South Africa easily beat Sri Lanka in dead rubber

DELHI: South Africa comfortably won by eight wickets against Sri Lanka in the last league match of the World Twenty20 here at the Feroz Shah Kotla ground on Monday.

Chasing an easy target of 121, they completed their win with 14 balls remaining.

Hashim Amla, who opened the innings, batted through to steer South Africa to victory in dead rubber.

He remained not out on 56, hitting five fours and a six while AB de Villiers lofted  the towering winning six, his second in his unbeaten 20.

Amla was involved in second wicket partnership of 60 runs with his captain Faf du Plessis and then in an unbeaten third wicket stand of 47.

Faf du Plessis made 31 before Quinton de Kock was run out for nine.

Earlier, Sri Lanka were all out for 120 in 19.3 overs after being sent into bat.

Stand-in captain Dinesh Chandimal (21) and Tillakaratne Dilshan (36) provided a good start of 45 but later their wickets fell with regular intervals as only two more batsmen could get into the double figures.

Milinda Siriwardana made 15 runs while Dasun Shanaka remained not out on 20.

For South Africa, pace bowlers Kyle Abbott and Farhaan Behardien, and left-arm spinner Aaron Phangiso claimed two wickets each while fast bowler Dale Steyn and leg-spinner Imran Tahir took one wicket each.

Dinesh Chandimal captained Sri Lanka in the absence of Angelo Mathews, who was ruled out with a hamstring injury.