Spin-less Lankans crash as Proteas go one-up
View(s):Champika Fernando reporting from Port Elizabeth
Sri Lanka’s top and middle order slump showed no sign of abating as another batting collapse helped South Africa draw first blood in the five-match series with a crushing 8-wicket win in the first ODI here at St. George’s Park in Port Elizabeth yesterday.
Spin-less Lankans crash as Proteas go one-up
After limiting themselves for a below par 181, Sri Lanka expected its spinners to exploit the slow turning conditions aided by the strong winds that blew across the ground, instead they offered hardly any threat as South Africa raced to victory in double quick time.
Spinners Lakshan Sandakan and Asela Gunaratne picked up the two wickets that fell in South Africa’s chase—openers Quinton de Kock (34) and Hashim Amla (57) but by then South Africa had the perfect platform for a comfortable chase.
South Africa’s chase was decorated with two fine innings by opener Hashim Amla (his 31st half century) and Faf du Plessis who struck a swashbuckling half centuries to see through the Proteas by the 35th over.
Amla shared an impressive 71-run opening stand with De Kock — the aggressive opener — and another 60 runs for the second wicket with Faf du Plessis to shatter Sri Lanka’s hopes.
Du Plessis and AB de Villiers put the finishing touches with an unfinished 54-run stand for the third wicket as they took the Sri Lankan hapless bowlers to the sword. Du Plessis remained unbeaten 54 —his 24th 50 plus score in ODI cricket while skipper was 30 not out.
However, it was the Sri Lankans who dug their own grave as yet another dismal batting performance left Proteas with a very achievable target to begin the five match series on a high.
After hosts inflicted early damage by removing openers for just 14 runs on the board, Kusal Mendis and Dinesh Chandimal revived the innings with a patient 72-run third-wicket stand, but their departure saw rest of the batting falling like nine pins.
Scoreboard
Sri Lanka
N. Dickwella lbw b Parnell 1
S. Weerakkody c Amla b Parnell 5
K. Mendis lbw b Imran Tahir 62
D. Chandimal b Imran Tahir 22
U. Tharanga c Duminy b Imran Tahir 6
D. de Silva c Du Plessis b Parnell 28
A. Gunaratne run out (De Kock) 10
N. Kulasekera c De Kock b Rabada 17
J. Vandersay lbw b Morris 8
S. Lakmal b Morris 3
L. Sandakan not out 2
Extras (lb5, w12) 17
Total (48.3 overs) 181
Fall of wickets: 1-1 (Dickwella), 2-14 (Weerakkody), 3-86 (Chandimal), 4-99 (Mendis), 5-102 (Tharanga), 6-125 (Gunaratne), 7-155 (Kulasekera), 8-170 (Vandersay), 9-170 (De Silva)
Bowling: Rabada 10-1-35-1, Parnell 10-1-48-3 (5w), Morris 9.3-1-29-2 (3w), Phehlukwayo 7-0-31-0 (1w), Imran Tahir 10-0-26-3, Duminy 2-0-7-0 (1w)
South Africa
Q. de Kock c Weerakkody b Sandakan 34
H. Amla c and b Gunaratne 57
F. du Plessis not out 55
A. de Villiers not out 30
Extras (lb2, w2, penalty 5) 9
Total (2 wkts, 34.2 overs) 185
Fall of wickets: 1-71 (De Kock), 2-131 (Amla)
Bowling: Kulasekera 5-0-20-0, Lakmal 6-1-29-0 (1w), De Silva 2-0-9-0, Vandersay 7-0-51-0, Sandakan 8-0-35-1 (1w), Gunaratne 5-0-19-1, Mendis 1.2-0-15-0
Did not bat: J. Duminy, D. Miller, C. Morris, W. Parnell, A. Phehlukwayo, K. Rabada, Imran Tahir