All-round brilliance steers SA to victory
Second win from two takes Proteas within one match of securing series.
Andile Phehlukwayo’s knuckleball. Quinton de Kock’s drive. Sri Lanka’s fielding.
That’s all you need to know if you’re pushed for time to find out how South Africa beat Sri Lanka in the second one-day international in Dambulla on Wednesday.
Another win in Kandy on Sunday would give the visitors the series with two games left to play, a remarkable turnaround given how emphatically the home side won both Tests.
The knuckleball earned Phehlukwayo only one wicket in his haul of 3/45, but he made good use of the non-spinning, butterflying, swan diving delivery to trouble all who faced him.
Seven of De Kock’s 13 fours were sumptuous drives and he also hit a six in his 78-ball 87 – his first half-century in eight Test and one-day innings and a convincing return to form. He looked well on his way to century when he shoved a a delivery from seamer Kasun Rajitha down deep midwicket’s throat.
De Kock had help from the Lankans, who dropped him when he was 18 and 22. Hashim Amla was also given a life, when he was on four. All three times the bowler was Rajitha.
Having been limited to 244/8 Sri Lanka needed a special performance in the field to compete with the South Africans.
Instead they let themselves down badly, and South Africa won by four wickets with 43 balls to spare to take a 2-0 lead in the rubber.
The Lankans were on the backfoot as early as the second over of the match, when Lungi Ngidi had Upul Tharanga caught behind and trapped Kusal Mendis in front with consecutive deliveries on his way to figures of 3/50.
Angelo Mathews and Niroshan Dickwella shared 67, Sri Lanka’s only half-century stand, but their success came at a price.
Mathews, who nursed his team past 200 with an unbeaten 72, was troubled by a hamstring problem and Dickwella, who scored 69, needed treatment after being hit
Wiaan Mulder.
The tone for South Africa’s innings was set by De Kock and Amla, who put on 91 for the first wicket before the latter slapped a return catch to Akila Dananjaya.
Amla’s 43 was his best effort in his last 11 Test and one-day in the ribs by innings for South Africa.
Faf du Plessis’ flirtation with 50 continued. Having been dismissed for 49 and 48 in the Test series and 47 in the first match of the ODI series on Sunday, South Africa’s captain was out for 49 on Wednesday – this time to Dananjaya, who claimed another return catch to end a partnership of 53 between De Kock and Du Plessis.
South Africa never looked like losing, even when they sacrificed four wickets for 69 runs in 12.3 overs in wending their way to victory.
And so, with the visitors having taken sweets from babies, to Kandy.
The tone for South Africa’s innings was set by De Kock and Amla