runs to win.

De Silva and Kusal took the innings by the scruff of the neck and their effort has given Sir Lanka a real chance on the last day. 

Earlier, Prabath Jayasuriya completed a 10th career five-wicket haul to dismantle SA’s middle order to finish with 5/129.

He took three of the five wickets to fall before lunch as he removed Temba Bavuma (66), David Bedingham (35) and Jansen (8) while Vishwa Fernando accounted for Verreynne (9) shortly before the break.

Rabada and Maharaj resumed in the postlunch session as Sri Lanka took the second new ball.

Rabada hit two classy boundaries and then got struck on the head before being undone by a Lahiru Kumara short ball that clipped the shoulder of his bat and was caught behind.

Maharaj and Paterson added a brisk 27 from 20 before the latter went for a big shot but was deceived by Asitha Fernando to dismiss the hosts for 317.

Jayasuriya returned figures of 5/129 in 34 overs, Vishwa claimed 2/37 while Asitha and Lahiru Kumara grabbed 1/52 and 1/71, respectively.