full ball outside off, driled to long-off for a tame end.
10.39pm: That brings us to the end of our coverage for this first T20I. We'll back in a couple of days for the second. Till then, this is Saurabh Somani bidding goodbye on behalf of Vishal, Raghav and the team.
Keshav Maharaj: I'm very happy, brilliant team performance all round. Everyone stuck their hands up when they needed to and made my life easier. I've always wanted to play T20 cricket for South Africa and I've got my debut at 31, but I feel 21. I'm just trying to do my bit and hopefully get a place in the T20 starting line-up (for the World Cup).
Dasun Shanaka: There were quite a few challenges. I must admit we should maximise the powerplay. It's been a bit of a concern in the last few series. We should adjust to conditions and win games. We are trying to play the best team in this series to win the series, but I would like to give more chances to players also.
Aiden Markram is the Man of the Match: It's something new (batting in the middle order). But I suppose at the end of the day just getting some game-time is good. It's been good, challenging. Obviously very different from South African conditions. Lots of experience in the back room makes it easier. In conditions like these, you're going to bowl spin as much as you an. If there's a need for me to bowl, I'd be ready for that opportunity. I've been putting in some work. But looking at how the guys bowled today, I think it's best I just keep to the field. (World T20 squad) The guys who are selected there's a bit of relief and obviously the guys not selected there's a bit of hurt.
Presentations coming up.
Shazeen: "Well not the perfect start to my 20th birthday but I am happy regardless. It's a bitter sweet start to my bday. Bitter part Sri Lanka fought hard but are on the way to a defeat, sweet part is that Chandimal Aiya has gotten some runs. " -- happy birthday Shazeen.
Simbu: "SA's dominance is highlighted by Shamsi only bowling 2 overs. " -- indeed. They didn't even need him to bowl his full quota.
OR: "I cant believe its 2021 and people are still talking about anchors in a T20" -- I feel you OR.
10.25pm: That's that, a 28-run victory for South Africa. Markram and Miller provided the ballast to push them to a challenging total, and the bowlers then kept a tight leash on Sri Lanka, who never got going in the chase. Keshav Maharaj won the toss, took a wicket first ball and wins the match on his T20I debut. He's also got the best bowling figures for his side with no bowler taking more than 1 wicket. Maharaj took 1 for 19 in four overs.
top edge lands safely behind short third man. Went to pull, ball got a bit bigger on him than he thought, but he swung hard, so the edge carried over the fielder
another full toss, this one is not as well connected as the first ball, bounces to deep midwicket
outside edge flies to the third man boundary. Not where he intended it to go, looking fo a big hoick again, takes the outside edge and goes fine
bangs it in slower and shorter outside off and he can't connect with the pull shot, trying to fetch it from shoulder height well clear of off
Jayal: "Chandimal's job is to anchor the innings, and he has done that perfectly. Avishka, Bhanuka, Shanaka and all the other Kas are expected to go ballistic around himThough I wonder if we have too many anchors, with DDS and Asalanka also slow off the blocks" --- I firmly believe a good T20 side does not need an anchor. If you do anchor, do it at 130 s/r minimum and then amp it up.
that one's got air miles on it. Massive, massive hit to a full toss at thigh height that he just flicked effortlessly to send sailing over deep midwicket. Ball will have travel agents queuing up for it, looking at it's journey
42 needed off the last over, so this is all but done.
full pace yorker outside off, 147 clicks no less, he gets bat down in time and along the ground to steer to short third man
keeps it wide outside off but inside the tramline, another slower ball. Chandimal too early into the attempted square drive, can only bottom edge it back down the pitch to the bowler
full toss outside off, punched to deep cover
this is too far outside off and he'll have to re-bowl that. Think he anticipated the batsman going across
another slower ball, outside off at 111 kph. The batsman wanted to send this from Colombo to Kandy looking at his big wind-up, but he connects only with air
length ball on a sixth stump line, out of the back of the hand at 113 kph, slapped to wide long-off
moving well across, full toss outside off, he's cramped for room a bit, thumps it to long-off
Nortje to finish his quota.
slower ball again outside off, he's coming down the track and is comprehensively beaten by the lack of pace, left feeling for the ball as it goes past
moves across this time and whips a low full toss to deep midwicket
swing and a miss. Comes down teh track and looks to carve it through off but can't connect
short ball, can't latch onto the pull, deep square leg fields
uses wrists to power this to long-on, and they hare back for the second. Good work by Pretorius to deflect a sharp throw onto the stumps but the batsman had made it
too early into the attempted swing into the legside, but it lands well short of deep square leg, who opts to stay back and block the boundary instead of going for the improbable diving catch
shot. Another quick ball at 142 kph, but half-volley length almost on the legs. He clears his front leg well out of the way and brings his bat down in a mighty arc to deposit this well clear of long-on
Over 20 • SL 135/6
South Africa won by 28 runs