Hendricks’ ton on debut inspires South Africa to series win

PALLAKELE, Sri Lanka: Batsman Reeza Hendricks smashed a century on his One-day International debut to set up South Africa’s series-clinching 78-run victory over Sri Lanka in the third match in Pallekele on Sunday.

Hendricks made 102 off 89 deliveries to help South Africa post 363-7 and then bowl out the hosts for 285 in 45.2 overs. They took an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series.

Dhananjaya de Silva tried to keep the chase alive with a career-best 84 but Sri Lanka’s batting crumbled under the ever-increasing run-rate.Fast bowler Lungi Ngidi claimed four wickets while fellow paceman Andile Phehlukwayo took three.

Hendricks became only the third South African batsman to register a hundred in his first ODI. Colin Ingram and Temba Bavuma are the other two.Jean-Paul Duminy’s 92 off 70 balls, and half-centuries by Hashim Amla and David Miller, also contributed to South Africa’s imposing total after being put into bat first.

“Brilliant today. Once again, the batting was fantastic. We played aggressive,” said skipper Faf du Plessis.Amla gave South Africa a brisk start with his run-a-ball 59 before being bowled by medium-pacer Thisara Perera, who returned impressive figures of 4-44.

Hendricks celebrated his century in just 88 balls with a boundary off paceman Lahiru Kumara, but was dismissed on the very next delivery.Duminy, who got his second fifty of the series to lead the batting chart with 177 runs, maintained the momentum with a blazing knock laced with eight fours and four sixes.

Duminy got support from fellow left-hander Miller as the two put on 103 for the fifth wicket to pulverise the bowling.Miller’s quickfire 51 and Phehlukwayo’s unbeaten 24 off 11 balls gave South Africa 98 off the last seven overs.

Sri Lanka were never in the hunt with South African bowlers getting wickets at regular intervals.A 95-run, seventh-wicket partnership between de Silva and Akila Dananjaya, who scored 37, raised the hosts’ hopes of making a go of their target.But Phehlukwayo broke the dangerous-looking stand, dismissing Dananjaya and then having de Silva caught behind.

Sri Lanka won toss

South Africa

H Amla b T Perera 59

†Q de Kock c K Perera b Kumara 2

R Hendricks b Kumara 102

*F du Plessis c Lakmal b T Perera 10

JP Duminy c de Silva b T Perera 92

D Miller c de Silva b T Perera 51

A Phehlukwayo not out 24

W Mulder b Dananjaya 2

Extras (b 4, lb 3, w 13, nb 1) 21

Total (7 wickets, 50 overs) 363

Did not bat: K Rabada, T Shamsi, L Ngidi

Fall: 1-42, 2-101, 3-137, 4-215, 5-318, 6-340, 7-363

Bowling: Lakmal 9-1-59-0 (nb1, w2), Kumara 10-0-67-2 (w6), Dananjaya 10-0-81-1 (w5), T Perera 10-0-7-4, Jayasuriya 6-0-42-0, De Silva 5-0-32-0

Sri Lanka

U Tharanga c Millder b Ngidi 19

†N Dickwella c du Plessis b Ngidi 10

K Perera lbw b Phehlukwayo 27

K Mendis c Mulder b Ngidi 31

T Perera c de Kock b Mulder 16

D de Silva c de Kock b Phehlukwayo 84

*A Mathews lbw b Shamsi 32

A Dananjaya c Ngidi b Phehlukwayo 37

S Lakmal c and b Ngidi 12

P Jayasuriya b Shamsi 0

L Kumara not out 7

Extras (w 10) 10

Total (all out, 45.2 overs) 285

Fall: 1-20, 2-37, 3-63, 4-81, 5-124, 6-155, 7-250, 8-273, 9-275, 10-285

Bowling: Rabada 8-0-34-0 (w1), Ngidi 8.2-0-57-4 (w2), Phehlukwayo 9-0-74-3 (w4), Mulder 6-0-34-1 (w1), Shamsi 10-0-62-2 (w2), Duminy 4-0-24-0

Result: South Africa won by 78 runs

Man of the Match: Reeza Hendricks (SA)

Series: South Africa lead the 5-match series 3-0

Umpires: Raveendra Wimalasiri (Sri Lanka), Nigel Llong (England). TV umpire: Paul Reiffel (Australia). Match referee: Javagal Srinath (India)