Marco Jansen joins Muralidaran in elite club with 11 wickets in Durban Test-OxBig News Network

South Africa’s Marco Jansen became only the fourth bowler to take 10 or more wickets in a Test at the Kingsmead in Durban. The left-handed bowler achieved the feat in the opening Test of the series against Dhananjaya de Silva’s Sri Lanka. The other bowlers to have taken 10-wicket hauls in Durban are Australia’s Clarence Grimmett, Sri Lankan legend Muttiah Muralidaran and India’s Venkatesh Prasad.

South Africa vs Sri Lanka, 1st Test Day 4 Highlights

Jansen’s match figures of 28.3-6-86-11 are also the second-best amongst all bowlers in Tests in Durban. Grimmett holds the record after he finished with figures of 93-41-173-13 against the Proteas back in February 1936. Muralidaran took an eight-wicket haul against South Africa in 2000, while Prasad rattled the hosts back in 1996.

Best match figures in Tests at Kingsmead, Durban

Jansen powers South Africa to clinical victory

Jansen played a major role in South Africa’s massive 233-run win over Sri Lanka, which also gave them a 1-0 lead in the two-match series. Jansen gave the visitors nightmares in the first innings after taking seven wickets for only 13 runs. In the second innings, Jansen carried on from where he left off in the first.

He finished with figures of 21.4-5-73-4 as South Africa bowled Sri Lanka out for 282 in their second innings while defending 516. Jansen also became the first left-arm seamer to take a ten-wicket haul for South Africa since re-admission.

In 14 Tests thus far, Jansen has taken 60 wickets at an average of 20.05 with two five-wicket hauls to his name. Earlier this month, Jansen also became the batter with the fastest T20I fifty off 16 balls in the match at the SuperSport Park in Centurion.

The second Test is scheduled to get underway on Thursday, December 5 at the St George’s Park in Gqeberha.