Three half-centuries and ruthless bowling made the difference at P. Sara Stadium as South Africa warmed-up for the five-match ODI series with a thumping 63-run win over Sri Lanka Board XI in their tour game on Thursday.
After a 2-0 thrashing in the Tests, the Proteas’ badly needed a win to change the morale in the camp. Skipper Faf Du Plessis won the toss and opted to bat first but opening Quinton De Kock lasted only three deliveries before left-arm seamer Binura Fernando trapped him right in front.
Hashim Amla’s poor form of runs continued as he fell in the sixth over off Asitha Fernando. Du Plessis caressed the field excellently smashing 10 fours on his way to 71 in 60 deliveries.
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A couple of wickets in the middle overs dented the Proteas as Prabath Jayasuriya who has earned his maiden ODI call-up took 2 wickets for 45 runs off his allotted 10 overs.
After being 125 for 5, Reeza Hendricks and David Miller added 70 runs while Willem Mulder joined the former to take the final score to 293. Hendricks and Mulder made half-centuries as the visitors were bowled out in the final over. Young bowlers, Nishan Peiris and Asitha Fernando picked up 2 wickets each.
In reply, another ODI hopeful for Sri Lanka, Shehan Jayasuriya faltered but his opening partner Dimuth Karunarathne continued from where he left off in Tests, scoring a 57-ball 50 with 5 fours.
Right-arm seamer Mulder partnered up with left-arm chinaman Tabrai Shamsi to torment the Lankan middle order as they were restricted to 140 for 7 at the 28-over mark.
Isuru Udana made some lusty blows in the final passage of the match, smashing 5 fours and 3 sixes in his 52-ball knock of 53 but the hosts were bowled out in the 45th over for just 230 runs.
Shamsi was the chief destroyer picking up 3 for 41 in 9 overs while Mulder ended with excellent figures of 3 for 12 to lay a claim for a place in the starting XI for the ODI series which starts on 29th July in Dambulla.
