DURBAN: South Africa wrapped up a 233-run win over Sri Lanka and medium-pacer Marco Jansen finished with 11 wickets in the first test at Kingsmead on Saturday.
Sri Lanka was set an improbable 516 target and started the fourth day in a deep hole at 103-5. It was all out for 282, hastened by the dismissal of Dinesh Chandimal, who led the resistance with 83.
After Chandimal was out caught and bowled by Gerald Coetzee, Sri Lanka’s last three wickets folded for 11 runs in the next six overs.
Jansen, the 2.06-meter left-armer, took the last two wickets for 4-73 in the innings and 11-86 in the match for his maiden 10-for in his 14th test.
“The conditions were favorable for seamers,” Proteas captain Temba Bavuma said. “We were confident that if they could put us in trouble, we could do so. Batting always felt tricky, you never felt in.”
South Africa, trying to reach its first World Test Championship final, moved up to second on the table, behind India and above Australia. The Proteas are unbeaten in seven tests since February, winning six.
“The conversation (about the WTC) has been there, we are not too loud about it. It will come,” Bavuma said. “Our focus needs to be more internally, what we have been doing as a team and control that, let whatever happens happen.”
The second and last test against Sri Lanka starts on Thursday in Gqeberha.
