COLOMBO: Spinners Tabraiz Shamsi and Aiden Markram set up a crushing nine-wicket win for South Africa in the second Twenty20 International against Sri Lanka to clinch the three-match series in Colombo on Sunday.

Shamsi and Markram took three wickets each to help bowl out Sri Lanka for 103, a total the tourists chased down in 14.1 overs to take an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the three-match series at the R. Premadasa Stadium.

Wicket-keeper/batter Quinton de Kock hit an unbeaten 58 and put on 62 with opening partner Reeza Hendricks (18).

The left-handed de Kock struck his 10th T20 half-century and first against Sri Lanka to see the team home with Markram for company on 21 after Hendricks’ departure.

But it was the spinners who set up victory with world No.1 T20 bowler Shamsi, a left-arm wrist spinner, returning impressive figures of 3-20. Markram, a top-order batter, returned career-best 3-21 with his off-spin bowling.

Markram had scored a match-winning 48 in the team’s opening win.

Fast bowler Anrich Nortje struck first with the wicket of Dinesh Chandimal for five before the spinners took over and got the remaining nine scalps.

Shamsi combined with fellow slow bowlers to wrap up the opposition innings.

Bjorn Fortuin took two and skipper Keshav Maharaj — both left-arm spinners — claimed the final wicket.

South Africa made short work of their modest chase with de Kock leading the charge to reach his fifty off 42 balls as he hit seven fours.

The third T20 is on Tuesday at the same venue.

Scoreboard

SRI LANKA:

M.D.K.J. Perera lbw b Markram 30

L.D. Chandimal c Maharaj b Nortje 5

P.B.B. Rajapaksa c and b Markram 20

D.M. de Silva st de Kock b Shamsi 4

M.D. Shanaka b Shamsi 10

K.I.C. Asalanka c and b Markram 14

W. Hasaranga b Fortuin 4

C. Karunaratne b Shamsi 8

P.V.D. Chameera lbw b Fortuin 1

M.M. Theekshana lbw b Maharaj 0

P. Jayawickrama not out 0

EXTRAS (B-2, LB-1, W-4) 7

TOTAL (all out, 18.1 overs) 103

FALL OF WKTS: 1-10, 2-38, 3-59, 4-71, 5-78, 6-86, 7-100, 8-103, 9-103.

BOWLING: Fortuin 4-0-12-2 (1w);

Nortje 2-0-8-1; Rabada 2-0-29-0; Markram 4-0-21-3 (1w); Maharaj 2.1-0-10-1; Shamsi 4-0-20-3 (1w).

SOUTH AFRICA:

Q. de Kock not out 57

R.R. Hendricks c Chandimal b Hasaranga 18

A.K. Markram not out 21

EXTRAS (B-4, LB-1, W-3, NB-1) 9

TOTAL (for one wkt, 14.1 overs) 105

FALL OF WKT: 1-62.

DID NOT BAT: H.E. van der Dussen, H. Klaasen, D. Pretorius, K.A. Maharaj, B.C. Fortuin, K. Rabada, A.A. Nortje, T. Shamsi.

BOWLING: Chameera 2-0-12-0 (1nb, 2w); de Silva 2-0-18-0; Theekshana 4-0-30-0 (1w); Jayawickrama 1.1-0-11-0; Hasaranga 4-0-22-1; Shanaka 1-0-6-0.

RESULT: South Africa won by nine wickets to lead three-match series 2-0.

UMPIRES: R.S.A. Palliyaguruge (Sri Lanka) and R.R. Wimalasiri (Sri Lanka).

TV UMPIRE: H.D.P.K. Dharmasena (Sri Lanka).

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

PLAYER-OF-THE-SERIES: Aiden Markram.

THIRD MATCH: Colombo (RPS), Tuesday (6:30pm PST).

Published in Dawn, September 13th, 2021