South Africa v Sri Lanka, 2016-17
Wisden's review of the third Twenty20 International, South Africa v Sri Lanka, 2016-17
15-Apr-2017
At Cape Town, January 25, 2017 (floodlit). Sri Lanka won by five wickets. Toss: South Africa. Twenty20 international debut: D. Paterson.
Sri Lanka won a series of any description in South Africa for the first time in nine attempts with a sturdy all-round performance - despite the return of de Villiers from the elbow injury that had kept him away from national duty since June. He showed little signs of rust in his 63 but, aside from Reeza Hendricks's 41, did not get solid enough support, and South Africa needed Mosehle's unbeaten 32 off 15 balls to push them to a decent total. It wasn't decent enough, however, to stop the Sri Lankans scrambling home with a ball to spare, thanks in part to Dickwella batting into the 16th over for 68. His dismissal, by Imran Tahir, who removed Dhananjaya de Silva in the same over, started a slide of three for 26. But the heads of Prasanna and Gunaratne proved sufficiently cool, although Gunaratne had to apologise to the umpires for snatching a souvenir stump with the scores level. He drilled the next ball into the covers for the winning single.
Man of the Match: D. P. D. N. Dickwella. Man of the Series: D. P. D. N. Dickwella.
Sri Lanka won a series of any description in South Africa for the first time in nine attempts with a sturdy all-round performance - despite the return of de Villiers from the elbow injury that had kept him away from national duty since June. He showed little signs of rust in his 63 but, aside from Reeza Hendricks's 41, did not get solid enough support, and South Africa needed Mosehle's unbeaten 32 off 15 balls to push them to a decent total. It wasn't decent enough, however, to stop the Sri Lankans scrambling home with a ball to spare, thanks in part to Dickwella batting into the 16th over for 68. His dismissal, by Imran Tahir, who removed Dhananjaya de Silva in the same over, started a slide of three for 26. But the heads of Prasanna and Gunaratne proved sufficiently cool, although Gunaratne had to apologise to the umpires for snatching a souvenir stump with the scores level. He drilled the next ball into the covers for the winning single.
Man of the Match: D. P. D. N. Dickwella. Man of the Series: D. P. D. N. Dickwella.