| Scores | Upcoming | Results |
Hambantota: South Africa made history when they won their first ever ODI Series in Sri Lanka with a comprehensive 82 runs victory in the final encounter of the three-match series at Hambantota on Saturday. It gave them a 2-1 series victory.
It was a conclusive victory set up by an opening partnership of 118 between Hashim Amla and Quinton de Kock and then consolidated by the centuries by De Kock (his fifth) and AB de Villiers (his 17th) that enabled the Proteas to post their highest ever total in Sri Lanka of 339/5 after they had scored a mammoth 187 runs in the last 20 overs.
De Kock’s century (128 off 127 balls, 12 fours and three sixes) was the highest ever for South Africa against Sri Lanka, beating Boeta Dippenaar’s 125, while De Villiers was in his free-scoring element scoring 108 off 71 balls with 11 fours and four sixes.
De Kock has now made four centuries in his last six ODI innings and there is a lot of significance in the fact that the opening pair have now had three century partnership during the same period.
De Kock has also had four major partnerships during this period with De Villiers, this latest effort being worth 116 in 15 overs.
No side has ever chased down more than 300 in 25 attempts in Sri Lanka but for a period it looked as though the home side might do just that when they scored 99/1 in the 10 power play overs up front.
But, once again, Ryan McLaren and Imran Tahir, who have been De Villiers’ go-to bowlers throughout the series, responded by taking three for six between them with the aid of a De Villiers run out as well in the space of 13 balls – and those wickets were the big ones of Sri Lanka’s three senior statesmen – Tillekeratne Dilshan, Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene.
Sri Lanka had lost five wickets by the halfway stage of the innings and it was very difficult for them to come back from there as the run rate climbed although their captain, Angelo Mathews, did his best (58 off 81 balls, 5 fours and a six) before succumbing to a left-handed giraffe-like catch from Morne Morkel.
McLaren had the best South African figures of 3/37 in 9 overs which gave him 9 wickets in the series and the big encouragement for the Proteas was the way that their spinners, Imran Tahir and JP Duminy, out played their Sri Lankan counterparts, which may well give the home side second thoughts about how they prepare the surface for the two-match Test series.
Imran took an outstanding 1/29 in his 10 overs and the six that Mathews struck off him was the first boundary he had conceded in the last two matches. Duminy also was good value for his 2/43 in 8.3 overs which included a classic off spinner’s delivery to bowl Lahiru Thirimanne.
The blustery wind howling across the field all day made control difficult for the quick bowlers on both sides.
De Kock was named Man of the Match while McLaren was named stylish player of the series and Amla the player of the series for his two centuries and a half-century at an average of more than 80.
Earlier, South Africa have won the toss and have opted to bat.
One change for both teams. For Sri Lanka have brought in Rangana Herath for Nuwan Kulasekara. Steyn has passed fit but South Africa have left out Vernon Philander with Wayne Parnell playing in his place.
Teams:
Sri Lanka): Kushal Janith Perera, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Kumar Sangakkara (wk), Lahiru Thirimanne, Mahela Jayawardene, Angelo Mathews (Capt.), Ashan Priyanjan, Sachithra Senanayake, Lasith Malinga, Ajantha Mendis, Rangana Herath
South Africa: Hashim Amla, Quinton de Kock (wk), Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers (Capt.), Jean-Paul Duminy, David Miller, Ryan McLaren, Wayne Parnell, Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, Imran Tahir
Brief scores
South Africa - 339 for 5 (De Kock 128, De Villiers 108, Herath 2-48)
Sri Lanka - 257 (Mathews 58, McLaren 3-37)
Result - South Africa won by 82 runs
MOM - AB de Villiers (South Africa)
Player of the series - Hashim Amla (South Africa)
