Du Plessis, Bavuma put South Africa in command

Photo Courtesy: ICC/Twitter

South Africa were on top as the side went for tea at 281-4 on the second day of the Cape Town Test against Pakistan on Friday.

Skipper Faf du Plessis and Temba Bavuma both scored half-centuries as South Africa lead  by 104 runs.

Du Plessis and Bavuma are unbeaten at 80 and 60 respectively.

The Proteas captain scored his 50 off 111 balls after hitting six boundaries. The middle-order batsman reached his 50 from 103 deliveries with seven boundaries to his name.

South Africa went for lunch at 188-4 with Du Plessis and Bavuma on the crease.

The hosts have lost only two wickets in the day and benefitted, for the second time in successive Tests, from a television umpire overturning a catch decision by the on-field umpires.

Bavuma appeared to have been caught by Azhar Ali at first slip off Abbas when he was on three and the total was 156 for four. On-field umpires Bruce Oxenford and Joel Wilson conferred and asked television umpire Sunderam Ravi to check whether the ball hit the ground before a clean catch was completed. Oxenford gave a “soft” signal of “out”.

Hashim Amla did not add to his overnight score of 24 before he was bowled by a ball from Mohammad Abbas which snaked back off the pitch to hit his leg stump.

Theunis de Bruyn played a loose drive and was caught at gully off Shaheen Afridi after making 13.

Pakistan were bowled out for 177 on day one as South Africa’s strategy to play with four pacers paid off on a green pitch.

Article source: https://www.samaa.tv/sports/2019/01/du-plessis-bavuma-put-south-africa-in-command/