Sri Lanka crush Proteas to seal series

By Shehan Daniel at the R. Premadasa Stadium

Four wickets on debut from spinner Maheesh Theekshana helped Sri Lanka complete a 2-1 series win that moved the hosts, temporarily at least, to fifth in the ICC World Cup Super League standings.

On an R. Premadasa pitch that was spitting sharp turn from the second over of the innings, the target of 204 was always going to be tricky for South Africa, and in truth, the final victory margin of 78 flattered the visitors, who were at one stage on 54 for 6 and in danger of being bowled out for their lowest score against Sri Lanka.

That record, of 121 at the same venue in 2018, remained intact even as Keshav Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi’s 13-run last wicket partnership was ended with the score on 125 off the last ball of Theekshana’s 10-over quota.
Theekshana, who bears an uncanny resemblance in bowling action to former national cricketer and mystery spinner Ajantha Mendis, is the first cricketer born in the 2000s to represent Sri Lanka, also joined the company of Charitha Buddhika, Kaushalya Lokuarachchi and Thilan Thushara as the only Sri Lankans to take a wicket off their first delivery in ODI cricketAnd while all indications were that the spinners would cause problems for the South Africans in the run chase, it was the pace of Dushmantha Chameera that rattled the visitors, accounting for the wickets of Reeza Hendricks and Rassie Van Der Dussen reducing the opposition to 19 for 3.

Wanindu Hasaranga also took two wickets with fellow spinners Praveen Jayawickrama and Charith Asalanka rounding out the wicket takers.

So conducive for spin bowling was the R. Premadasa surface used yesterday that South Africa’s stand-in captain Maharaja shared the new ball with Kagiso Rabada and rotated 40 overs between himself and the three other spinners.  

Maharaj took three wickets for 38 runs in his 10 overs, with South Africa’s two other left-arm spinners George Linde and Tabraiz Shamsi taking two wickets each.

For Sri Lanka, Charith Asalanka made a well-constructed 47 but contributions were otherwise few and far between – Dhananjaya de Silva the only recognized batsmen to play an innings of significance with 31 – with his 33-run partnership with Chamika Karunaratne holding the innings together.

That Sri Lanka were able to bat out their quota of overs was largely thanks to Dushmantha Chameera who showed the application that some of his middle order teammates lacked with 29 runs off 39 balls, striking up a 32-run partnership with debutant Theekshana.