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Sri Lanka claim historic series victory
Sri Lanka made history by becoming the first sub-continent nation to win a test series in South Africa when they clinched the second match by eight wickets at St George’s Park in Port Elizabeth on Saturday.
Full ScorecardOvernight batsmen Kusal Mendis and Oshada Fernando both made half centuries as Sri Lanka reached their target of 198 for victory in the slightly extended first session of play on day three.
The win gave the tourists a 2-0 series triumph after they clinched the first test in Durban by one wicket in Durban last Saturday.
As upsets go, this defeat of South Africa will rank right up there especially after the Sri Lankans came to country having been thumped by both Australia and New Zealand earlier in the southern hemisphere summer.
[embed:video:id=1046184]"We told them, 'play your normal game, if you can hit over the fielder go for it'," said captain Dimuth Karunaratne.
"When you play like that, South Africa are on the back foot," said Karunaratne.
'KEEP SMILING, KEEP ENJOYING'
Appointed only as an "interim" captain, Karunaratne said he had a simple message for his players when he took over at a time of apparent turmoil in Sri Lankan cricket.
"When I started, I said to my boys, 'whatever happens you have to keep smiling, keep enjoying. If you’re not enjoying you don’t get to a hundred percent'."
Karunaratne praised the contribution of his bowlers. "Our bowling line-up did a really good job, especially the youngsters," he said.
All credit must go to Mendis (84 not out) and Fernando (75 not out) who resumed the innings on Saturday with 137 runs more to get.
It promised to be a tough task as the South African attack was expected to come out with all guns blazing and determined to make early inroads into what has been a fragile Lankan batting line-up.
GLORIOUS VICTORY
But the duo batted with confidence and good judgment and at the same time produced the highest partnership of the tour in making an impressive 163 runs for the third wicket.
Mendis was the senior partner scoring his runs off 110 balls while striking 13 fours. Fernando, meanwhile, hit 10 fours and two sixes in his 106-ball knock.
South Africa captain Fa du Plessis desperately tried all of his options with the ball but not one of his bowlers could manage the breakthrough.
There was hardly a clear-cut chance as the Lankan batsmen stood firm on their way to a glorious victory that will be long remembered by their fans back home.
Du Plessis described the series loss as "my biggest low as a player in the Proteas team".
He said he was particularly disappointed with South Africa’s batting, which sank to new depths when they were bowled out for 138 in the second innings, despite Sri Lanka being without injured left-arm spinner Lasith Embuldeniya.
'MENTALLY WE WERE A BIT SOFT'
Du Plessis said he was at a loss to explain how 31 wickets fell on the first two days.
"When I was batting in both innings I felt it was a really good batting pitch," he said.
"Mentally we were a bit soft in giving wickets away pretty easily."
Sri Lanka made it four wins in a row against South Africa after winning two matches at home last year.
"They have been better than us home and away," admitted Du Plessis. "We were outplayed in their back yard but there’s no excuse when Sri Lanka come here."
The teams will now contest a five-match one-day series starting at Bidvest Wanderers on Sunday, 3 March.
South Africa will be wanting to dust themselves off and strike back with a bang as they continue their preparations for the ICC World Cup in England and Wales starting at the end of May.
Report Day 1Report Day 2SOUTH AFRICA: Dean Elgar, Aiden Markram, Hashim Amla, Faf du Plessis (capt), Temba Bavuma, Quinton de Kock (wk), Wiaan Mulder, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Dale Steyn, Duanne Olivier
SRI LANKA: Dimuth Karunaratne (capt), Lahiru Thirimanne, Oshada Fernando, Kusal Mendis, Kusal Perera, Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Dhananjaya de Silva, Suranga Lakmal, Lasith Embuldeniya, Kasun Rajitha, Vishwa Fernando
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