Perera guides SL to sensational win

By AFP

February 17, 2019

DURBAN: Kusal Perera carried Sri Lanka to a sensational one-wicket win on the fourth day of the first Test against South Africa at Kingsmead on Saturday as he hit a career-best 153 not out.

Perera and Vishwa Fernando put on an unbeaten 78 in a last-wicket partnership to secure only Sri Lanka’s second win in 14 Test matches in South Africa.

Victory seemed unlikely when the ninth wicket fell with the total on 226, with the tourists chasing a target of 304.

But the left-handed Perera successfully farmed the strike, with South African captain Faf du Plessis persisting with wide-spread fields for the in-form batsman, while Fernando only had to face 27 balls during a 96-ball partnership.

Perera was on 86 when the ninth wicket fell but managed to keep most of the strike and to hit some telling blows in an innings of 200 balls which included 12 fours and five sixes.

South Africa took the second new ball with the total on 263 but still kept most of their fielders on the boundary for Perera, who hit sixes off both Dale Steyn and Kagiso Rabada before slashing Rabada to third man for the winning boundary. The second Test starts in Port Elizabeth on Thursday.

Score Board

Sri Lanka won toss

South Africa 1st Innings 235 all out (†Q de Kock 80; V Fernando 4-62)

Sri Lanka 1st Innings 191 all out (K Perera 51; Steyn 4-48)

South Africa 2nd Innings 259 all out (*F du Plessis 90; Embuldeniya 5-66)

Sri Lanka 2nd Innings

*D Karunaratne lbw b Philander 20

L Thirimanne c Du Plessis b Rabada 21

O Fernando c Du Plessis b Steyn 37

K Mendis c De Kock b Olivier 0

K Perera not out 153

†N Dickwella c and b Steyn 0