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Maharaj bowls his way into record books

Cape Town - Despite a crushing defeat in the second Test in Colombo on Monday, Proteas spinner Keshav Maharaj bowled his way into cricket's record books.

Maharaj, 28, took innings figures of 41.1-10-129-9 and 40-4-154-3 for match analysis of 81.1-14-283-12.

Unfortunately from a South African point of view, Maharaj's heroics weren't enough to prevent Sri Lanka from winning the Test by 199 runs, and securing a 2-0 series whitewash.

Maharaj became just the seventh South African to take 12 or more wickets in a Test and the third spinner to do so after Hugh Tayfield (twice) and Bert Vogler.

Makhaya Ntini holds the record for the best ever Proteas Test figures with 47.5-10-132-13 against the West Indies in 2005.

Maharaj tied the record for the most wickets taken in a day for South Africa (8) and set a new record for the number of wickets taken on Day 1 of a Test (for South Africa).

Maharaj also tied the great English spinner Jim Laker's 62-year old record when he took 11 of the first 12 opposition wickets to fall in a Test.

Maharaj has now taken 90 wickets in the 22 Tests he's played to date.

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