D/L win gives South Africa series

South Africa took an unassailable 3-0 lead in the ODI series against Sri Lanka with a four run win on the D/L method after the third match at Bloemfontein was curtailed by rain. After electing to bat, Sri Lanka did well to reach 266 for 9 and the match was in balance when the heavens opened up with South Africa placed at 179 for 5 after 34 overs. The heavy downpour meant that the possibility of resumption ended despite best efforts of the ground staff.

In absence of Jacques Kallis and Hashim Amla, South Africa struggled to get going against the variations of Lasith Malinga. Chasing 267, the Proteas lost the woefully out-of-form Graeme Smith in the fourth over, Malinga finding a way through his defenses to dismantle the stumps. At number three, Colin Ingram started off well with three crisply timed boundaries but was foxed by a well-disguised Malinga slower delivery. Alviro Petersen, batting in place of Amla, fatally chose to reverse sweep Dilshan and paid the price for being too cheeky.

With the top-three gone without much on the score-sheet, the hosts required serious repair work in order to make a match of the chase. Faf du Plessis combined with JP Duminy to put the faltering innings back on track. The left and right combination rotated the strike intelligently and du Plessis hit powerful shots to keep the required rate in check.

At 113 for 3 in the 24th over, the game was slightly in the hosts’ favour but a controversial run-out decision by Billy Doctrove restored parity. It was touch-and-go decision by the third umpire to end the fighting 61-run stand as a disgruntled JP Duminy walked back after having made 25.

Five overs later, du Plessis was also run-out, but it was an easy decision for the television umpire after AB de Villiers called him for quick single. Hampered by cramps, du Plessis couldn’t beat a pin-point throw by Angelo Mathews. Nevertheless, his 72-run knock kept South Africa in the hunt and set stage for the lower order to take charge.

AB de Villiers did exactly that by unfurling three boundaries in the 32nd over bowled by Kosala Kalusekara. The runs came at the right moment for South Africa as torrential rains intervened two overs later to halt play for good.

As per the Duckworth-Lewis rule, the par score for South Africa after 34 overs was 175 while as, the hosts were four runs ahead at 179 for 5. As a result, they emerged victorious by four runs even though, Sri Lanka were still in with a chance at the point weather decided to play spoilsport.

Earlier, Sri Lanka put in a much improved batting show after two below-par performances in the series thus far. Batting first on a placid track, Sri Lankan batmen got starts but no one went on to score big runs. Upul Tharanga top scored with 58 to help the visitors post a respectable total of 266 runs.

Against a side missing two of their best batters, Sri Lanka knew runs on board would provide them a good chance of pulling one back in the series. Accordingly, the openers started cautiously against the two new balls. Skipper Dilshan after failing to get off the mark in last two games, reined in his natural instincts. Instead, he let his in-form partner, Tharanga do bulk of the scoring.

In the eleventh over, Tharanga deposited JP Duminy for two maxims to take Sri Lanka past fifty and provide some early impetus to the innings. At the other end, Dilshan didn’t hit a boundary till he had faced 41 balls. However, he hit two in quick succession, the second coming from his trademark shot-Dilscoop.

Just when the two SL openers were threatening to cut loose, they gifted their wickets away courtesy some loose shot selection. Despite the substantial 94-run opening stand, Sri Lanka needed some rebuilding from the new batsmen.

Kumar Sangakkara and Dinesh Chandimal steadied the ship with a fifty stand, the former in particular looked in superb touch but South Africa were able to get the breakthrough in the nick of time. Sangakkara was caught short of his ground by an excellent stop and an accurate throw from Faf du Plessis. Another direct hit accounted for Mahela Jayawardene and when Chandimal was caught off a top-edge in the 39th over, Sri Lanka conceded the momentum once again.

In total contrast to their ground fielding, South Africa dropped few catches including two off Nuwan Kulasekara, who went on to score 38-ball 40. Cameos from Mathews and Kulasekara ensured that their team got to a decent total.