5th ODI - South Africa v Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka wins a thriller to end series 3-2

Kumar Sangakkara played a brilliant knock of 102 as Sri Lanka went past Proteas in the last over.

Sri Lanka won the toss and decided to field first on overcast conditions with fifty percent chances of rain. Sri Lanka's decision was soon rewarded with wicket of Petersen by Malinga, caught at first slip. Pitch was on slower side with ball not coming to bat. Smith looked watchful and kept one end preserved with singles and doubles.

Faf du Plesis who was promoted up to number three in absence of seniors like Kallis and Amla played a pleasant knock. Sloweness of the outfield and surface caused Batsmen to struggle for runs. Both of them dealt in singles and doubles, putting odd bad delivery to boundary.

Kulasekara bowled really well for Sri Lanka sticking with tight line and length. Sri Lankans also fielded well, building up the pressure and saving certain boundaries. Faf holed out at Mathews on deep long on trying to slog one ball out of the ground, giving debutant spinner Senanayake his first ODI wicket. AB de Villiers joined Smith in the middle and they both formed solid partnership in the middle.

 

Sri Lanka had a daunting task as the target set to them was no small by any means. Dilshan and Tharanga started off well and the later in particular was striking the ball very well, Sri Lanka were off to a flying start and they had a stand of over fifty runs for the first wicket. The rain came down pouring and plays was halted for a while with 7.1 over already bowled.

The interruption seemed to have done Tharanga as he perished to Tsotsobe in trying to up the ante, Sangakkara joined Dilshan and they started to rebuild the innings, against the run of play Dilshan edged one off Tsotsobe to De Villiers to give him his second wicket. Two relatively quick wickets and the Proteas where back in it big time.

Chandimal the youngster didn’t look all that comfortable at the crease as his previous games. Angakkara went on make a fine fifty under pressure and looked all set for a hundred. Chandimal eventually  perished to Parnell which meant all the tree wickets were taken by the left arm bowlers. Lahiru Thirimanne batted sensibly along with Sangakkara.

The duo put on some quick and sensible runs to put pressure back on the South Africans, they scoring over 6 almost through out the innings and had the required run rate under control, Sangakkara was nearing a hundred and Thirimanne approaching a fifty, South Africa need a miracle to win the game.

Sangakkara was approaching his well deserved hundred and Thirimanne was nearing his fifty, Sri Lanka were cruising to their second victory in this series. But the bowlers had different plans, Sangakkara got out soon after he got to his hundred, then the rest of the batsman followed suit. Mathews, Perera, Kulasekara and Thirimanne fell in pursuit of quick runs and six runs were required off the last over. Two of those 4 bastman fell in this over and South Africa were almost home. Then a debutante, Senanayake walks in and sends the second ball of his international career over mid-wicket for a six and he took his team home. This has been an absolute thriller of a match and Sri Lanka have proved a point by pegging back two victories in the end.