Sri Lankan off-spinner Akila Dananjaya’s six-wicket helped the hosts Sri Lanka to sign off the five-match ODI series against the visitors South Africa with a fine victory. However, Sri Lanka failed to win the series as South Africa won the series by 3-2.

On Sunday’s day-night game at R.Premadasa Stadium (Khettarama, Colombo), Sri Lankan captain Angelo Mathews decided to bat first after winning the toss.  From the opening wicket, Sri Lanka had a total of four 50 or more runs partnerships that helped the team to score 299/8 at the end of 50 overs. In the last 10 overs, Sri Lanka managed to score 93/3.

Sri Lankan skipper Mathews played a brilliant unbeaten 97-run knock off 97 balls (11 fours and one sixer). Sri Lankan opener and wicketkeeper-batsman Niroshan Dickwella was the second highest scorer with 43 runs off 65 balls (5 fours). Also, Kusal Mendis (38) and Dhananjaya de Silva (30) reached the 30-run marks.

Among the South African bowlers, Willem Mulder (2/59) and Andile Phehlukwayo (2/60) got two wickets each while Kagiso Rabada (1/47), Junior Dala (1/57) and Keshav Maharaj (1/34) picked up one wicket each.

In reply, South African batsmen totally surrendered against the Sri Lankan off-spinner Akila Dananjaya who finished with the bowling figure of 9-0-29-6. Only the stand-in skipper Quinton de Kock (54) and no.3 batsman Aiden Markram (20) reached the 20-run marks while seven visiting batsmen failed to reach the double-digit score. South Africa was bundled out for just 121 runs (24.4 overs) as Sri Lanka won by 178 runs.

Among the other Sri Lankan bowlers, Lahiru Kamara (2/34) bagged two wickets while Suranga Lakmal (1/22) and Dhananjaya de Silva (1/21) claimed one wicket each.

Brief Scores: Sri Lanka – 299/8 in 50 overs (Angelo Mathews 97*, Niroshan Dickwella 43; Willem Mulder 2/59)

South Africa – 121 in 24.4 overs (Quinton de Kock 54, Aiden Markram 20; Akila Dananjaya 6/29)

Result – Sri Lanka won by 178 runs

Important stats highlights of the match:

• Sri Lankan captain Angelo Mathews remained unbeaten on 97 runs. The second joint highest score by a Sri Lankan ODI captain against South Africa (Marvan Atapattu 97* at Dambulla on August 25, 2004). The record is 119 by Upul Tharanga at Cape Town on February 7, 2017.
• South Africa was bundled out for just 121 runs. It was South Africa’s lowest completed ODI total against Sri Lanka. Their previous lowest was 140 (31.5 overs) at Colombo (RPS) on July 20, 2013.
• Sri Lankan off-spinner Akila Dananjaya had the bowling figure of 9-0-29-6. It is the best ODI bowling figure for Sri Lanka against South Africa. Their previous record was 8-0-26-5 by Nuwan Zoysa at Colombo (RPS) on August 22, 2004. Also, it was the second best ODI bowling figure by any bowler against South Africa. The record is 9.5-0-27-6 by Sunil Narine (West Indies) at Providence on June 3, 2016.
• Sri Lanka won this match by 178 runs which was their second largest ODI victory (by runs) against South Africa. The record is winning by 180 runs at Colombo (RPS) on July 20, 2013.