Beyers Swanepoel delivered an impressive all-around performance with both bat and ball, yet South Africa A (SA 'A') found themselves in a challenging situation after the third day of the first unofficial Test against Sri Lanka A (SL 'A') at Kimberley Oval on Tuesday.
Swanepoel excelled with the ball, taking four wickets for 52 runs in 20.5 overs, helping the home side to dismiss the visitors for 323, which left them trailing by 49 runs. However, SA 'A' struggled with the bat and ultimately collapsed to 124 all out.
Swanepoel's top score of 38 provided some resistance as Ishitha Wijesundara wreaked havoc, finishing with impressive figures of seven for 34. Late in the day, the South Africans managed to dismiss a Sri Lankan batsman, ending the day's play with the visitors at 34 for one, requiring 174 runs for victory. Despite this, the final day presented a significant challenge for the home side.
On day three, Sri Lanka A, starting at 232 for four, lost momentum and were bowled out for just 91 runs. Swanepoel continued to shine with his medium pace, with Prenelan Subrayen claiming two wickets for 63 runs. Key contributions came from Sonal Dinusha (36) and Vishad Randika (35) for the visitors.
The second innings for SA 'A' began disastrously as captain Neil Brand was dismissed for a duck on just his third ball. Only Marques Ackerman (27) provided a notable contribution, bringing the team to a precarious 69 for seven. A partnership of 45 runs between Swanepoel and Migael Pretorius (7) helped the hosts exceed 100 runs, but they still faced a daunting task ahead.
By the end of the day, Sri Lanka had set a target of 140 runs after the loss of key batsman Lahiru Udara for 26, dismissed by Codi Yusuf (1/8) with the last ball of the day's play.
South Africa A Four-Day Squad Against Sri Lanka A: Neil Brand (captain, Momentum Multiply Titans), Marques Ackerman (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Matthew Breetzke (Dafabet Warriors), Dewald Brevis (Momentum Multiply Titans), Tshepang Dithole (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Jean du Plessis (Dafabet Warriors), Patrick Kruger (Dafabet Warriors), Rivaldo Moonsamy (Momentum Multiply Titans), Mihlali Mpongwana (World Sports Betting Western Province), Migael Pretorius (North West Dragons), Sinethemba Qeshile (Dafabet Warriors), Lutho Sipamla (DP World Lions), Prenelan Subrayen (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Beyers Swanepoel (Dafabet Warriors), Codi Yusuf (DP World Lions)
Upcoming Four-Day Matches:
- September 08 – 11 at 10:00: South Africa A vs Sri Lanka A – Kimberley Oval, Kimberley
- September 15 – 18 at 10:00: South Africa A vs Sri Lanka A – Willowmoore Park, Benoni