Corbin Bosch continues dream Test debut as Proteas hold edge over Pakistan

By Nasri Alexander
27th December 2024

Corbin Bosch continued his dream debut and Aiden Markram top-scored as the Proteas continue to hold the edge over Pakistan after the second day of the first Test in Centurion.

Markram struck 89 while Bosch followed up his four wickets on the opening day with a vital 81 not out as the hosts were bowled out for 301, a lead of 90 runs after Pakistan were bowled out for 211 on day one.

Marco Jansen then struck a double blow with the ball as the visitors went to stumps on 88-3, still trailing by a further two runs with three days of the Test remaining.

The Proteas resumed the day on 87-3 with Markram and captain Temba Bavuma at crease and the pair saw off the first hour of play and extended their partnership to 70.

Markram went to a well-compiled fifty but lost his skipper when Bavuma edged behind to seamer Aamer Jamal for 31.

David Bedingham struck a bright and breezy 30 off 33 balls but lost his wicket on the stroke of lunch when poking at a wide delivery from Naseem Shah that went to first slip as the home side went to the break on 180-5.

Pakistan then made further inroads after the interval as Kyle Verreyne (2) and Marco Jansen (2) fell cheaply as the Proteas were 191-7 and in danger of not reaching Pakistan's total.

Markram was continuing to score briskly at the other end but was running of partners and unfortunately gloved one down the leg-side to fall 11 runs short of his hundred.

Bosch, coming in at number nine, opened his shoulders and dominated partnerships of 41 and 47 for the final two wickets with Kagiso Rabada ( 13) and Dane Paterson (12) to help the Proteas go beyond the 300-run mark.

Pakistan openers Shan Masood and Saim Ayub then started brightly to cut into the deficit, putting on 49 but Rabada clean-bowled the latter for 28.

The left-arm pace of Jansen then did further damage as Masood (28) was well caught by Tristan Stubbs while Kamran Ghulam (4) was also well taken by Ryan Rickelton in the gully.

Babar Azam is still at crease on 16 and it seems as if the hopes of Pakistan in this Test match will rest on the shoulders on the experienced middle-order batter.