Sri Lanka just too good for Proteas

Not even AB de Villiers’ brilliance on his return to international cricket could save South Africa from gifting Sri Lanka a T20 series victory in a thrilling finale at Newlands on Wednesday night. The visitors benefited from a litany of dropped catches by the hosts to steal home off the second-last ball of the third and final T20 international. Seven catches were dropped on the night – amazingly three off three consecutive Wayne Parnell deliveries – which allowed the Sri Lankans to maintain the momentum throughout their run chase. The Proteas were also hampered when the star of the first two matches, young fast bowler Lungi Ngidi, could not return to bowl at the death after injuring his hip after just two overs, which forced him off the field. The cause of the defeat was not the absence of Ngidi, though. The fielding, particularly the catching, would have earned the anger of a schoolboy coach on the night, and coach Russell Domingo will certainly let his young charges know that this is not the standard required from international cricketers. Sri Lankan opener Niroshan Dickwella certainly made the most of his good fortune by striking 68 off only 51 balls (10x4, 1x6). Dickwella’s innings, which was part of a 71-run partnership with Dhananjaya de Silva, allowed the visitors to break free from the shackles after the early loss of Upul Tharanga and Dinesh Chandimal. The fact that South Africa actually stretched the game to the penultimate delivery, and in fact were favourites to take the match with four overs still remaining, was only due to Imran Tahir’s heroics with the ball during the middle period. For all of Tahir’s faults in the field – he was the prime drop-catch culprit – he remains a magician with the ball. With the very first ball of his spell, he clean-bowled Chandimal before returning to produce a spectacular last over when he claimed both Dickwella and De Silva within three balls of each other. On any normal evening it would have been enough for South Africa to get over the line, but Seekkuge Prasanna was not going to give up the battle without an almighty fight. And how did he fight. The right-hander struck a few meaty blows towards the back-end, in addition to the innovation that the Sri Lankans are famed for, to silence a capacity Newlands crowd. Prasanna could not do it all on his own though, and found an able partner in Asela Gunaratne, with the pair setting off raucous celebrations in the visitors’ dug-out when they managed to get the 11 runs required off debutant Dane Paterson’s final over. After all trials and tribulations the Sri Lankans suffered during the Test series, it certainly was well deserved. The only consolation for South Africa on a night they would prefer to forget in a hurry was the form De Villiers showed. The Proteas ODI captain was not in vintage form in his first international innings since recovering from a long-term elbow injury, but there were sufficient glimpses of the natural talent that warrants his superstar status. Taking into the account the colossal roar that erupted once he emerged from the dug-out on to the lush outfield, it was clear that Capetonians had come out in their droves to see De Villiers’ return to international cricket. And they would have been content with De Villiers’ 63 off 44 balls that gave South Africa a fighting chance of winning the series. Ultimately it was not to be as the two sides head off to Port Elizabeth for the start of the ODI series that suddenly has a great deal more excitement to it now that the Sri Lankans have lifted themselves off the canvas. They are now filled with the confidence of being able to win any form of series in South Africa for the first time.