Nine-wicket win seals SA’s T20 series triumph over Sri Lanka
Tabraiz Shamsi the pick of the bowlers with 3/20, while Aiden Markram finishes with a career best 3/21
SA beat Sri Lanka by nine wickets in a rain-hit Twenty20 (T20) international in Colombo on Sunday to win the three-match series with a match to spare.
Having lost the one-day international series 2-1, the Proteas won the first T20 match by 28 runs and bowled out Sri Lanka for 103 in the second — their lowest score when batting first at home.
Opener Kusal Perera scored 30 but found little support as five bowlers picked up wickets regularly.
Tabraiz Shamsi was the pick of the bowlers with 3/20, while Aiden Markram finished with a career best 3/21 as the spinners wreaked havoc.
“We’ve got a lot of quality bowlers in the attack. These pitches take a lot more turn than back home. That’s something we’ve got to get used to,” said Shamsi, who was player of the match.
In response, SA reached the target with the loss of just one wicket as opener Quinton de Kock smashed seven boundaries in his unbeaten knock of 58, while Markram scored 21 off 19 balls.
The final T20I will be played in Colombo on Tuesday.
Reuters