South Africa thrash Sri Lanka to go up 3-0
Sunday saw South Africa clinching the ODI series out of the hand of the hosts, Sri Lanka. An outstanding century by Reeza Hendricks, in his maiden ODI, sealed the victory for Proteas. Batting first, South Africa amassed 363/7. In response, Sri Lanka could not withstand the pressure and were bundled out for 285 runs. Here is our match report.
The blistering first innings by the Proteas
Proteas sent the Lankans on a leather hunt from the first over. The architect of today's win was Reeza (102), who walked out to bat at number 3, after SA lost Quinton de Kock in sixth over. Reeza first partnered with Amla (59) and then with Duminy (92) to take the match away from Lankans. Miller scored a fifty, too, as SA posted 363/7.
Key moments of Sri Lankan innings
The Sri Lankans could not cope up with the pressure, and their batsmen didn't manage to put up a decent fight. The only performer, for Lanka, was DM de Silva, who scored 84 runs off 66 balls. The South African bowlers completed the task with Ngidi taking four wickets while fellow Phehlukwayo bagged three. Sri Lanka lost all wickets for 285.
Reeza creates a record with his brilliant knock
Reeza Hendricks slammed a 89-ball 102 run-knock. It was laced with 8 fours and 1 six. The 28-year old batsman became the 3rd South African to register a hundred in his first ODI. His century is also the fastest century by any debutant, surpassing Mark Chapman's 103-ball century. He is the 14th player in history to score a century on his ODI debut.
How does the series look now?
With this win, South Africa have already clinched the series, with two more matches to be played. The Test series, however, was won 2-0 by the Lankans. After the ODIs, the two teams will also meet for a 3-match T20I series, with the matches scheduled on August 8 (at Pallekele) and August 10 and 14 at Colombo.
