UPDATE: Elgar gives Proteas solid start in second Bangladesh Test

Bangladesh once again struggled with their reviews although they eventually got Sarel Erwee’s wicket, but Dean Elgar continued to defy them as South Africa reached lunch on 107/1 on the first day of the second Test at St George’s Park on Friday.

Elgar went to his third successive Test half-century, finishing the session on 59 not out off just 80 balls. The skipper has once again led from the front with a positive approach, defending nicely but ensuring that few loose deliveries went unpunished.

Keegan Petersen is starting to get into his stride on 24 not out.

South Africa won the toss and elected to bat first on a greenish, well-grassed pitch and with Gqeberha heavily overcast.

And Bangladesh should have made the first breakthrough in the third over when Khaled Ahmed nipped a delivery back into left-hander Erwee, who had four, striking him on the back leg. In live action it looked a close shout but possibly going over the stumps, and umpire Allahudien Paleker turned down the vociferous appeal. It was a surprise that the tourists did not review the decision, and replays later showed it would have hit the top of the stumps and been given out.

Bangladesh eventually got Erwee out after 12 overs, but not before he had helped Elgar give South Africa a solid start of 52 for the first wicket. Erwee had moved to 24 when he drove expansively, well outside his off-stump, and edged Khaled behind the wicket, gloveman Liton Das diving to take a good catch.

Seasoned opening batsman Tamim Iqbal and left-arm spinner Taijul Islam have been brought into the Bangladesh team, and all four frontline bowlers have had lengthy spells in the first session, without much success.

South Africa are playing the same XI that won the first Test in Durban by 220 runs.