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South Africa hammer Sri Lanka by an innings and 118 runs; win series 3-0

Sri Lanka batsmen were once again cleaned out the South African pacers to ensure a 3-0 victory in the three-match Test series.

Wayne Parnell took 4 wickets in the second innings to bowl out Sri Lanka for 177 © Getty Images
Wayne Parnell took 4 wickets in the second innings to bowl out Sri Lanka for 177 © Getty Images

South Africa whitewashed Sri Lanka 3-0, winning the third and final Test by an innings and 118 runs at Johannesburg. Wayne Parnell, on Day Three, took 4 wickets, while debutant Duanne Olivier took 3 to bundle Sri Lanka for a paltry 177. Sri Lanka were enforced follow-on by Faf du Plessis after the visitors were skittled out for 131 in their bid to clear 426-run deficit. However, South Africa had won the first Test in Port Elizabeth by 206 runs and the second in Cape Town by 282 runs.

All the same, South Africa opted to bat registered 426, courtesy Hashim Amla’s 134 and JP Duminy’s 155. While Duminy was awarded Man of the Match for his stunning performance, Amla achieved a rare feat: he became the second South African (after Graeme Smith) and eighth overall to score a hundred in his hundred Test. For Sri Lanka, Nuwan Pradeep and Lahiru Kumara took 4 wickets each, while their skipper Angelo Mathews took 2.

Full Cricket Scorecard and ball by ball commentary: South Africa vs Sri Lanka, 3rd Test at Johannesburg

Sri Lanka, in their first innings, struggled against the fast South African bowling attack comprising of Vernon Philander, Kagiso Rabada, Parnell and newcomer Olivier. Kusal Mendis top-scored for his side with 41 runs, with Philander and Rabada taking 3 wickets apiece.

South Africa, without any hesitation, decided to enforce the follow-on, as they had a healthy lead of 295 runs. But it was the same old story, as the fallible visitors fell prey to quality pace-bowling.

Rabada took a wicket off his first ball when Kaushal Silva (0) gloved a catch to wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock. Sri Lanka did show some resilience in the early stage of the second innings, but Parnell went great guns, dictating terms to the opposition.

Amidst this, Sri Lankan opener Dimuth Karunaratne played a resilient innings to delay the defeat. Karunaratne scored his 11th Test fifty. But apart from him, none of the other Sri Lankan batsmen could sustain against swing and pace.

Sri Lanka pacer Suranga Lakmal scored quick 31, with Upul Tharanga (26) at the other end. Both these batsmen scored 43 runs off only 6 overs, for the 8th wicket in the initial stage of the third session. But Duminy caught a beauty of a catch to end Tharanga’s innings and also to end this partnership.

Brief scores:

South Africa 426 (JP Duminy 155, Hashim Amla 134; Nuwan Pradeep 4 for 78) defeat Sri Lanka 131 and 177 (Dimuth Karunaratne 50*, Suranga Lakmal 31*; Wayne Parnell 4 for 51) by an innings and 118 runs

Man of the Match: JP Duminy

Man of the Series: Dean Elgar

 

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