Sri Lanka 163 all out
JOHANNESBURG – The ‘Bullring’ was quite literally buzzing on Saturday afternoon, and while the crowd was as per usual boisterous, it was a swarm of bees that had the biggest impact on the first half of the game.
Play had to be halted for an hour after the swarm initially had players and umpires lying flat on their faces as the bees took up residence on the outfield.
At one point, Quinton de Kock’s helmet became their home and after waiting and taking a drinks break, the umpires decided to take the players off the field.
A fire extinguisher and a can of Coke in a bucket weren’t enough to attract the bees away and eventually a professional bee-keeper, from a suburb close to the ground, arrived and using home-made hives, managed to remove the bees from the playing surface.
Sri Lanka’s batsmen meanwhile were stung by South Africa’s bowlers in what was another hapless performance from the tourists.
Asked to bat by AB de Villiers – a decision not universally popular with the large crowd here, who were keen on watching their Proteas put on another batting exhibition, as has become almost the norm in this ‘Pink ODI’ – they folded for less than 200 on a pitch that looked tailor-made for strokeplay.
Initially the Sri Lankans had started well; Niroshan Dickwella and Upul Tharanga shared an opening stand of 60, with both pulling the ball well.
They were also given a couple of lives by the South Africans in the field. Tharanga was dropped by Faf du Plessis, playing his 100th ODI and resplendent in bright pink shoes, when he had 11.
By all standards it was a very difficult chance, high and to his right with Du Plessis going to the ball with one hand, but given the kinds of catches he’s taken this season and the one he went on to take later, it’s one he’ll feel he should have grasped.
Dickwella was on 26 when JP Duminy dropped a relatively easy chance running back from point. It was an opportunity Dickwella used, turning his start into something substantial, but sadly none of his teammates could match him.
The ball after Dickwella was dropped, Tharanga was dismissed, caught at fine leg by Dwaine Pretorius, who was picked to start in place of Wayne Parnell.
It was a good afternoon for Pretorius, who finished with 3/19 from seven overs and grabbed two catches. It was he who started the pressure on the Sri Lankans with a maiden in the fifth over, providing the Proteas with a foundation in the field.
Besides those misses from Du Plessis and Duminy, South Africa were otherwise magnificent in the field; Hashim Amla held a beauty diving to his left at slip to get rid of Kusal Mendis, while Rabada, who bowled well, was worth the entrance fee alone for his display, diving around in the deep cutting off boundaries.
Sri Lanka were 117/3 in the 27th over when bees took control at 3.30pm and there was no play for an hour.
The visitors capitulated thereafter – Dickwella fell for 74 (70 balls, 7x4) superbly caught by De Kock, following which Du Plessis held a ‘screamer’, hurling himself to his left to snaffle the ball and end debutant Lahiru Madushanka’s innings on zero.
Pretorius returned the best figures among the South African bowlers, but Chris Morris and Imran Tahir, each with two wickets, were also stand-out performers for the hosts.