CAPE TOWN: A well made century knock from opener Dean Elgar not only helped host South Africa to recover them but gave an edge on a fiercely-fought first day of the second Test against Sri Lanka in Cape Town.

At close, South Africa scored 297 for loss of six wickets with Quinton de Kock and Kyle Abbott batting at 68 and 16 respectively.

Elgar struck 129 - his sixth Test ton a career best - as he put on a 103-run stand with Quinton de Kock (68 not out) for the sixth wicket.

Trailing 1-0 in the series, visitors won the toss and again opted to bowl first on a grassy looking surface at Newlands, and they struck immediately as Stephen Cook departed for a duck, edging Lakmal (2-69) behind fourth ball.

Rangana Herath had removed South African skipper Faf du Plessis (38) shortly before tea to reduce the hosts to 142-4, which soon turned to 169-5 after the interval with the dismissal of Temba Bavuma (10).

BRIEF SCORES – DAY I

SOUTH AFRICA I INNINGS: 297 for six (Dean Elgar 129, Quinton de Kock 68 not out; Suranga Lakmal 2/69, Lahiru Kumara 3/86) Vs SRI LANKA.

STATS AT GLANCE

23: Number of innings taken for Quinton de Kock to reach 1000 Test runs. He is the joint fifth fastest for South Africa behind Graeme Smith (17 inns), AB de Villiers (20), Eddie Barlow (21), Graeme Pollock (22) and Faf Du Plessis (23).

129: Dean Elgar's highest Test score and his second century against Sri Lanka. Previously he made 103 in Galle in 2014. Elgar now has four centuries at home averaging 49.90.

355: Number of wickets taken by Rangana Herath in Tests. He is now the joint second highest wicket-taker for Sri Lanka in Tests and joint 19th overall. Herath, Dennis Lillee and Chaminda Vaas have 355 wickets each.

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