Proteas batsmen Tony de Zorzi and Tristan Stubbs both klapped their first Test centuries on Day One of their match against Bangladesh in Chittagong on Tuesday.
Opener De Zorzi carried his bat on the first day of the second and final Test – SA won the first match by seven wickets – and finished the day on 141* off 211 balls, striking three sixes and 10 fours on route to his highest Test score.
With SA on 307/2 when play resumed at 6am today, De Zorzi will have his eye on a double ton and will ask for guard with David Bedingham (18*) at the other end.
The day belonged to SA from the word go, starting with the coin toss. And after captain Aiden Markram decided to bat first, he shared a 69-run opening stand with De Zorzi before he was caught at mid-on for 33.
Stubbs (106) then joined De Zorzi in the middle, as they scored 201 runs for the second wicket before he was clean bowled by spinner Taijul Islam (2/110).
Of their partnership, Stubbs says: “I was really nervous up front, [but] it was really nice batting with Tony. He was calm and was flowing quite nicely [at the other end].
“Huge credit to him… that mental strength to go through the whole day was unbelievable. We kept reminding each other ‘lets go, let’s not take anything for granted’.”