A clinical bowling display helped the Proteas defend a target of 252 and claim a 113-run win in the second ODI at SuperSport Park, KHALID MOHIDIN reports.
On a pitch that looked conducive for batting, statisticians would have rated the Centurion strip as a 300-run wicket.
The Proteas’ start to their innings seemed like they would be on track t0 that target, as they sped away thanks to Quinton de Kock. He reached his 20th half-century in a 91-run stand with Reeza Hendricks.
Faf du Plessis also showed his class once again scoring his 32nd half-century, but his wicket saw the rest of the side crumble.
Hendricks (29) and Miller (25) were the only other players to reach a double-digit score as their batting inefficiency shone through again.
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The Proteas needed a response from their bowlers to stand a chance to take a 2-0 lead, but the task wouldn’t be easy with only 251 runs to defend.
They managed to make steady breakthroughs with their three speedsters – Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi (2-14) and Anrich Nortje (2-25). This saw them lose their top three for 52 runs.
Kusal Mendis and Oshada Fernando took Sri Lanka to 92, but a muddle up for the second time in two matches saw Mendis run out on 24 thanks to Nortje.
Nortje turned the momentum further in his side’s favour, trapping Fernando lbw as the visitors lost their fifth wicket with no runs added.
Rabada came back into the attack to dismiss Dhananjaya de Silva and Imran Tahir removed Sri Lanka’s No 7 Thisara Perera. Tahir (2-39) followed this with a beautiful slider that trapped Kasun Rajitha lbw.
Sri Lanka were in disarray at 135-8 as the Proteas stared down a simple victory and Rabada managed to take Sri Lanka’s ninth with no run added.
Ngidi sealed the victory as the Proteas skittled Sri Lanka for 138 runs.
Photo: Lee Warren/Gallo Images
