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Rabada, Philander dismantle Sri Lanka
- Updated: January 3, 2017
South Africa 392 and 35 for 0 (Elgar 19*, Cook 15*) lead Sri Lanka 110 (Philander 4-27, Rabada 4-37) by 317 runsScorecard and ball-by-ball details
The Cape Town monster was more in Sri Lanka’s own mind than emerging from any startling character of the Newlands pitch, but the monster reared its head nevertheless on the second day of the second Test and engulfed them in a trice. South Africa had been candid about their wish for a pitch offering pace and seam, and it was delivered to order effectively enough, but Sri Lanka’s disintegration to 110 all out represented a huge overstatement of the difficulties they faced.
Sri Lanka were spared the follow-on – South Africa instead stretched their lead of 282 to 317 by the close – so escaping their fate on their last appearance in Cape Town five years ago. On that occasion Sri Lanka’s batsmen did have an alibi in that they were responding to South Africa’s 580 for 4. On this occasion, as nine wickets went down for 54 in 19.3 overs, their batting often lacked nous and sometimes verged on impulsiveness.
The chief instigator of Sri Lanka’s rickety resistance was Kagiso Rabada with three for 10 in 25 balls at the start of the final session. Vernon Philander then swept aside the tail with 4 for 5 in 12 balls as South Africa found things all too easy.
For Sri Lanka, it brought back memories of their batting inadequacies on their tour of England last May when they returned 91, 119 and 101 in successive innings in a chilly northern spring. It is easy to talk of irresponsibility, and that charge could be levelled against Dinesh Chandimal in particular, but Sri Lanka were never likely to replace giants like Sangakkara, Jayawardene and Dilshan without pain, especially as there is barely an indoor net in the country.
From South Africa’s perspective, at least it deflected attention away from Kyle Abbott after ESPNcricinfo revealed that he is agonising over whether to abandon his international career and take up a deal in England with Hampshire as a Kolpak player. CSA was expected to meet Abbott’s agent on Wednesday before making a statement.
Abbott, who went into his 11th Test …
