SL in SA: Woeful Lankans capitulate once again as Proteas win series

All too familiar batting collapse left Sri Lankan cricket think-tank searching for answers as South Africa massacred woeful Sri Lanka with a clinical all-round performance to win the third ODI by seven wickets here at the Wanderers Cricket Stadium in Johannesburg on Saturday (5). 

The hosts have now taken an inaccessible 3-0 lead in the five match series as 5-0 whitewash looms large for the ‘wounded’ Sri Lankans.  

After restricting Sri Lanka for 163 inside 40 overs, the star-studded South African needed just 32 overs to wipe of the meager total with AB de Villiers(60 not out) and JP Duminy (28 not out) putting the finishing touches in an unbeaten 73 run 4th wicket stand.

Quinton de Kock departed for 8 when Lahiru Kumara bowled him and then Faf du Plessis on his 100th ODI innings was restricted for 24 by debutant Lahiru Madushanka while Hashim Amla ran himself out for 34.

The defeat sent shock waves among the Sri Lankan cricket fraternity as the consistent inconsistency in team selections have left once a dominant force in world cricket on the verge of hitting a new low.

Sri Lanka’s biggest problem in the series have been their woeful batting but instead of strengthening the batting department with a genuine batsman, the team management opted for a batting all-rounder  which proved costly as it exposed a long-tail at the fall of the fourth wicket. 

Sri Lanka made changes to the playing XI yet again handing debut to batting all-rounder Lahiru Madushanka and seamer Lahiru Kumara which left Sri Lanka with just five genuine batsmen in the playing XI—a huge hole in their depleted batting order. 

This meant batsman Sandun Weerakkody sitting on the bench for the second time in a row since making his debut in the opening ODI in Port Elizabeth just hours after landing in the country. 

Sri Lanka started brightly having put in to bat with openers, Upul Tharanga and Niroshan Dickwella putting on a decent 60 runs for the first wicket, but their capitulation after that was bizarre to say the least.

South African bowlers Kagiso Rabada, Chris Morris, Dwaine Pretorius and JP Duminy kept on putting pressure on the Sri Lankan batsmen and soon reaped reward when Pretorius caught Tharanga’s top edge at fine leg from Rabada’s short ball.

The wicket was a huge consolation for JP Duminy who dropped enterprising Sri Lankan batsman Dickwella the previous ball much to the dismay of the packed Bullring crowd.

Kusal Mendis (4), Dinesh Chandimal(4), Dhananjaya de Silva (16) and Asela Gunaratne (2), the last recognized batters in the Sri Lankan side came and went cheaply, a familiar site, offering little support to Dickwella who launched a lone battle after surviving on a drop catch on 25.

A feet-less drive from Mendis off Andile Phehlukwayo’s first over ended in the safe hands of Hashim Amla at slips before Chandimal became Phehlukwayo’s second victim when the former holed out a simple catch to Morris at sweeper cover. 

De Silva showed promise in his 25-ball 16 but Morris forced an edge to Amla at slips as Sri Lanka slumped to 115 for 4 by the half way mark of their innings.

Few minutes after de Silva departed; a swarm of bees invaded the ground, suspending the match over an hour. 

Ground staff initially tried to spray a fire extinguisher to move the bees away but when this failed, they got a professional beekeeper to get the situation under control.  

Asela Gunaratne and Dickwella attempted to revive the innings but for no avail. 

Two overs after the resumption following the bees’ invasion Gunaratne’s upper cut found Dwaine Pretorius at third man as Rabada claimed his second wicket and few overs later the promising Dickwella departed for impressive 74 when an mistimed pull resulted in a top-edge to the wicket-keeper as Pretorius picked up his first.  

In Dickwella, Sri Lanka may have found an aggressive opener as he battered with confidence and composure. 

Debutant Lahiru Madushanka was out for golden duck when Faf du Plessis held on a stunning one handed catch at second slip off Pretorius before Pretorius removed Suranga Lakmal for a duck for his third scalp. 

Spinner Imran Tahir picked up the remaining two wickets when he bowled Sachith Pathirana out for 18 and then had Lahiru Kumara caught at mid-off as Sri Lanka collapsed to 163 all out—their lowest in the series so far.

Sri Lanka 163 all out (39.2) (Niroshan Dickwella 74, Upul Tharanga 31, Dhananjaya de Silva 16, Sachith Pathirana 18, Dwaine Pretorius 3/7, Imran Tahir 2/21, Kagiro Rabada 2/39)

South Africa 164 for 3 wickets (32) (Hashim Amla 34, Faf du Plessis 24, AB de Villiers 60n.o, 
JP Duminy 28n.o.)