RESULT
4th ODI (D/N), Cape Town, February 07, 2017, Sri Lanka tour of South Africa
(48.1/50 ov, T:368) 327

South Africa won by 40 runs

Player Of The Match
185 (141)
faf-du-plessis
New
SL
Full commentary

9.20pm SA secure their 13th successive win at home in ODIs. Oh boy! they seem unstoppable. A clean sweep will carry them to the No.1 ranking. SL, who had not topped 200 until this match, made a proper fist of a 368 chase. Thranga and Dickwella gave the visitors a rollicking start; the SL captain went onto hammer a 73-ball hundred - his 14th in ODIs - but the lower-middle order simply fell away in the slog overs. SL lost their last six wickets in just 28 balls to be dismissed for 327. Do stick around for the presentation.

Tharanga: We needed to get a good start. Someone had to get that start for us. It was a much-better batting performance. Till the last 10 overs, we were in the game. It is a really good wicket. Credit to Faf and AB, they batted really well. There is little turn for the spinners. Our main concern is batting, this was better, hopefully we do well on Friday.

De Villiers: The batting was great. Faf played an exceptional knock. Great be there in the middle with him. You don't often get such days. Very happy for Faf. Fudgie chipped in with clean hits. It was a bit slow in the afternoon than it was in the evening. It sped up in the later stages of the game and well done to the groundsman. Tharanga played well. There was not a lot of panic, I was pleased with the variety in the bowling. We wanted to hold KG back a little bit and bowl him in shorter spells. He was nice and fresh and when I needed him most at the end he was there. It is tricky changing the side, the guys were motivated. I am prod of the performance tonight.

Du Plessis, Man of the Match: It is going okay. When you're in good touch, you make sure you score big runs. There was something in for the bowlers - some bounce. De Kock took pressure off me. Then the innings was about risk management. My blueprint of scoring is eliminating dots. Then AB is brilliant with running between the wickets. Not once [did you think about the 200?]. If you bowl a good back of a length slower ball, it was difficult to hit and I holed out. I will take 185 and pretty grateful for that.

Sri Lanka finally turned up, and showed plenty of fight, despite the late slide. Hope you enjoyed the game as much as we did bringing it to you. Thanks for tuning in, be back for the final ODI. Goodbye and good night for now

Raees : "Collectively South African team has more than 64 Centuries vs 13 centuries for Sri Lanka , that's from a single batsman . Played with the most inexperienced cricket team in last two decades. I will take this as a win for us :) Well played boys. Let's make it 4-1 "

Aayush: "This match's first maiden comes in 98th over of the match, resembles how good game this has been"

48.1
W
Parnell to Sandakan, OUT

SA go 4-0 up. Parnell lets out an almighty roar, finishing with four wickets. Time for the dab dance in the stands. Slower delivery on the leg stump, Sandakan backs away, slogs early and that's timbaaaaah. The off-bail is tipped off

Lakshan Sandakan b Parnell 1 (2b 0x4 0x6 5m) SR: 50
end of over 48Maiden
SL: 327/9CRR: 6.81 RRR: 20.50
Lahiru Kumara1 (7b)
Lakshan Sandakan1 (1b)
Kagiso Rabada 9-1-50-2
Wayne Parnell 9-0-58-3

SD: "Believe it or not: The 98th over of a 7 rpo match is a maiden."

47.6
Rabada to Lahiru Kumara, no run

back of a length on leg stump, Kumara sneaks away outside leg and lets the ball go

Two slips in place, by the way

47.5
Rabada to Lahiru Kumara, no run

back of a length and outside off, jabbed to point

47.4
Rabada to Lahiru Kumara, no run

very full on middle, hangs back and digs it out to point

47.3
Rabada to Lahiru Kumara, no run

just short of a good length and outside off, Kumara shuffles inside the line and lets it go

47.2
Rabada to Lahiru Kumara, no run

short ball outside off, Kumara ducks his head out of the way

47.1
Rabada to Lahiru Kumara, no run

back of a length, straightens, from around the wicket, beats the edge and jumps over the stumps

end of over 472 runs • 1 wicket
SL: 327/9CRR: 6.95 RRR: 13.66
Lahiru Kumara1 (1b)
Lakshan Sandakan1 (1b)
Wayne Parnell 9-0-58-3
Dwaine Pretorius 8-0-55-2
46.6
1
Parnell to Lahiru Kumara, 1 run

stays deep in the crease to a full ball and clips to deep square leg

46.5
1
Parnell to Sandakan, 1 run

short of a length and slanting away outside off, opens the face and drives to sweeper

No.11 Sandakan

46.4
W
Parnell to Madushanka, OUT

full and outside off, steps away outside leg, dares to drive in the air, holes out to cover. SL nine down. Glum faces in the SL dressing room. Madushanka toe-ends a catch to Pretorius. SL lose five wickets in 19 balls

Lahiru Madushanka c Pretorius b Parnell 6 (8b 1x4 0x6 9m) SR: 75
46.3
Parnell to Madushanka, no run

short and skids on outside off, beats the attempted cut

46.2
Parnell to Madushanka, no run

full and outside off, right in the slot to nail it down the ground. The batsman does not make contact, though

46.1
Parnell to Madushanka, no run

full and outside off, aims to dab to third man and misses

end of over 468 runs • 1 wicket
SL: 325/8CRR: 7.06 RRR: 10.75
Lahiru Madushanka6 (4b 1x4)
Dwaine Pretorius 8-0-55-2
Imran Tahir 10-0-76-2
45.6
W
Pretorius to Pathirana, OUT

One-hander, and De Kock makes it look easy. The ball sticks in the webbing. Pathirana can't believe it and drags himself off the field. Banged in just outside off, he aims to ramp it over the keeper. De Kock leaps and completes a stunner. SL lose four wickets in 15 balls

Sachith Pathirana c †de Kock b Pretorius 1 (3b 0x4 0x6 10m) SR: 33.33
45.6
1w
Pretorius to Pathirana, 1 wide

short and dragged down the leg side, Pathirana shuffles inside the line

45.5
1
Pretorius to Madushanka, 1 run

back of a length, slanted in, deflected square for a single

45.4
4
Pretorius to Madushanka, FOUR runs

Madushanka backs away outside leg, creates swinging room, drops to one knee and belts the full-toss over cover. That's how you deal with dirty full-tosses

45.3
Pretorius to Madushanka, no run

bouncer on the leg stump, Madushanka bails out of the hook as the ball sails over to the keeper

45.2
1lb
Pretorius to Pathirana, 1 leg bye

back of a length and skids into the thigh, he can't connect with a leg-side flick

45.1
1
Pretorius to Madushanka, 1 run

full and outside off, opens the face, driving to sweeper cover

Madushanka.

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