DAMBULLA, Sri Lanka, (Reuters) – Fast bowlers Kagiso Rabada and spinner Tabraiz Shamsi picked up four wickets each to set up South Africa’s five-wicket victory against Sri Lanka in the first one-day international at Dambulla on Sunday.
Rabada, who took 4-41, inflicted the early damage while left-arm spinner Shamsi provided the late breakthroughs with his 4-33 as South Africa bundled out Sri Lanka for 193 under 35 overs after the hosts won the toss and opted to bat.
Off-spinner Akila Dananjaya picked up two early wickets to give Sri Lanka hope but the touring side, who were mauled 2-0 in the test series, recovered to reach the target in 31 overs and take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.
Opener Quinton de Kock and captain Faf du Plessis hit identical 47s to steady South Africa’s chase during a 86-run stand for the third wicket before the wicketkeeper-batsman became Dananjaya’s third victim.
It was left to JP Duminy to take South Africa home with an unbeaten 53 off 32 deliveries.
Earlier, Kusal Perera hit a 72-ball 81 to provide some respectability to Sri Lanka’s innings after the hosts were reduced to 36-5 in the face of a devastating opening spell from Rabada.
Kusal and Thisara Perera, who made 49, added 92 for the sixth wicket during a counter-attacking partnership before Shamsi separated them by dismissing the latter, caught behind to wicketkeeper de Kock.
Shamsi also dismissed Kusal, who was out caught trying to play a reverse sweep, after an entertaining innings that included 11 fours and a six.
The second match of the series will be played at the same venue on Wednesday.
SRILANKA 1st innings
Niroshan Dickwella c Tabraiz Shamsi b Kagiso Rabada 2
Upul Tharanga Run Out JP Duminy 10
Kusal Mendis c Quinton de Kock b Kagiso Rabada 3
Kusal Perera c David Miller b Tabraiz Shamsi 81
Angelo Mathews c Hashim Amla b Lungi Ngidi 5
Shehan Jayasuriya c Quinton de Kock b Kagiso Rabada 0
Thisara Perera c Quinton de Kock b Tabraiz Shamsi 49
Akila Dananjaya b Tabraiz Shamsi 11
Suranga Lakmal c Quinton de Kock b Kagiso Rabada 5
Lakshan Sandakan Not Out 5
Lahiru Kumara st Quinton de Kock b Tabraiz Shamsi 3
Extras 0b 4lb 2nb 0pen 13w 19
Total (34.3 overs) 193 all out
Fall of Wickets : 1-2 Dickwella, 2-11 Mendis, 3-22 Tharanga, 4-35 Mathews, 5-36 Jayasuriya, 6-128 Perera, 7-166 Perera, 8-179 Perera, 9-189 Lakmal, 10-193 Kumara
Bowling: Kagiso Rabada 8-0 -41 -4,Z(3w),
Lungi Ngidi 8 – 1 – 29 – 1, (4w),
Willem Mulder 3 – 0 – 34- 0(1w 2nb),
Andile Phehlukwayo 3 – 0 – 30-0, (1w),
Tabraiz Shamsi 8.3 – 0 – 33- 4,
JP Duminy 4 – 0 – 22 – 0.
SOUTH AFRICA 1st innings
Hashim Amla b Akila Dananjaya 19
Quinton de Kock c Suranga Lakmal b Akila Dananjaya 47
Aiden Markram lbw Akila Dananjaya 0
Faf du Plessis c Angelo Mathews b Lakshan Sandakan 47
JP Duminy Not Out 53
David Miller lbw Suranga Lakmal 10
Willem Mulder Not Out 14
Extras 0b 1lb 0nb 0pen 5w 6
Total (31.0 overs) 196-5
Fall of Wickets : 1-31 Amla, 2-31 Markram, 3-117 de Kock, 4-129 du Plessis, 5-172 Miller
Did Not Bat : Phehlukwayo, Rabada, Shamsi, Ngidi
Bowling: Akila Dananjaya 10- 0 – 50 – 3,
Suranga Lakmal 6 – 0 – 37 – 1 (1w)
Shehan Jayasuriya 4 – 0 – 23 – 0 (1w),
Lahiru Kumara 3 – 0 – 11 – 0 (1w)
Lakshan Sandakan 8 – 0 – 74 -1,(1w).
