South Africa defeated Sri Lanka by five wickets to win the second one-day international at Buffalo Park on Saturday and take a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.
Published: Jan 14, 2012, 10:51 PM (IST)
Edited: Jan 14, 2012, 10:51 PM (IST)
JP Duminy top scored for South Africa with an unbeaten 66 © Getty Images
East London: Jan 14, 2012
South Africa defeated Sri Lanka by five wickets to win the second one-day international at Buffalo Park on Saturday and take a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.
Sri Lanka made 236 for six in their 50 overs, with South Africa reaching their target with eight balls to spare. JP Duminy remained teh top scorer for South Africa as he made an unbeaten 66.
Seeking to come back after a record defeat in the first match in Paarl, Sri Lanka made 236 for six after being sent in on a slow pitch on an overcast day.
Tharanga hit 66 and Chandimal 92 not out as Sri Lanka made some amends after being bowled out for a record low 43 in Paarl.
Sri Lanka made another poor start, with captain Tillakaratne Dilshan run out for his second successive nought and Kumar Sangakkara caught behind for three as they struggled to 21 for two after 10 overs.
Tharanga and Chandimal put on 84 for the third wicket to build a foundation for a late innings acceleration that yielded 109 runs off the last 15 overs.
But the tourists were seldom able to break a stranglehold imposed by tight South African bowling and tigerish fielding.
The wickets taken included two spectacular diving catches by Dale Steyn at short fine leg to dismiss Mahela Jayawardene and Robin Peterson running back from mid-on to end an aggressive innings of 22 off 13 balls by Nuwan Kulasekara.
The left-handed Tharanga made his runs off 85 balls with six fours and a straight six off JP Duminy.
Chandimal hit only one four in reaching his fifty off 84 balls but added five more boundaries off the remaining 31 balls of his innings to finish tantalisingly short of a third one-day international century in 19 matches.
Lonwabo Tsotsobe and Morne Morkel took two wickets each after rain delayed the start by 26 minutes.(AFP)
Brief Scores: Sri Lanka 236 for 6 in 50 ovrs (Dinesh Chandimal 92*, Upul Tharanga 66; Morne Morkel 2 for 39, Lonwabo Tsotsobe 2 for 43) lose South Africa 237 for 5 in 48.4 overs (JP Duminy 66*, Hashim Amla 55; Dhammika Prasad 3 for 46) by 5 wickets
