COLOMBO: Debutant spinner Maheesh Theekshana claimed four wickets as Sri Lanka hammered South Africa by 78 runs in the third One-day International to clinch the series 2-1 in Colombo on Tuesday.

Theekshana, an off-spinner with a lethal carrom ball, returned figures of 4-37 as the hosts bowled out South Africa for 125 in 30 overs while chasing a target of 204 at the R. Premadasa Stadium.

The 21-year-old Theekshana made an instant impact with a wicket of his first delivery in international cricket as he sent opener Janneman Malan trudging back for 18.

Rain then stopped play briefly.

He then cut short wicket-keeper/batter Heinrich Klaasen’s innings on 22 to further dent the Proteas chase.

Andile Phehlukwayo, who made 17, and George Linde, who scored 18, put up some resistance with a partnership of 36 for the seventh wicket.

Theekshana combined with leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga, who took two wickets to polish off the tail with 20 overs remaining in the innings.

Pace bowler Dushmantha Chameera took two early wickets including Reeza Hendricks, for one, and Rassie van der Dussen, for five, to rattle the South African top-order.

Earlier stand-in skipper Keshav Maharaj took three wickets as Sri Lanka made 203 for nine.

Charith Asalanka was the top-scorer with 47 and player-of-the-match Chameera, coming in at number nine, hit a useful 29.

Maharaj struck first, getting the in-form Avishka Fernando lbw for 10, and returned figures of 3-38 with his left-arm spin. Fellow spinners George Linde and Tabraiz Shamsi claimed two wickets each.

South Africa successfully reviewed the openers’ wickets in their favour after Fernando and Dinesh Chandimal, out lbw for nine off left-arm orthodox Linde, were given not out by the on-field umpires.

Spinners kept striking as Aiden Markram sent back Dhananjaya de Silva for 31 and Maharaj got two including skipper Dasun Shanaka and Hasaranga as Sri Lanka slipped to 121-6.

Asalanka, who was later declared player-of-the-series, survived a reprieve on 36 when he was caught at mid-wicket off Linde but the delivery was adjudged a no ball with more fielders outside the inner circle than allowed.

Shamsi, a left-arm wrist spinner, finally got Asalanka caught behind to deny the left-hand batsman a half-century.

The two sides will now play three Twenty20 Internationals starting from Friday at the same venue.

Scoreboard

SRI LANKA:

W.I.A. Fernando lbw b Maharaj 10

L.D. Chandimal lbw b Linde 9

P.H.K.D. Mendis c and b George Linde 16

D.M. de Silva c Klaasen b Markram 31

K.I.C. Asalanka c Klaasen b Shamsi 47

M.D. Shanaka c Mulder b Maharaj 13

W. Hasaranga c Hendricks b Maharaj 6

C. Karunaratne lbw b Shamsi 16

P.V.D. Chameera c Malan b Mulder 29

M.M. Theekshana not out 10

P. Jayawickrama not out 2

EXTRAS (LB-2, W-8, NB-4) 14

TOTAL (for nine wkts, 50 overs) 203

FALL OF WKTS: 1-22, 2-33, 3-64, 4-93, 5-112, 6-121, 7-154, 8-166, 9-198.

BOWLING: Rabada 8-0-46-0 (3nb, 6w); Maharaja 10-0-38-3; Linde 10-1-32-2 (1nb); Markram 10-1-41-1; Shamsi 10-0-31-2 (1w); Phehlukwayo 1-0-10-0; Mulder 1-0-3-1 (1w).

SOUTH AFRICA:

J.N. Malan c de Silva b Theekshana 10

A. Markram c de Silva b Jayawickrama 2

R. Hendricks b Chameera 1

H.E. van der Dussen c Mendis b Chameera 5

H. Klaasen lbw b Theekshana 22

P.W.A. Mulder b Hasaranga 2

A.L. Phehlukwayo c Chandimal b Asalanka 17

G.F. Linde c Mendis b Hasaranga 18

K. Rabada c de Silva b Theekshana 8

K.A. Maharaj c Chandimal b Theekshana 15

T. Shamsi not out 9

EXTRAS (LB-1, W-6, NB-1) 8

TOTAL (all out, 30 overs) 125

FALL OF WKTS: 1-8, 2-9, 3-19, 4-45, 5-48, 6-54, 7-91, 8-100, 9-102.

BOWLING: Chameera 4-1-16-2; Jayawickrama 4-0-18-1; Hasaranga 8-3-32-2 (4w); Theekshana 10-0-37-4 (1nb, 2w); de Silva 3-0-18-0; Asalanka 1-0-3-1.

RESULT: Sri Lanka won by 78 runs to win three-match series 2-1.

UMPIRES: H.D.P.K. Dharmasena (Sri Lanka) and L.E. Hannibal (Sri Lanka).

TV UMPIRE: R.R. Wimalasiri (Sri Lanka).

MATCH REFEREE: R.S. Madugalle (Sri Lanka).

PLAYER-OF-THE-MATCH: Dushmantha Chameera.

PLAYER-OF-THE-SERIES: Charith Asalanka.

Published in Dawn, September 8th, 2021