Durban Test, Day 1: Elgar, Bavuma propel SA to 233/4
South Africa made the most of the conditions on Day 1 of the ongoing first Test against Bangladesh at Kingsmead. Skipper Dean Elgar, Sarel Erwee, and Temba Bavuma added crucial tallies to SA's scoreboard. Elgar slammed his 20th fifty in whites. Bangladeshi bowlers faltered in the final session. SA eventually drove their way to 233/4 to wrap up Day 1.
How did Day 1 pan out?
Being put to bat first, SA cruised their way to 95/0 in 25 overs. Openers Dean Elgar and Sarel Erwee scored in tandem. The duo added 113 runs in total. Later, Temba Bavuma, Ryan Rickleton, and Kyle Verreynne batted well to take SA past 230 runs. For Bangladesh, pacers Ebadot Hossain and Khaled Ahmed, and spinner Mehidy Hasan pocketed a wicket each.
Dean Elgar slams his 20th Test fifty
Elgar looked in solid touch in the first day's play in Durban. He racked up runs at frequent intervals. He notched his 20th Test fifty in the 19th over. His knock of 67 comprised 11 fours. It was his third fifty-plus score against Bangladesh, (2 hundreds, 1 fifty). The southpaw now averages 94.40 against Bangladesh across five Tests.
Some other feats achieved by Elgar
Elgar has now raced past the 4,700-run mark in Tests. He now averages 39.20 across 75 Tests. He has notched 13 hundreds and 20 fifties. At home, Elgar has now amassed 2,999 runs with 8 hundreds and 14 fifties. He averages 46.85 in 43 Tests. He now ranks eighth in the list of South Africans with the most runs in Test cricket.
Temba Bavuma cracks his 18th Test fifty
Bavuma was one of the main architects of SA's fightback against Bangladesh. The middle-order batter struck 6 fours to remain unbeaten on 53 on the first day. Across five matches against Bangladesh, he now averages 72.00 (three fifties). Notably, it was his 18th fifty in red-ball cricket. To date, he has aggregated 2,471 runs in 50 Tests at 34.31.
Bangladeshi bowlers dominate the second session
Bangladesh's bowling attack was wicket-less for the entire first session (95/0 in 25 overs). However, they showed intent at the start of the second session. Khaled Ahmed and Mehidy Hasan trapped well-set Elgar and Erwee in 33.2 and 34.1 overs respectively. Mehidy was then effective in a run-out involving Keegan Peterson (19). Ebadot Hossain then dismissed Ryan Rickleton on a shorter one.
SA forge substantial partnerships to finish the day on 233/4
Elgar and Sarel Erwee laid a 113-run opening stand. However, SA lost the first and second wickets in back-to-back overs. Bavuma then showed character. He was instrumental in stitching three partnerships - 29(71), 34(68), and 53* (117) for the third, fourth, and fifth wickets, respectively. SA batters looked in control as they wrapped up Day 1 proceedings on a dominant note.
