Colombo, May 2 Seamer Malki Madara picked a superb 4-50 in just her second 50-over game, before Harshitha Samarawickrama top-scored with 77 to help Sri Lanka register a five-wicket win over South Africa to grab their first win of the women’s ODI tri-series at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium here on Friday.
Electing to bowl first on a dry pitch, Sri Lanka managed to reduce South Africa to 120/5 in the 29th over, before fast-bowling all-rounder Annerie Dercksen continued to impress in international cricket by hitting an unbeaten 61, her first ODI half-century. She also shared a partnership of 62 for the sixth wicket with Chole Tryon, who made 33.
In Annerie’s knock, her handling of the spinners was a standout factor in taking South Africa to a competitive total. For Sri Lanka, apart from Malki, debutant offspinner Dewmi Vihanga took 3-41 on debut in her ten overs, while Inoka Ranaweera and Sugandika Kumari took a wicket each, as South Africa finished at 235/9 in their 50 overs.
In their chase of 236, Sri Lanka lost skipper Chamari Athapaththu cheaply, before Vishmi Gunaratne (29) and Hasini Perera (42) took charge by stitching a second-wicket stand of 69 runs. After the duo fell, Harshitha and Kavisha put on a match-winning stand of 128 runs to help Sri Lanka seal victory with 21 balls to spare.
The duo kept their patience and hit boundaries only on loose deliveries to help Sri Lanka grab those two points and go off the mark in the points table. What also caused South Africa’s downfall in the game was the inability of their spinners to adapt to the slow and dry pitch, as well as players going off the field.
Young Karabo Meso was replaced by Sinalo Jafta in wicketkeeping duties due to heat-related illness, while Sune Luus was forced off the field after jamming her right knee, which Cricket South Africa (CSA) later said was due to right patella contusion, and Nondumiso Shangase took her place on the field. Sri Lanka will now aim to capitalise on the win when they face table-toppers India in the next game on May 4 in Colombo.
Brief scores:
South Africa 235/9 in 20 overs (Annerie Dercksen 61 not out, Lara Goodall 46; Malki Madara 4-50, Dewmi Vihanga 3-41) lost to Sri Lanka 237/5 in 46.3 overs (Harshitha Samarawickrama 77, Kavisha Dilhari 61; Nonkululeko Mlaba 2-44, Masabata Klaas 1-24) by five wickets
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