South Africa ended the first day at Gqeberha at 269-7 after Temba Bavuma won the toss and opted to bat. The batting highlights of the day came from Ryan Rickelton, who, after being promoted to one-drop, converted his maiden Test fifty into 101. Bavuma himself made 78, adding 133 for the fourth wicket with Rickelton, while Kyle Verreynne remained unbeaten on 48 at stumps.

However, all that happened after the Sri Lankan seamers called the shots in the first hour of the day. Asitha Fernando struck with his first ball of the Test (in the second over), trapping Tony di Zorzi leg-before. Kumara then joined in on the act, clean bowling Aiden Markram and having Tristan Stubbs caught behind to leave the hosts reeling at 44-3.

Markram’s wicket was the 100th of Kumara’s Test career. He became the ninth Sri Lankan (but the fifth fast bowler from the country) to reach the milestone. Stubbs’s scalp took him past Dilhara Fernando’s tally of exactly 100.

Later in the day, Kumara made a ball kick from a length, take Rickelton’s bat, and fly to gully. That took him past Lasith Malinga’s tally of 101. Kumara is now level with teammate Prabath Jayasuriya, who had become the joint second-quickest to the milestone in the previous Test match.

Among Sri Lankan fast bowlers, only Chaminda Vaas (355) and Suranga Lakmal (171) have more Test wickets than Kumara (102).

Most wickets by Sri Lanka fast bowlers, full list

*until end of day one, Gqeberha Test match, December 2024

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