Sri Lanka beat South Africa by 14 runs in the first ODI at R. Premadasa Stadium to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Riding on Avishka Fernando’s 118 and Charith Asalanka’s 62-ball 72, Sri Lanka piled 300/9 after opting to bat. In reply, Aiden Markram struck 96 in 90 balls to take South Africa to 210/3 in 40 overs, but the Sri Lankan bowlers held their nerves in the last 10 overs to restricted South Africa to 286/6.
Earlier, Fernando and Minod Bhanuka got Sri Lanka added 57 in 71 balls before Markram cleaned up Bhanuka (27) in the 12th over. No. 3, Bhanuka Rajapaksa departed for a three-ball duck to Keshav Maharaj in the next over.
Fernando and Dhananjaya de Silva held the fort, adding 79 for the third wicket. In the 31st over, Heinrich Klaasen stumped de Silva off Maharaj to give South Africa the much-needed breakthrough. Sri Lanka were 137/3 in 30.3 overs.
Asalanka and Fernando scored runs with urgency from this point. They struck 97 in 71 balls to lay the platform for the others before Tabraiz Shamsi (1-55) got Fernando in the 43rd over.
Asalanka did not find any support from Sri Lanka’s lower order batters, but they still took 90 off the final 10 overs to post a total of 300.
No team has chased down over 300 in a day-night contest here, but Janneman Malan and Markram gave South Africa a decent start. They added 49 for the opening wicket before Wanindu Hasaranga pinned Malan (23) leg before.
Markram then stitched a 117-run second-wicket stand with Temba Bavuma (38) before falling four short of his hundred in the 31st over. Kyle Verreynne did not produce anything substantial as South Africa were 209/3 in 39.3 overs.
Rassie van der Dussen (59) and Klaasen (36 in 31) kept South Africa in the game, scoring at over a run a ball, but it was not enough. The Sri Lankan bowlers, led by Praveen Jayawickrama (1-47), bowled tightly throughout the innings to have the final laugh.
Brief scores: Sri Lanka 300/9 in 50 overs (Avishka Fernando 118; Keshav Maharaj 2-30) beat South Africa 286/6 in 50 overs (Aiden Markram 96; Akila Dananjaya 2-65) by 14 runs. Player of the Match: Avishka Fernando.