Dilshan, Sangakkara set up big win for Sri Lanka against South Africa
Tillakaratne Dilshan
A brilliant century from Dilshan took Sri Lanka to a comprehensive eight-wicket victory over South Africa. Sri Lanka spinners exploited the wicket to perfection and claimed five wickets to restrict South Africa to 238 runs.
After bundling South Africa for 238, Sri Lanka lost the wicket of Jayawardene in the ninth over for 12. However, Dilshan and Sangakkara steadied the ship and took Sri Lanka to a comprehensive win in the fourth ODI.
With this win, Sri Lanka win the ODI series 3-1.
After winning the toss on a slow pitch, South Africa elected to bat first. South Africa started the innings confidently as de Kock struck a beautiful four off Mathews through the midwicket region. He soon brought up another boundary off Mathews in the same over when he drove him through mid-on region.
Hashim Amla also came to the party as he brought up the third boundary of the South African innings when he cut a shorter one off Malinga through the point region.
However, when de Kock looked in good touch, he was dismissed by Malinga for 8. It was a quicker delivery from Malinga, and de Kock played across the line, didn’t get the bat down at the right time and the ball hit the base off the middle stump.
JP Duminy was promoted up the order to steady the innings. Although South Africa lost an early wicket, Hashim Amla did not keep silent as he kept scoring at a brisk-rate. He smashed Malinga for 12 runs in the fifth over to up the ante. Duminy soon got into the act as he struck two glorious boundaries off Mathews in the sixth over to put the pressure back on Sri Lanka.
Angelo Mathews reacted to the situation as he kept Lasith Malinga out of the attack and brought Mendis into the attack. However, he too was expensive in his first spell as Amla and Duminy looked in sublime form. Hashim Amla scored a brilliant half-century and shared a constructive partnership of 101 runs with Duminy for the second wicket.
Dilshan, however, provided the breakthrough in the 23rd over as he got rid of the dangerous Amla for 77. Dilshan bowled round the wicket, the ball kept low and Amla was trapped on the backfoot. AB de Villers was the new man to the crease and he would have hoped for a better performance with the bat as he was dismissed for only four.