1st Test
Day-3 Afternoon Session Highlights:
Twin centuries has powered the South Africa team to a daunting target of 516 runs
At The Tea of Day-3:
South Africa scored 191 (1st Innings) & 366/5d (2nd Innings), where as Sri Lanka scored 42 (1st Innings).
So, finally South Africa lead by 515 runs.
Centuries from Tristan Stubbs and Temba Bavuma put Sri Lanka on the back foot in the post-lunch session on Day 3, as South Africa declared at Tea with a commanding lead of 515.
Already in control of the Test, the pair built a massive partnership that nearly batted Sri Lanka out of the contest.
After the break, Stubbs quickly found his rhythm, driving Dhananjaya de Silva through extra cover for his first boundary of the session.
Bavuma followed suit, sweeping Prabath Jayasuriya to the boundary in the next over.
Stubbs then brought the lead past the 400-run mark and launched Kamindu Mendis for a towering six as he closed in on his century.
Sri Lanka wasted no time in taking the second new ball, but it failed to break the stand.
Stubbs reached his second Test century, though not without drama—he was initially adjudged lbw but successfully reviewed the decision.
Bavuma, meanwhile, endured a nervous wait for his own century as Sri Lanka reviewed his sweep shot, but replays confirmed he had gotten a glove on it, saving him.
Stubbs, now in full flow, took on Vishwa Fernando with successive boundaries, before Fernando eventually dismissed him.
Despite the breakthrough, Sri Lanka’s misery continued as David Bedingham marked his arrival with a boundary and a six off his first two balls.
The lead surged past 500, and shortly after, Bavuma was trapped lbw, ending his brilliant knock.
The dismissal prompted the Tea break, and with a substantial lead on the board, South Africa declared, confident that they had done enough to set Sri Lanka a near-impossible chase.
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