Stats Analysis

Sri Lanka's surrender in numbers

Stats highlights from South Africa's comprehensive win over Sri Lanka in the first ODI in Paarl

Madhusudhan Ramakrishnan
11-Jan-2012
Sri Lanka, who have inflicted the three lowest totals in ODIs, were completely outplayed in Paarl as they failed to deal with the pace and bounce on offer. After being 13 for 6 at one stage, Sri Lanka stuttered to their lowest ever total. Here are stats highlights from a record-filled game.
  • Sri Lanka's total of 43 is their lowest total and the joint fourth-lowest overall in ODIs. It is also the second-lowest total in Paarl after the 36 made by Canada in 2003. It is the ninth time that Sri Lanka have been dismissed for a score below 100 and the second such occasion in matches against South Africa.
  • The 258-run defeat is the largest ever for Sri Lanka in ODIs surpassing the 232-run defeat against Australia in 1985. It is also the third-largest defeat margin for any team in ODIs. Their previous highest defeat margin for Sri Lanka against South Africa was 177 runs in Centurion in 2002. For South Africa, the victory margin is the second-highest after the 272-run win over Zimbabwe in 2010.
  • It is only the second occasion that both Sri Lankan openers have been dismissed for ducks and the third time for Sri Lanka that three or more of the top six batsmen have fallen without scoring. The previous such occasion came in the World Cup 2003 game against India.
  • The team score at the start of the sixth-wicket stand (9) is the second-lowest in ODIs. The record for the lowest such total in also held by Sri Lanka when they were 6 for 5 against Bangladesh in Dhaka in 2009. The total at the start of the seventh-wicket stand (13) is also the second-lowest. The lowest score after the fall of the sixth wicket (12) also came in Paarl in 2003.
  • Morne Morkel's 4 for 10 is his sixth four-wicket haul and best bowling performance in ODIs. It is also the fourth-best bowling performance by a South African bowler in matches against Sri Lanka.
  • South Africa's total of 301 is their fourth-highest against Sri Lanka and the sixth 300-plus score in Sri Lanka-South Africa ODIs. The highest score is 319 by Sri Lanka in Centurion in 2009.
  • Hashim Amla's century is his ninth in ODIs and moves him to fifth ahead of Graeme Smith on the list of South African batsmen with the most ODI centuries. Amla's average of 56.38 is comfortably the highest among South African batsmen with 2000-plus runs in ODIs.
  • The 144-run stand between Amla and Jacques Kallis is the second-highest second-wicket stand in South Africa-Sri Lanka ODIs after the 158 between Tillakaratne Dilshan and Kumar Sangakkara in Centurion in 2009.
  • Kallis' half-century is his 85th in ODIs. Only Sachin Tendulkar (95) has more half-centuries than Kallis.
  • Lasith Malinga's 5 for 54 is his fifth five-wicket haul and his best bowling performance against South Africa. It is also third on the list of all-time best bowling performances by Sri Lankan bowlers against South Africa.