After Sri Lanka chose to bat, openers Upul Tharanga and Tharanga Paranavitana began well, adding 52 in eight overs for the first wicket. But paceman, Ethy Mbhalati’s triple-strike in the space of 13 runs helped South Africa take the initiative. Silva and skipper Thilina Kandamby (88) refused to get bogged down and put on 210 at more than a-run-a-ball to wrest the advantage before Mbhalati struck for the fourth time to dismiss Kandamby.

Sri Lanka’s fast bowlers too responded well, with Chanaka Welegedara capturing two wickets in the third over. Opener Gulam Bodi and Henry Davids added 44 for the third wicket, but the introduction of Rangana Herath’s left-arm spin triggered a middle-order collapse where South Africa lost four wickets for 16 runs in five overs.

South Africa slumped to 76 for 5, and as in the previous game, there was little support for Bodi, who hung on to make 74. He managed to put together 52 for the sixth wicket with Daryn Smit, and 44 for the eighth with fast-bowler Juan Theron, but with just a few wickets in hand, South Africa never realistically had a chance of reaching the target.

SCOREBOARD

Sri Lanka ‘A’

U. Tharanga c Elgar b Mbhalati 20

T. Paranavitana lbw b Mbhalati 30

D. G’wardene c Theron b Mbhalati 5

K. Silva c Khan b Theron 126

T. Kandamby c Petersen b Mbhalati 88

K. Perera b Theron 2

B. Herath not out 5

S. de Silva not out 4

Extras: (b 2, lb 5, w 8, nb 6) 21

Total: (6 wickets; 50 overs) 301

Did not bat: I. Udana, A. Welegedara, I. Amerasinghe

Fall of wickets: 1-52, 2-55, 3-65, 4-275, 5-280, 6-291

Bowling: Louw 10-0-67-0, Mbhalati 10-1-58-4, Theron 10-0-55-2, Tshabalala 5-0-40-0, Elgar 7-0-38-0, Smit 8-0-36-0.

South Africa ‘A’

H. Bodi lbw b Udana 74

I. Khan c Silva b Welegedara 10

N. Petersen b Welegedara 0

H. Davids c Udana b Herath 19

G. Kuhn c Paranavitana b Herath 0

D. Elgar c Paranavitana b A’singhe 8

D. Smit lbw b Udana 25

J. Louw run out (Paranavitana) 0

J. Theron c Kandamby b A’singhe 41

T. Tshabalala not out 17

E. Mbhalati lbw b Perera 2

Extras: (lb 16, w 8) 24

Total: (all out; 44 overs) 220

Fall of wickets: 1-16, 2-16, 3-60, 4-60, 5-76, 6-128, 7-129, 8-173, 9-218, 10-220.

Bowling: Welegedara 7-0-31-2, S de Silva 6-0-46-0, Herath 8-1-24-2, Perera 5-0-21-1, Amerasinghe 8-0-41-2, Udana 10-0-41-2.

Toss: Sri Lanka A, who chose to bat first

Series: Sri Lanka A lead 5-match series 3-1

Man of the match: Kaushal Silva (SL)

Umpires: W. Brown and D. Cloete

Match referee: B. Lambson