Rapid fire Miller leads South Africa to victory – SA beat Sri Lanka by 19 runs in 10-over match

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CENTURION, South Africa, Jan 21, (AFP): David Miller hit 40 off 18 balls to set up a South Africa win by 19 runs in a rain-shortened first Twenty20 international against Sri Lanka at SuperSport Park on Friday.

Miller’s power hitting enabled South Africa to score 126 for six in a match reduced to ten overs a side before Sri Lanka reached 107 for six.

Although Sri Lanka made a good start, with Niroshan Dickwella and Dhananjaya de Silva putting on 59 off 31 balls for the first wicket, they could not maintain the run rate and wickets fell rapidly after the left-handed Dickwella was caught on the midwicket boundary off leg-spinner Imran Tahir for 43 off 19 balls.

New fast bowler Lungi Ngidi, 20, bowled with impressive pace and was named man of the match after taking two for 12 in his two overs.

The left-handed Miller hit three sixes and three fours. He and new captain Farhaan Behardien put on 51 off 23 balls for the fourth wicket. Behardien made 31 not out off 18 balls.

He also praised Ngidi.

Asela Gunaratne held two catches for Sri Lanka, one a good diving effort to dismiss Theunis de Bruyn at backward point, bowled two steady overs of medium-pace, conceding only 12 runs, and ran out Mangaliso Mosehle with a direct hit from mid-off.

“I think the bowlers did pretty well,” said Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews.

“We got off to the good start we needed but after that we didn’t have any partnerships.”

South Africa included four international newcomers in batsmen Jon-Jon Smuts and Theunis de Bruyn, wicketkeeper Mangaliso Mosehle and Ngidi.

Sri Lanka had one newcomer in Thikshila de Silva, who was out first ball as a succession of batsmen perished in trying to achieve an ever-increasing run rate.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Jonny Bairstow will replace injured opener Alex Hales in England’s squad for the three-match Twenty20 series against India, the English cricket board said on Saturday.

Hales has been ruled out of the third and final one-day international against India on Sunday after he fractured his right hand while attempting a catch in the second ODI in Cuttack.

He will also miss the T20 series that starts on Jan 26.

“Jonathan Bairstow has replaced Alex Hales in England’s IT20 squad,” the England and Wales Cricket Board said in a statement Saturday. Hales was scheduled to consult a surgeon upon returning home on Saturday.

The Eoin Morgan-led England team is trailing the ODI series 2-0 after India won the second one-dayer by 15 runs.

The final ODI will take place in Kolkata on Sunday.

South Africa vs Sri Lanka Scoreboard

CENTURION, South Africa, Jan 21, (AFP): Full scoreboard in the first Twenty20 international between South Africa and Sri Lanka at SuperSport Park on Friday (Match reduced to 10 overs a side because of rain):

SOUTH AFRICA

1. Smuts c Gunaratne b Lakmal………….. 13
2. Kuhn lbw b Kulasekera……………….. 10
3. de Bruyn c Gunaratne b Prasanna……… 19
4. Miller c Lakmal b Kulasekera…………. 40
5. Behardien not out……………………… 31
6. Mosehle run out (Gunaratne)…………… 6
7. Parnell not out…………………………. 0

Extras (lb1, w5, nb1)……………………… 7

Total (5 wkts, 10 overs)………………… 126

Did not bat: A. Phehlukwayo, A. Phangiso, Imran Tahir, L. Ngidi

Fall of wickets: 1-15 (Kuhn), 2-30 (Smuts), 3-54 (De Bruyn), 4-105 (Miller), 5-125 (Mosehle)

Bowling: Mathews 2-0-29-0 (2w), Kulasekera 2-0-27-2, Lakmal 1-0-18-1 (1w), Gunaratne 2-0-12-0 (1w), Prasanna 1-0-14-1 (1w), Pradeep 2-0-25-0

SRI LANKA

1. Dickwella c De Bruyn b Imran Tahir….. 43
2. de Silva b Imran Tahir………………… 27
3. Mathews c De Bruyn b Parnell…………. 6
4. de Silva c Kuhn b Phangiso…………….. 0
5. Prasanna c Mosehle b Ngidi…………… 12
6. Mendis c Imran Tahir b Ngidi…………… 1
7. Chandimal not out……………………… 6
8. Gunaratne not out……………………… 10

Extras (lb2)………………………………. 2

Total (6 wkts, 10 overs)………………… 107

Did not bat: N. Kulasekara, S. Lakmal, N Pradeep

Fall of wickets: 1-59 (Dickwella), 2-73 (D. de Silva), 3-74 (T. de Silva), 4-88 (Prasanna), 5-90 (Mendis), 6-91 (Mathews)

Bowling: Ngidi 2-0-12-2, Parnell 2-0-23-1, Phehlukwayo 2-0-23-0, Imran Tahir 2-0-23-2, Phangiso 2-0-24-1

Result: South Africa won by 19 runs

Series: South Africa lead the three-match series 1-0

Umpires: Shaun George, Adrian Holdstock (both RSA)

TV umpire: Bongani Jele (RSA)

Match referee: Richie Richardson (WIS)

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