Sanga’s super Saturday
Anyone who opted to stay off the R. Premadasa Stadium last afternoon may have been wondering why they were so unlucky. Indeed it was a true innings of a master who had perfected his craft. One could write reams on Kumar Sangakkara’s career best inning of 169, but savouring it firsthand would have been the best experience. 
Yes, with the weight of that innings to remember the Lankans zeroed on to a huge 180 run win with 18.1 overs to spare in their first ODI, yesterday.
The Lankan total of 320 for five was built around Sangakkara’s innings that contained six sixes and eighteen fours in just 137 deliveries and it was his 16th ODI hundred. Sangakkara began his innings tentatively. But, once he got the feeling of the pitch, the craft became an art.
The South African reply began badly. The very first ball a Malinga yorker swerved into Colin Ingram’s middle stump and then Shaminda Eranga got rid of a dangerous looking J.P. Duminy for 15, caught behind by the Lankan hero Sangakkara, but before he had hit three crispy fours in twenty two balls.
Yet, the wicket held no terrors and batting was not an arduous task. The next in, skipper A.B. de Villiers and surviving opener Alviro Petersen added 44 runs in no time keeping ahead of the required run rate. But, with the introduction of spin, Rangana Herath bowled skipper Villiers for 23 with five fours and soon after medium pacer Thisara Perera found the edge off the bat of Petersen after he had scored 29 in 31 balls. At 75 for four the Proteas were once again on the defensive.
Thereafter the visitors found it difficult to be on an even keel. When they defended the asking rate went up. When wanted to accelerate as the wickets fell. It was not a pleasant environment to live in. Finally unable to keep up to the asking rate the South African batting imploded. They were all out for a mere 140 in 31.5 overs.
Earlier South African skipper De Villiers won the toss and invited Sri Lanka to take the first lease of the wicket. This was their first ODI in Sri Lanka in nine years. South Africa left out their prolific opener Hashim Amla who was complaining of neck spasms, but brought in fast bowler Morne Morkel who was also on the injury list.
For Sri Lanka all-rounder Jehan Mubarak made a comeback after four years in the fringes.
The Lankans facing up on a wicket that lacked any life, but a lush green outfield enjoyed and an early life when Upul Tharanga was put down by Alviro Petersen at second slip in the very first over off Morkel who opened the bowling, and the batsman celebrated with a flicked four soon after.
However it was T.M. Dilshan who was making a comeback after injury who made the first exit when he was bowled by Morris while trying shape the ball on the leg stump. He made 10. Total 23 for 1.
After the departure of Dilshan, Tharanga joining his former skipper Kumar Sangakkara steadied the boat soon brought on their fifty run stand by the fifteen over. The Proteas tried three seamers plus three spinners on the seemingly slow track, but was not able to disrupt the concentration of the nondescript duo. However with the score on ninety three, Morkel coming for his second spell disarranged the stumps of Tharanga – the more restless of the two batsmen – for 43. The pair put on 70 runs for the second wicket.
The home team did not miss Tharanga much. Then it was the turn of the two stalwarts. Mahela Jayawardena coming back to the middle order after the short stint at the top in the West Indies eased into a compelling stand with his pal Sangakkara. Both batsmen faced up 
with a lot of confidence and one on-drive by Mahela Jayawardena to the long on boundary was pure poetry. However, it was the very exuberance that brought the downfall of Jayawardena. Eight runs short of his half century Jayawardena pulled fast bowler Morkel and was held well by Colin Ingram in the deep. The two batsmen were engaged in a 74 run stand for the third wicket.
In the 35th over when the umpires called for the batsman’s power play the Lankan score read 171 for 3. In the five overs Sri Lanka made 46 runs for no loss. Sangakkara the more offensive batsman hit Morris for 20 runs in the fourth over which included three fours and a six and McLaren cost South Africa twelve runs. The very next over after the power play Sangakkara marked his 16th ODI century which had four sixes and eight fours.
At the fall of Jayawardena’s wicket Lahiru Thirimanne joined Sangakkara and were involved in another whirlwind stand of 123 runs, but, here Thirimanne’s contribution was only 17 runs facing 33 balls.
| Scoreboard
Sri Lanka Upul Tharanga b Morkel 43 South Africa Colin Ingram b Malinga 00 |
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