Gqeberha: South Africa registered a comprehensive victory over Sri Lanka in the second Test at St George's Park here on Monday, December 9, 2024. With this win, South Africa whitewashed the Sri Lankan cricket team in the two-match Test and continued their dominance at home in Test cricket.
This is South Africa's fifth Test victory in a row. This also marks the fourth Test win on the trot for the Proteas over Sri Lanka. This is South Africa's 11th win in 13 Tests at home since 2020, having lost the last Test series at home in 2019 against England by 3-1. Notably, the only two losses for Proteas have come against India, one in the 2020-21 tour and one in the 2023-24 tour.
South Africa seal a 2-0 whitewash against Sri Lanka after a closely-contested win in Gqeberha 🙌#WTC25 | 📝 #SAvSL: https://t.co/grtLlEan8h pic.twitter.com/Y0iM1CUcH4
— ICC (@ICC) December 9, 2024
South Africa at home since December 2020
Tests: 13
Won: 11
Lost: 2 (both vs India)
Only three teams have left in the WTC final race. South Africa (63.33 PCT) are now at the top of the table, having upstaged second-placed Australia (60.71). With two home Tests to follow against Pakistan, They will aim to give themselves a shot at glory in Lord's 2025. Australia (57.29 PCT) are second in the list while India slipped to third place.
That's the final wicket.
— Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) December 9, 2024
Rickelton takes the catch, as the Proteas seal the victory by 109 runs!🇿🇦😃🥳#WozaNawe#BePartOfIt #SAvSL
It has become very necessary for India, the runners-up of the first two editions of the WTC final, to win their remaining three Tests against Australia for the Border-Gavaskar trophy to keep themselves alive on the road to WTC25 glory. Currently, the series is level at 1-1 with India winning the Perth Test and Australia continuing their dominance in the Pink Ball Test.
🟢🟡Match Result
— Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) December 9, 2024
It’s done, the battle has concluded!👏
🇿🇦South Africa win by 109 runs down in Gqeberha.
The Proteas take the Test Series 2-0, as the win takes us top of the WTC rankings table!🏏🌍😏#WozaNawe #BePartOfIt #SAvSL pic.twitter.com/Le98NywRrj
After setting a record target at this venue, Sri Lanka showed some resistance till the end of Day 3, but they kept losing wickets in clusters and lost the remaining five scalps within a 40-over period. With this series loss, Sri Lanka's WTC25 final hopes were shattered, but not so for South Africa who moved to the top of the table with all 12 points from the series.
It was Keshav Maharaj (26-3-76-5) who ran through Sri Lanka's batting lineup in the second innings, taking his 10th five-wicket haul in the Test. With this, he also became the joint-second South African to spinner take most five-wicket hauls in the fourth innings. He now has four fifers to his name in the fourth innings, levelled with Hugh Tayfield, Vernon Philander, and Kagiso Rabada. Dale Steyn leads the list with five five-wicket hauls. Maharaj has picked 59 wickets in the fourth innings of 25 Tests at an average of 17.76 and a strike rate of 35.5.
Dane Paterson was adjudged the Player of the Match for his maiden 5 for 71 in the first innings. He finished with a match haul of seven wickets.
Keshav Maharaj's bowling in the 4th innings
Mats: 25
Wkts: 59
Avg: 17.76
SR: 35.5
BBI: 7/32
5-fers: 4
Most 5-fers for South Africa in the 4th innings
5 - Dale Steyn
4 - Hugh Tayfield
4 - Vernon Philander
4 - Kagiso Rabada
4 - Keshav Maharaj*
Best figures for South Africa spinners vs Sri Lanka
9/129 - Keshav Maharaj, Colombo (SSC), 2018
5/62 - Nicky Boje, Colombo (SSC), 2000
5/76 - Keshav Maharaj, Gqeberha, 2024*
5/88 - Nicky Boje, Galle, 2004
