| 0.1 : 0.1: K Rabada to D Karunaratne, OUT! Rabada strikes first ball! What a cracking beginning to this match! Kagiso steams in and delivers a shortish ball on middle, it shoots off the surface after landing and Karunaratne is surprised by the extra bounce. He takes his eyes off the ball and tries to fend it off. But it takes his gloves and loops up to second slip. A simple catch for Faf du Plessis. Perfect start for the Proteas. |
| 1.5 : 1.5: C Morris to K Perera, FOUR! Sanath Jayasuriya will be proud of that shot. Width on offer outside off, Perera camps back and powers it through cover-point. No stopping this one. |
| 2.3 : 2.3: K Rabada to A Fernando, FOUR! Timing and placement of the highest order! He is a really talented batsman and is showing his class. Enough width on offer there, Avishka remains on the back foot and punches it sweetly through covers. |
| 3.1 : 3.1: C Morris to K Perera, FOUR! Up and over. Don't feed room to this batsman. He will always latch onto it and smash it. Full and wide outside off, Perera exercises his arms and lifts it over cover-point for a boundary. |
| 4.6 : 4.6: K Rabada to A Fernando, FOUR! Shot! Perfect timing! A bit overpitched by Rabada. On middle and leg, Avishka drives it delightfully down the ground for a boundary at long on. 10 from the over, a good one for Sri Lanka. |
| 6.4 : 6.4: K Rabada to K Perera, FOUR! Boom! Rabada over-corrects everything. The length goes very full and the line is wide outside off, Kusal needs no second invitation. He attacks it and drills his drive through extra cover. |
| 7.5 : 7.5: D Pretorius to A Fernando, FOUR! Easy pickings! A length ball on middle and leg, Avishka picks it off his pads and neatly deflects it down to fine leg for a boundary. 50-run stand comes up! Excellent going from this pair. |
| 9.1 : 9.1: D Pretorius to K Perera, FOUR! Poor delivery with fine leg up in the circle. Dwaine delivers it on the pads and Kusal nudges it wide of short fine leg for a boundary. |
| 9.4 : 9.4: D Pretorius to A Fernando, FOUR! A proper heave. Pretorius angles in a full length ball on middle and leg, Avishka leans forward and across before powering it over mid-wicket. |
| 9.5 : 9.5: D Pretorius to A Fernando, OUT! One shot too many for Avishka Fernando and he departs. A length ball on off, Fernando stays back to heave it again over the leg side but gets a big top edge. It balloons in the air towards mid off where Faf du Plessis backtracks a bit and takes a fine tumbling catch. The 67-run stand is broken and South Africa will be relieved. |
| 11.3 : 11.3: D Pretorius to K Perera, OUT! Chopped on! Another set batsman goes without converting his start. Good length ball on off, Perera looks to cut but the ball is too close to his body. He still goes ahead with the shot and ends up getting an inside edge as the ball nips in a bit as well. The ball hits his pad and then goes on to disturb the stumps. He looks dejected as he was looking good in the middle. Last thing Sri Lanka wanted was to lose him, having lost Avishka. Pretorius gets his second |
| 12.2 : 12.2: A Phehlukwayo to K Mendis, FOUR! Nice timing! Fullish delivery, on middle and leg, Mendis picks it up off his pads and flicks it nicely in front of square leg. The in-ring fielder gives the chase but the ball wins the race. |
| 20.2: I Tahir to K Mendis, FOUR! Imran Tahir has not found his length and line yet. Tries a googly but the length is on the shorter side, Mendis goes deep inside the crease and pulls it through square leg for a boundary. |
| 21.1 : 21.1: C Morris to A Mathews, FOUR! Good shot, 100 up! Mathews knows that mid on is up inside the circle, so he decides to take a chance. Runs down the track to a length ball around off and he pumps it over the infield for a boundary, his first of the day. A good start to the over for Sri Lanka. |
| 21.5 : 21.5: C Morris to A Mathews, OUT! Mathews drags it down! Another blow to Sri Lanka as their experienced most player falls. Not a delivery to be proud of, really. Morris has bowled a half-tracker outside off, Mathews has to reach out for it as he tries to pull after coming down the track a bit but he gets a fat inside edge onto the stumps. South Africa rejoice and yet another partnership which was blossoming is cut short. |
| 27.1 : 27.1: D Pretorius to K Mendis, OUT! Caught! Third wicket for Pretorius. Mendis too cannot convert his start and the same problem continues for Sri Lanka. Pretorius bowls it on a back of a length outside off, Mendis looks to punch but does so uppishly. It goes to the left of cover-point. Morris, stationed there, dives in front to his left and takes a very good catch just above the ground on the practice pitch. |
| 30.6 : 30.6: I Tahir to de Silva, FOUR! First boundary after the 22nd over! Full and outside off, de Silva strides forward and drives it with the spin through covers for a cracking boundary. |
| 34.2 : 34.2: A Phehlukwayo to de Silva, FOUR! Plenty of width on offer outside off, Dhananjaya rocks on the back foot and slaps it square of the wicket on the off side for a boundary. |
| 36.1 : 36.1: JP Duminy to de Silva, OUT! Duminy strikes first ball! He is all smiles. A very substandard shot selection from Dhananjaya and he is on his bike. A flighted delivery landing full around leg, de Silva tries to be too fancy here. Attempts for the reverse sweep but fails to get anything behind it. It goes right through him and rattles the stumps. |
| 37.5 : 37.5: C Morris to J Mendis, SIX! This one comes out of nowhere. Shortish delivery around off, Jeevan moves inside the line and powers it over square leg. The connection is nice and hard and it goes over the fence for a biggie. |
| 38.3 : 38.3: JP Duminy to J Mendis, FOUR! Up and over! 150 comes up for Sri Lanka. Duminy tosses it up on off, Mendis uses his feet and comes down the track. He sees the mid on is up so he goes over him and fetches himself a boundary. |
| 39.5 : 39.5: C Morris to J Mendis, OUT! Morris persists with bowling short and eventually manages to bounce out Jeevan. It's a nicely directed half-tracker, Mendis takes the challenge to pull it again but fails to middle his shot. It flies off the top edge and Pretorius runs across to his right from fine leg to complete the catch. Another partnership is broken in the 20s. |
| 45.3 : 45.3: A Phehlukwayo to T Perera, OUT! It's a clean catch. Rabada has made a tough catch look very easy! Phehlukwayo digs in a short ball around off and Perera powers his pull shot across the line. But he fails to get enough meat behind his shot and Rabada runs in from deep square leg to catch it by diving forward. This is a big blow to Sri Lanka's hope of getting near 210-215. |
| 45.6 : 45.6: A Phehlukwayo to I Udana, FOUR! That's a top shot! The length is fuller outside off and Udana drives it through the gap between mid off and extra cover for a boundary, first in Powerplay 3. |
| 48.3 : 48.3: K Rabada to I Udana, OUT! Caught and bowled. Sri Lanka are now nine down! Rabada hurls in a short ball around off, Udana tries to be brave with his pull shot but fails to get it anywhere close to the middle of his bat. It loops up straight in the air off the top edge and Rabada accepts it gleefully in his followthrough. |
| 49.2 : 49.2: C Morris to L Malinga, FOUR! 200 up for Sri Lanka! Morris delivers it a bit short and around off, Malinga gives himself some room and whacks it through point. |
| 49.3 : 49.3: C Morris to L Malinga, OUT! Sri Lanka are all out for 203! Morris serves a length ball in the line of the stumps, Malinga hops back and attempts to loft it inside-out over extra cover. Fails to get the connection right and Faf du Plessis makes no mistake this time inside the ring. He just moves back a bit to complete the catch. |
| 0.4 : 0.4: L Malinga to H Amla, FOUR! Beautiful! That was all timing from the mighty Hash. Fuller on off, Amla gets on his front foot and drives it exquisitely through covers for a boundary. Hashim is up and running. |
| 0.5 : 0.5: L Malinga to H Amla, FOUR! Now on the leg side. Not the start Malinga would have wanted. He bowls it on the pads, Amla flicks this through mid-wicket to score second boundary on the trot. |
| 2.1 : 2.1: L Malinga to de Kock, FOUR! Shot! De Kock scores his first one of the game. Full on middle and off, de Kock strides out his front foot and plays a beautiful off drive through mid off for a boundary. |
| 2.5 : 2.5: L Malinga to H Amla, FOUR! Good shot but such a poor ball from Malinga. Full on middle and leg, Amla shuffles across and plays a delicious flick through mid-wicket for a boundary. The fielder from square leg gives it a chase but had no chance. |
| 3.3 : 3.3: de Silva to de Kock, FOUR! Driven gorgeously! Floated on off, de Kock gets his front foot close to the ball and drives it past cover for a boundary. |
| 3.5 : 3.5: de Silva to de Kock, FOUR! Wonderfully played. Off spinner pitching just outside off and spinning in. De Kock waits for it and then plays a late cut past the first slip fielder for a boundary. |
| 4.5: L Malinga to de Kock, OUT! Bowled! Typical Malinga. This is a vicious yorker on leg. De Kock looks to play the on drive but gets beaten. The ball flicks the leg pole. De Kock is standing shell-shocked. He does not know how it happened but he has just been beaten by a Slinga Malinga yorker. South Africa lose their first and Sri Lanka get an early wicket they wanted. |
| 9.3 : 9.3: T Perera to H Amla, FOUR! Cut and cut hard. Good length ball outside off, Amla likes the width on offer and cuts it past point for a boundary. |
| 9.6 : 9.6: T Perera to du Plessis, FOUR! First sign of aggression from Faf. Good length ball on off, du Plessis comes down the track and smokes it through cover-point for a boundary. 11 runs off the over. Sri Lanka in desperate need of wickets here. South Africa are 53/1 at the end of Powerplay 1. Sri Lanka were 67/2 at this stage. |
| 12.2 : 12.2: S Lakmal to du Plessis, FOUR! Effortless and risk-less. Good length ball on off, du Plessis comes down the track and lofts it over extra cover. This time the ball does not stop and goes to the fence. |
| 14.5 : 14.5: S Lakmal to H Amla, FOUR! What a shot! Length ball on off, Amla just gently taps it through point. All timing and not much of power. Thisara runs to his right and puts a dive but in vain. |
| 16.5: S Lakmal to du Plessis, FOUR! Pulled and pulled hard! Short on off, du Plessis rocks onto his back foot and pulls it through mid-wicket for a boundary. |
| 22.4 : 22.4: I Udana to du Plessis, FOUR! Cross-seam delivery around off, du Plessis looks to cut but gets a thick outside edge which goes past first slip and to the third man fence for a boundary. |
| 27.3 : 27.3: S Lakmal to du Plessis, SIX! That was six the moment he hit it. Good length ball on off, du Plessis comes down the track and smokes it over the long off fence for an 88m biggie. |
| 27.4 : 27.4: S Lakmal to du Plessis, FOUR! Du Plessis has decided to press on the accelerator. Short delivery on off, Faf picks the length early and dismisses it to deep square leg via a pull shot. |
| 32.5 : 32.5: J Mendis to du Plessis, FOUR! Short and wide, du Plessis picks it early and cuts it like a butter through point for a boundary. |
| 33.5: L Malinga to du Plessis, Four! 150-run stand comes up between the two. Full toss on the pads, Amla flicks it towards square leg and fetches a boundary. Just 20 runs needed now. |
| 34.6 : 34.6: I Udana to du Plessis, FOUR! Full on middle, du Plessis smashes it through mid on for a boundary. He's eyeing a century here. |
| 35.3 : 35.3: L Malinga to du Plessis, FOUR! Full, almost a yorker on off. Du Plessis hits it through mid off and gets a boundary. Now just 8 needed and Faf is also just 8 away from his century. |
| 37.2 : 37.2: T Perera to du Plessis, FOUR! That is the end. Faf du Plessis finishes it with a boundary. Thisara bowls it on the pads, Faf flicks it fine down the leg side. The keeper dives to his left but to no avail. The ball goes to the fine leg fence for a boundary. SOUTH AFRICA WIN BY 9 WICKETS AND 76 BALLS TO SPARE. |
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