By Brain Thomas
The scheduled start of the 2nd ODI at the R. Premadasa Stadium was delayed by 90 minutes, due to rain and a wet outfield. The ground staff in Sri Lanka lived upto their reputation as the best in the World, hence play got underway at 4 pm and the game was reduced to 47 overs.
South Africa won the toss and elected to bat and to show excellent skill levels in playing spin bowling scored a winning score of 283 runs for 6 wickets in their allotted 47 overs.
Opener Janneman Malan despite suffering from severe cramps in the latter stages of his innings scored his 3rd one day century in only nine innings by guiding the Protease with a 135 ball score of 121 which included 9 fours and a massive long on 6 , to prove his consistency in the white ball format.
The stylish right hander shared a 43 run partnership with Aiden Markram for the first wicket and watched Markram nick Chamika Karunaratne’s extra bounce delivery to wicket keeper Minod Bhanuka, for 21 , with South Africa on 43.
He then joined Reza Hendricks and the pair glued a great partnership of 96 for the 2nd wicket with the Sri Lankans searching in the wilderness to break the partnership as the pair rotated the strike with calculated exibition of making the ones into twos , it was great to watch. Hendricks made just one error comming down the pitch to a Dhananjaya de Silva off spin , and got his timber disturbed for 51 with the proteas in comand at 139 for 2 wickets in 27th over.
Rassi Van Der Dussan , known for his exceptional talent in sweeping by getting inside the line of the delivery, and also executing the reverse sweep , was unfortunately stumped to a Hasaranga leg break for just 16 runs and Sri Lanka seem to drag it back with the score on 177 for 3 wickets in the 37th over.
Henrich Klassan and Marlan then started to sweep the Sri Lankan spinners at will, they laid back on the back foot for the short deliveries and punched to the mid wicket fence with precision. The pair made 86 runs for the 4th wicket and Sri Lanka looked in trouble. Klassan was ultimately caught by Dasun Shanaka after he made 43 off 27 balls. Sri Lanka’s fielding was sloppy, missed opportunities both in the air and on the ground , confirmed the panic that set in with the onslaught.
The Protease made 97 runs in the last 10 overs, and ended their innings on 283 runs for 6 Wickets.
Sri Lanka who came in with the same winning combination will have to bat out of their skins , since South Africa are playing the extra spinner in George Linde , who replaced seamer Anrich Nortji.
Dhananjaya de Silva took 2 for 30 , Karunaratne 2 for 24 , Dusmantha Chameera took 2 for 52 , whilst Hasaranga will not be happy with his figures reading 1 for 63.
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