Sri Lanka bowled out for 42 by South Africa, their lowest Test total
Sri Lanka were eliminated by South Africa in Durban by 42 runs – the lowest Test total in the history of the country’s men’s team.
South Africa scored 191 in their first innings and Sri Lanka were bowled out for 13.5 overs on the second day of the first Test.
Marco Jansen posted career-best Test figures with figures of 7-13 in 6.5 overs, with Gerald Coetzee (2-18) and Kagiso Rabada (1 -10) Captured other wickets.
The previous lowest Test innings by a Sri Lankan men’s team was 71 against Pakistan in Kandy in 1994.
In men’s Test cricket, only eight times has a team been eliminated for less than 42 runs.
Kamindu Mendis (13 runs) and Lahiru Kumara (10 runs) were the only batsmen to reach double figures.
Their match lasted 83 balls, the second-shortest match in men’s Test history in which a team was bowled out.
The lowest was South Africa, who were bowled out by England by 75 balls at Edgbaston in 1924.
South Africa finished the match with 132-3 and a lead of 281 runs.
Sri Lanka need to beat South Africa in two Tests and Australia in the New Year to secure a place in the World Test finals.
In the final four Tests of the two-year cycle, three wins and one loss may be enough to reach the final.
South Africa can also reach the final, with wins in both Tests against Sri Lanka and sweeps in both Tests against Pakistan in December and January ensuring their place.
For the Proteas, three wins and one draw from these four Tests are also enough.
Sri Lanka are third in the World Test Championship standings and South Africa are fifth.
