Match overview
South Africa beat Sri Lanka by 109 runs in the Port Elizabeth Test, which began on 5 December 2024 at St George's Park. Winning the toss and choosing to bat, South Africa posted 358 in their first innings before Sri Lanka replied with a competitive 328. South Africa's second innings of 317 set the tourists a target of 348, and they were bowled out for 238 to hand the hosts the win. Durandt Paterson was named player of the match. The result extended South Africa's unbeaten run against Sri Lanka to five consecutive completed fixtures across all formats.
Temba Bavuma's first-innings knock of 144 off 225 balls was the innings that shaped the match. On a ground where the average first-innings score across 133 Tests and one-day matches sits at just 186, a score of 358 represents a substantial overperformance. Sri Lanka's 328 in reply was equally above par, and for two days the series looked much closer than the head-to-head numbers suggested it should be.
The fourth innings proved decisive. Sri Lanka's batters needed 348 to win on a pitch that had already faced three completed innings of batting. They reached 238 before the last wicket fell, leaving them 109 runs short. Paterson's role in that final-day collapse was the difference.
Venue and conditions
St George's Park is one of the lower-scoring venues in South African domestic and international cricket. The average first-innings score of 186 across its 133 matches reflects a surface that typically does something for the seamers throughout a game, with variable bounce becoming more pronounced as the pitch wears. Average second-innings scores drop to 157, which partly explains why the fourth-innings chase in this match was always going to be difficult.
Chase success at St George's Park sits at 49 per cent. That near-even split suggests the ground is not as seamer-dominated as the low averages might imply; there have been successful run-chases here, and teams batting last are not without hope. The toss winner has elected to field first in 41 per cent of matches at this ground, so South Africa's decision to bat after winning the toss was in keeping with historical preference for building a total first.
Phase-specific powerplay and death-overs data is less relevant in Test cricket, where the game unfolds over five days rather than in discrete 20-over blocks. The broader lesson from this ground is that any total above 250 tends to be competitive, and anything past 300 in the first innings puts the opposition under significant pressure.
How to watch
South Africa home Test matches are broadcast live in the UK on Sky Sports Cricket. The channel is available via a standard Sky subscription, through the Sky Go app for existing subscribers, or via a NOW TV day pass or week pass for those without a full contract. Test matches follow a day-by-day schedule, with play at St George's Park typically running from mid-morning UK time given the two-hour time difference between South Africa and the United Kingdom.
BBC Test Match Special provides radio commentary for selected South Africa Tests. Listeners in the UK can access TMS on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra or through the BBC Sounds app, with some overseas coverage available on long wave depending on the fixture.
Recent form
South Africa arrived in this Test series off a mixed run in 2024. They had beaten India once from four attempts, then beaten Sri Lanka in the preceding fixture by 233 runs at Kingsmead, suggesting they had rediscovered some consistency at home after a difficult stretch. Their record of one win, three losses and one win in their last five outings reflects a side capable of beating anyone at home but vulnerable away.
Sri Lanka's recent form was similarly patchy. They split their series against New Zealand two wins apiece, with a no result in between, before losing their previous match to South Africa at Kingsmead. In that context, their reply of 328 in the first innings here was an encouraging performance, even if the match went the same way as their last four encounters with this South Africa side.
