South Africa sailed through to a 19-run win over Sri Lanka in the first T20I match which was shortened to a 10-over affair due to evening rain at SuperSport Park in Centurion on Friday.
David Miller hit 40 off 18 balls and was involved in a strong 27-ball 51 run fourth-wicket stand with Captain Farhaan Beherdien to carry South Africa to a formidable score of 126 for 5 after being sent into bat by Sri Lanka. Behardien made 31 not out off 18 balls.
“We wanted to give David as many balls as possible and it paid off,” said Behardien of the decision to move Miller up to number four in the batting order.
Almost two and half-hours were lost due to rain but eventually the match commenced with both teams fielding debutants, five for South Africa and one for Sri Lanka.
Opening batsman Heino Kuhn was struck plumb in front by Nuwan Kulasekara for 10 while Asela Gunaratne held two catches for Sri Lanka, one good diving effort to dismiss Theunis de Bruyn at backward point off Seekkuge Prasanna, one skier by Jon-Jon Smuts off Kulasekara to inflict damage to the Proteas middle overs.
Gunarathne also bowled two steady overs of medium-pace/off-cutters, conceding only 12 runs, and ran out Mangaliso Mosehle with a direct hit from mid-off but all the other Lankan bowlers gave away more than 12 runs per over as Miller and Beherdien took the game away from the visitors.
Photos: Sri Lanka v South Africa | 1st T20I
Sri Lanka’s newest T20 opening pair, Niroshan Dickwella and Dhananjaya de Silva scored rapidly with some effortless yet elegant strokes to add 59 off 31 balls for the first wicket. Dickwella was by far the best batsman for the Islanders as he maneuvered the field excellently to accumulate 43 off 19 deliveries with 6 fours and 2 sixes.
Dickwella was caught on the midwicket boundary off leg-spinner Imran Tahir and De Silva also fell in the same over, castling himself after smashing two consecutive sixes as the Lankan slide began.
New fast bowler Lungi Ngidi, 20, bowled with impressive pace and was named man of the match after taking 2 for 12 in his two overs, including a four-run over with the wickets of Seekkuge Prasanna and Kusal Mendis. Angelo Mathews, batting at number 3 wasted eight deliveries for his six runs before holding out to deep mid-wicket.
Sri Lanka has now lost seven T20I matches in a row. Credit to them for making a good fist out of a massive target but things are still not in the balance for the Islanders in Rainbow Nation. The series will now move to Johannesburg where the visitors will find themselves in a do-or-die contest on Sunday (January 22).
