Sri Lanka were dismissed for their lowest test total of 42 after South Africa’s Marco Jansen produced bowling heroics to help the hosts take a firm grip on the first test by opening a 281-run lead by the close of play on the second day. The lanky Jansen took a career best 7-13 as Sri Lanka were all out inside 14 overs as 19 wickets fell on a lively surface at Kingsmead on Thursday, November 28.
South Africa, put in to bat and 80-4 overnight, were bowled out for 191 by lunch in their first innings but were on 132-3 in their second as they chase victory to stay on track for a place in the World Test Championship final at Lord’s next June. Jansen, 24, is only the second bowler to take seven wickets inside seven overs of a test innings, emulating former Australia captain Hugh Trumble, whose 7-28 in 6.5 overs, including a hat-trick, bowled them to victory over England in Melbourne in 1904.
Jansen’s haul also took only 41 balls after clean bowling three Sri Lankans, having three more caught in the slips and finishing off the innings with a caught and bowled as last man Asitha Fernando struck a delivery high into the sky.
“We saw the ball was moving around earlier in the day and knew that if we put it in the right area, we could make things happen,” said Jansen. Sri Lanka’s score was the tied-ninth lowest innings in test history and their own worst total by 29 runs after their previous low of 71 against Pakistan in Kandy 30 years ago.