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South Africa beat Sri Lanka in the 3rd ODI by 56 runs
Jul 26, 201310:31 PM
South Africa beat Sri Lanka by 56 runs in the third One-Day International (ODI) at Pallekele on Friday to end their 11-match losing streak against Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka.
Chasing a target of 224 runs Sri Lanka was bowled out on 167 runs. Thisara Perera tried to keep Sri Lanka in the game but lost his wicket after scoring brilliant 64 runs. Dinesh Chandimal scored 29 runs in the mid of the innings.
Lonwabo Tsotsobe took 4 wickets while Ferhaan Behardien finished off with 3 wickets.
South Africa dominated Sri Lanka for the first time in the series as the visitors pegged back the hosts in a do-or-die encounter. The wrecker-in-chief was Lonwabo Tsotsobe whose first spell was instrumental in putting pressure on Sri Lanka.
Tsotsobe picked up three important wickets — Tillakaratne Dilshan, Kumar Sangakkara and Upul Tharanga — to give Proteas an upperhand on the conditions where there was a lot of bounce and seam movement on offer.
Dilshan offered a simple catch to AB de Villiers at covers. Sangakkara too went for a cover-drive but was caught at covers by JP Duminy for a duck. Tharanga prodded at a shortish delivery from Tsotsobe and was caught at first slip. At 16 for three, Sri Lanka were in dire need of a big partnership.
Complementing Tsotsobe was tall Morne Morkel who was extracting bounce which helped him apply pressure on the Sri Lankan top-order. In fact he softened up the batsmen and Tsotsobe reaped rewards.
Mahela Jayawardene and Dinesh Chandimal then prevented further incursion. Ryan McLaren kept the pressure on and didn’t let Sri Lanka run away with the game.
In the 14th over spin was introduced and Robin Peterson beat Jayawardene in the air and there was a confident leg-before shout which the South Africans reviewed but the ball was missing the leg-stump.
South African spinner Robin Peterson bowled the second most expensive over in one-day cricket when he conceded 35 runs against Sri Lanka.
Left-hander Thisara Perera hit five sixes and a boundary in the 33rd over sent down by Peterson.
With the second ball declared a wide, the 35 runs taken in the over fell just one run short of the world record of six sixes hit by South African batsman Herschelle Gibbs off Dutch bowler D. van Bunge during the 2007 World Cup.
