Teenage fast bowler Lahiru Kumara struck twice in one over to put Sri Lanka on top on the first morning of the second Test against South Africa at Newlands on Monday.

South Africa were 69 for three at lunch after being sent in to bat on a well-grassed pitch on an overcast day.

Sri Lankan captain Angelo Mathews’ decision paid an early dividend when Stephen Cook was caught behind off Suranga Lakmal without a run on the board in the first over.

Dean Elgar and Hashim Amla seemed to have weathered the storm as they took the total to 66 shortly before lunch.

But the game changed dramatically in the third over sent down by Kumara, 19, playing in only his third Test and sixth first-class match.

Building up good pace, the strongly-built Kumara bowled Amla between bat and pad for 29 and followed up five balls later when JP Duminy gloved a catch down the legside to be caught by a diving Kusal Mendis.

Mendis was keeping wicket in place of Dinesh Chandimal, although Chandimal remained in the team and fielded at first slip.

Elgar was 36 not out at lunch.

Mathews said at the toss that his decision to send South Africa in was based on the conditions – an overcast sky and a pitch which had considerably more grass than was the case when South Africa and England played out a high-scoring draw last year.

“There’s a lot of grass on the wicket and it seems pretty hard,” said Mathews. “We’ve got three seamers and myself, so we’ll try and take advantage of the conditions.”

Source: AFP