Player of the Match
Player of the Match

9.55 pm South Africa stay alive in this series and the scoreline is now 2-1 in Sri Lanka's favour with two to play. This is only the second time South Africa have beaten Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka, after their maiden victory in 1993. That's quite a long wait.

It did not look like it would happen when South Africa's top and middle order struggled for direction and it needed an explosive finish from David Miller to give them a defendable total. Then Mokel and Tsotsobe cut open the Sri Lankan innings with the new ball and South Africa were favourites after that, despite a brutal assault from Thisara Perera late in the piece.

Amar: "I would be really surprised if Tsotsobe gets the Man of the Match instead of Miller keeping in mind Tsotsobe dropping a dolly which could have cost them the game!"

Nawaz Ahmed: "I think T Perera should get some award or recognition for his five 6's and a 4." Isn't appreciation enough?

And here's the presentation ... David Miller is the Man of the Match for a half-century that transformed South Africa's innings. He says it was hard to bat all through the innings, and possible the match. "We only went in the last two overs, would have been nice if we went earlier but the conditions did not allow for that."

Angelo Mathews: "I thought the bowlers did a brilliant job, we were good on the field. Except for the last three overs we did well. The batters had to tough it out. Thisara Perera looked like he was batting on a different strip. He's turning out to be a brilliant allrounder. I got out at the wrong time, with Thisara at the other end, I should have hung around a bit ..."

AB: "It's hard to explain how proud I am of the boys. It wasn't easy. We were under pressure through the game. After losing Ryan McLaren, I found out in the 30th over that he wasn't going to bowl anymore and that was a shock. I threw Robin Peterson in the deep end ... it was a good performance. Morne was quite aggressive today, he really set the standard up front ... once again we maybe did not have enough partnership and an unnecessary run out, I take responsibility there, Faf was looking really good ..."

That's all we have for you today on the commentary. Andrew Fernando will be filing his stories from Pallekele and do check out Firdose Moonda's updated match report.

Thank you for all your emails today, good night!

43.2
W
Duminy to Mendis, OUT, Tsotsobe has taken an excellent catch at backward point to end the game! He is pumped as he flings the ball in the air in celebration. Mendis came down the pitch and tried to hit down the ground but the ball flew flat and quickly off the outside edge, Tsotsobe moves to his right and dives to take it.

BAW Mendis c Tsotsobe b Duminy 0 (2m 2b 0x4 0x6) SR: 0.00

Mr. G: "Something to ponder on for Robbie P- Thisara was at ease carting him for 35, yet struggled to do the same against AB and Behardien. Lesson to be learnt perhaps?"

43.1
1
Duminy to Herath, 1 run, Herath plays the reverse sweep to short third man

END OF OVER:
43 | 1 Run 2 Wkts | SL: 166/9 (58 runs required from 42 balls, RR: 3.86, RRR: 8.28)

  • Ajantha Mendis0 (1b)
  • Rangana Herath11 (32b)
  • Farhaan Behardien6-0-19-3
  • Jean-Paul Duminy9-1-22-0
42.6
0
Behardien to Mendis, no run, nearly in the blockhole, Mendis defends from the crease

Mendis is the last man for Sri Lanka. What a stunning job Duminy and Behardien have done for South Africa, with the ball.

Johan: "I'd like to see who's man of the match here. Probably Millar for playing what could be a career-defining knock, but Duminy's contribution with the ball should not be underestimated..."

42.5
W
Behardien to Malinga, OUT, knocked him over! Malinga clears his front foot and slogs wildly. The good length ball clips the top of off stump, South Africa only need one more

SL Malinga b Behardien 0 (4m 1b 0x4 0x6) SR: 0.00

42.4
1
Behardien to Herath, 1 run, Herath lofts the ball towards long off, mis-timed it
42.3
0
Behardien to Herath, no run, pitches on a good length and seams away from Herath, who pokes and is beaten
42.2
0
Behardien to Herath, no run, Herath immediately swipes at a short of a length ball outside off and is beaten

And with that you'd say South Africa will win this now. Malinga is the new batsman.

42.1
W
Behardien to NLTC Perera, OUT, Perera's holed out and the ground has gone dead quiet! He tried to clear the wide long-on boundary, slogging a short and slower ball from outside off stump. I think he made contact with the bottom of the bat and it turned in his hand, slicing the ball high in the air. It isn't Lopsy under the catch this time, it's Faf du Plessis running in from long on and he catches it comfortably. Faf's been awesome in the field all night.

NLTC Perera c du Plessis b Behardien 65 (59m 49b 5x4 5x6) SR: 132.65

King: "After that pull by Herath, question is- which ballpark were Mahela and Chandimal playing at?"

END OF OVER:
42 | 3 Runs | SL: 165/7 (59 runs required from 48 balls, RR: 3.92, RRR: 7.37)

  • Rangana Herath10 (29b)
  • Thisara Perera65 (48b)
  • Jean-Paul Duminy9-1-22-0
  • Farhaan Behardien5-0-18-1
41.6
0
Duminy to Herath, no run, strides forward and defends on the off side
41.5
1
Duminy to NLTC Perera, 1 run, played towards square leg for a single
41.4
1
Duminy to Herath, 1 run, nudged towards midwicket for a very risky single because Duminy sprints towards the ball, picks up, turns around and throws at the bowler's end. Had he hit, Herath was gone.
41.3
0
Duminy to Herath, no run, bowled into the blockhole outside off stump, Herath tries to dig it out and plays to third man
41.2
1
Duminy to NLTC Perera, 1 run, played to long on for a single, Duminy's darting them in from round the wicket
41.1
0
Duminy to NLTC Perera, no run, Perera goes back to the spinner an dabs the ball to short third man

nick: "Nice gesture by AB after the 2nd ball, consoling Tsotsobe."

Mr. G: "I reckon AB will have JP bowl two more overs. Thisara looks more comfortable with the extra pace- somebody with variations required here."

END OF OVER:
41 | 6 Runs | SL: 162/7 (62 runs required from 54 balls, RR: 3.95, RRR: 6.88)

  • Thisara Perera63 (45b)
  • Rangana Herath9 (26b)
  • Farhaan Behardien5-0-18-1
  • Jean-Paul Duminy8-1-19-0
40.6
1
Behardien to NLTC Perera, 1 run, worked off the pads through square leg for a single
40.5
1
Behardien to Herath, 1 run, nudged from the crease towards midwicket and they run a quick single

South Africa tour of Sri Lanka 2013 News

  • 'Sri Lanka is a hell of a tough place to tour' - Domingo

    Sri Lanka was Russell Domingo's fact-finding mission and he seems to have discovered how much South Africa has to do to become contenders for the forthcoming ICC tournaments

  • Tsotsobe initally not part of SL tour

    Russell Domingo admitted that Lonwabo Tsotsobe was not initially in his plans for the Sri Lanka tour, as he had concerns over his form, fitness and work ethic

  • Faf better than AB, but no third option

    While Faf du Plessis' captaincy was more confident than AB de Villiers' in Sri Lanka, South Africa have not invested in grooming a leader during a decade of Graeme Smith and are left with little choice beyond the two

  • Dilshan keeps faith in young batsmen

    Sri Lanka's misfiring middle order has been the cause of most concern in the 2-1 Twenty20 series loss to South Africa, but Tuesday's Man of the match Tillakaratne Dilshan has said the youngsters' failures do not necessarily bode ill for the team's future

  • Dilshan powers Sri Lanka to consolation win

    Sri Lanka's batsmen found fluency for the first time in the Twenty20 series, as the hosts rode a furious start and a fast finish to a conciliatory six-wicket win in Hambantota

Sri Lanka 2nd innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st14TM DilshanWU Tharanga
2nd0KC SangakkaraWU Tharanga
3rd2DPMD JayawardeneWU Tharanga
4th55DPMD JayawardeneLD Chandimal
5th7AD MathewsLD Chandimal
6th3AD MathewsAK Perera
7th12AD MathewsNLTC Perera
8th72HMRKB HerathNLTC Perera
9th1HMRKB HerathSL Malinga
10th1HMRKB HerathBAW Mendis