Proteas on the brink of victory over Sri Lanka after centuries from Stubbs and Bavuma

South Africa is aiming to finish off Sri Lanka on Saturday, after another day in which their maturity as a batting unit shone. 

By the time stumps were drawn the tourists were in a hopeless position on 103/5, still needing 413 runs for what now appears to be impossible.

Despite the historic feats they achieved the last time they played here, it would be touching the realms of fantasy if they emerge victorious if the result of 2019 were to be repeated.

They surrendered control to the home team once they were bowled out for 42 in a first innings performance that featured too much reckless batting. 

South Africa, specifically skipper Temba Bavuma — again — and Tristan Stubbs, showed the virtue of patience on this surface, sharing a 249-run partnership for the fourth wicket on Friday, with each making hundreds to propel the Proteas to a total of 366/5 declared in their second innings — setting the tourists a target of 516. 

Kagiso Rabada made an early breakthrough dismissing Dimuth Karunaratne for the second time in the match, again locating the edge of the left-hander’s bat, with the ball nestling into the hands of Stubbs at third slip. 

Pathum Nissanka’s wild innings, which included four fours, being dropped on four by Kyle Verreynne off Marco Jansen, and then being caught — superbly by a diving Verreynne — off a no ball, eventually ended when he was trapped lbw by Gerald Coetzee for 23. 

Angelo Mathews, who made little impact on the match was also dismissed lbw by Jansen for 25.

Dhananjaya de Silva, yet to score, and Dinesh Chandimal on 25 saw the Sri Lankans to the close, after Tony de Zorzi’s stunning grab at short leg saw nightwatchman Prabath Jayasuriya removed for one.

De Zorzi, stayed low and thrust his hands in front of his helmet, with the ball sticking, setting off understandably raucous celebrations among the players and the 2016 spectators in the ground. 

Bavuma and Stubbs were outstanding, batting through a morning session during which they laid the foundation for their side’s dominance of the third day.

They also confirmed the prematch assertion from Proteas head coach Shukri Conrad that given the right conditions, this is a Proteas batting unit that will score hundreds. 

A protracted period, that began in the wake of the retirements of Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers after the infamous 2018 home series with Australia, saw Test hundreds become like hen’s teeth for the Proteas. 

Suffice to say those struggles are over. In their last three Tests, the Proteas have notched up a total of six centuries, with Stubbs, installed this year, as the No.3, making his in back-to-back Tests. 

In fact he is in the midst of a purple patch, which has included a maiden ODI century and a highest T20 International score of 76, all achieved in the last four months.

His was a superb, well balanced Test innings, in which Stubbs took as much delight in his forward defence as he did in hitting reverse sweeps. 

He was at the crease for five and half hours, eventually being bowled for 122, as South Africa chased quick runs before the declaration at tea time.

There were nine fours and two sixes in his innings, in which he offered just one chance, on 33, to Mathews standing slip. 

Bavuma’s was another studious effort, mixing his textbook technique with characteristic resilience to build on his efforts in the first innings.

The 70 he made after South Africa were put into bat was described by Jansen as having the same value as a hundred, such was its impact on the early stages of the match, when batting was at its toughest. 

Bavuma will happily concede he rode his luck, being dropped and later caught off a no-ball, but the hard work he did then, he wanted to ensure wouldn’t be wasted when conditions became easier for batting on Friday.

Bavuma’s 113 was his first hundred since he made a career-best 172 against West Indies at the Wanderers last year — which was Conrad’s second match in charge. 

It was another vital milestone, not just personally but for a team that admits it's still evolving, but needs to do so while ensuring the traits that make a good Test team are emphasised.

Those include having a batting unit that can make hundreds, something this Proteas side is proving it is very capable of doing.