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Tharanga handed two-match ban for slow over-rate

Upul Tharanga during Sri Lanka's loss to South Africa

A miserable day for Sri Lanka at the ICC Champions Trophy was rounded off by stand-in skipper Upul Tharanga receiving a two-match ban for his team's slow over-rate in their defeat to South Africa.

Tharanga was handed the reins at The Oval on Saturday, with regular captain Angelo Mathews unavailable through injury, and top-scored for Sri Lanka with 57 as they made 203 in reply to the Proteas' 299-6.

However, the opening batsman will now be unavailable for his side's remaining group matches against India and Pakistan, having pleaded guilty to a serious over-rate offence.

ICC match referee David Boon ruled that Sri Lanka were four overs short of their target when time allowances were taken into consideration, with South Africa's innings having lasted four hours.

In his post-match news conference, Tharanga said: "Yeah, I think I feel, we were like … slow. Even when they were playing the middle overs, the main thing is in the field, between overs also we were a bit slow.

"The umpire told me also in the 40th over that we were three overs behind. I knew in the last six, seven overs, definitely we need the time. So after the 40th over, I didn't think about it that much."

Sri Lanka, whose players were all fined 60 per cent of their match fees, will now hope Mathews is fit to return for Thursday's meeting with India, which also takes place at The Oval.

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