SA v SL: Newlands set for series showdown
SERIES SQUARED: SRI LANKA EXCEL ON CRACKED PITCH
Fast bowler Ngidi announces himself with four wickets.
Sri Lanka were more than comfortable on a dry, cracked Wanderers pitch that would have been more at home in Galle rather than Johannesburg as they won the second T20 International against South Africa by three wickets with two balls to spare yesterday for the first win of their tour.
With their spinners – especially chinaman bowler Lakshan Sandakan – finding the pitch much to their liking, the Sri Lankans bowled South Africa out for just 113, their lowest ever score against the sub-continental island team.
With turn and uneven bounce the order of the day, Sri Lanka’s batsmen also made heavy weather of the chase, captain Angelo Mathews eventually steering them home with his determined 54 not out off 50 balls.
South Africa were probably more than 20 runs short of par, despite the difficult batting conditions, but they fought terrifically hard in the field, none more so than Lungi Ngidi, who swept away the top-order to finish with 4/19 in four overs, another magnificent display by the 20-year-old and the best figures for the Proteas against Sri Lanka.
Having decided to bat first, South Africa paid the price for a batting display that was more frenetic than controlled. The first hint of trouble came in the running between the wickets, which at times resembled a panicked version of tip-and-run.
Jon-Jon Smuts (4) and Theunis de Bruyn (7) both fell early on to aerial flicks off the pads, which opened the way for Sandakan to spin his web.
Mangaliso Mosehle had made a run-a-ball 11 before he was caught behind off Sandakan’s first delivery – wide and turning further away.
Heino Kuhn had shown pleasing composure in making 29 off 20 balls, but he was then stumped by Dinesh Chandimal off Sandakan, who then removed Wayne Parnell (3) and Andile Phehlukwayo (0) in the 12th over to finish with an outstanding 4/23 in four overs.
Captain Farhaan Behardien finally found someone willing to stick with him in Aaron Phangiso (13), and they gave South Africa a slim chance by getting the total into three figures.
But Behardien was dismissed for 27 off 22 balls in the 18th over, caught by Chandimal, whose reward for an impressive display behind the stumps was a Sri Lankan record four dismissals, off left-armer Isuru Udana, who finished with 3/13 as South Africa were bowled out in 19.3 overs.