Rabada six-wicket blitz as Proteas claim series against Sri Lanka

That Kagiso Rabada needs a rest has been a prominent topic in South African cricket discourse for weeks.

At Newlands on Thursday‚ Rabada himself delivered the definitive comment on the issue by completing his second 10-wicket haul in his 13th Test.

Rabada took 6/55 in Sri Lanka’s second innings for a match analysis of 10/92 - the best figures by a South African in the 24 Tests they have played against the Lankans.

That earned South Africa victory by 282 runs and with more than five sessions of the second Test to spare.

It also meant the home side have won the series ahead of the third Test at the Wanderers next Thursday.

Sri Lanka‚ who were set 507 to win‚ resumed on 130/4 and lost six wickets for 94 runs in 12 overs.

Rabada took four of them‚ first striking in the sixth over of the day when Dinesh Chandimal’s flick off his pads flew to Stephen Cook at square leg.

In his next over‚ Rabada had a slashing Upul Tharanga caught behind off the bottom edge with his first delivery and Angelo Mathews‚ who was on the drive‚ also snaffled by Quinton de Kock with the sixth ball.

Four overs later‚ Suranga Lakmal gloved a Rabada bouncer to De Kock.

Rabada was indeed rested after bowling seven overs‚ in which he took 4/33.

Keshav Maharaj hammered another nail into the visitors’ coffin when he had Lahiru Kumara smartly stumped by De Kock with a wide delivery.

Vernon Philander ended the match 15 minutes before the scheduled lunch interval when he bowled Nuwan Pradeep to complete the Lankans’ dismissal for 224.

Philander took 3/48. - TMG Sport/TMG Digital