'A blessing to be playing again'

Dale Steyn bowled his way past another milestone and enabled South Africa to gain an advantage over Sri Lanka on the second day of the first Test at Kingsmead on Thursday.

Steyn, 35, took four for 48 as South Africa took a first innings lead of 44. They stretched their lead to 170 by reaching 126 for four at the close. It took Steyn's career total to 437 Test wickets, moving him past India's Kapil Dev (434) and drawing level with Stuart Broad of England in joint seventh place on the all-time list.

"It's just a blessing to be able to be playing again," he said. "I almost feel like I've had to start over. I don't feel I'm on 430-odd wickets, I'm on probably twenty. It's nice to finish a Test series against Pakistan and not have someone saying he's an injury away from retiring and it's nice to contribute again."

Steyn bowled a 10-over spell after lunch in an effort to blow away Sri Lanka's tail, which he said he believed was only the third time in a 92-Test career he had bowled so many overs in succession. "When I'm bowling ten-over spells it shows I'm enjoying what I do," he said.

SCORES IN BRIEF

SOUTH AFRICA: First innings 235 and second innings 126 for 4 (Elgar 35, Markram 28; Ambuldeniya 2-36)

SRI LANKA: First innings 191 all out (Karunaratne 30, K Perera 51; Steyn 4-48, Philander 2-32)