Gqeberha: Keshav Maharaj took five wickets as South Africa beat Sri Lanka by 109 runs on the fifth day of the second Test at St. George’s Park on Monday.
Left-arm spinner Maharaj picked up 5-76 as Sri Lanka were bowled out for 238. They lost their remaining five wickets for 33 runs on Monday.
The win gave South Africa a 2-0 series win and took them to the top of the World Test championship table.
Sri Lanka’s hopes of an upset win were extinguished when overnight batsmen Dhananjaya de Silva and Kusal Mendis were dismissed inside the first 10 overs of the day.
De Silva and Mendis, the team’s last recognized batsmen, resumed on 205 for five, still needing 143 runs to win.
Maharaj made the first breakthrough when Mendis edged a low catch to Aiden Markram at slip. He made 46 in a 97-run sixth wicket partnership with De Silva.
Kagiso Rabada then had Sri Lankan captain De Silva caught behind for 50, exposing the Sri Lankan tail.
The last three wickets fell quickly with Maharaj claiming two more scalps and Marco Jansen finishing the match with his first ball of the day when Lahiru Kumara was caught off a wild slog.
South Africa’s chances of playing in the Test championship final at Lord’s in June next year now lie in their own hands, with their two remaining fixtures being at home against Pakistan.
Maharaj bowls South Africa to 109-run win, sweep of Sri Lanka
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Maharaj bowls South Africa to 109-run win, sweep of Sri Lanka
- Left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj picked up 5-76 as Sri Lanka were bowled out for 238
- South Africa have two remaining Tests against Pakistan for the world championship final
Pepper, Narine lead Abu Dhabi Knight Riders to ILT20 Qualifier 2 with win over Dubai Capitals
- The win sets up a Qualifier 2 clash with MI Emirates on Friday, with a place in Sunday’s final against Desert Vipers at stake
DUBAI: Abu Dhabi Knight Riders moved one win away from the International League T20 final after sealing a commanding 50-run victory over Dubai Capitals in the Eliminator at Dubai International Stadium on Thursday.
An impressive 122-run opening partnership between Michael Pepper and Phil Salt laid the foundation for the Knight Riders, before a disciplined bowling display, led by Sunil Narine, Jason Holder and Liam Livingstone, dismantled the Capitals’ chase.
The win sets up a Qualifier 2 clash with MI Emirates on Friday, with a place in Sunday’s final against Desert Vipers at stake.
Pepper continued his fine form with a fluent 72 off 49 deliveries, striking seven fours and three sixes, while Salt contributed 43 off 34 as the Knight Riders surged to 122 without loss.
Although the Capitals fought back strongly with the ball to restrict Abu Dhabi to 158/7, a late cameo from Holder (22 off 11) ensured a competitive total.
In reply, the Capitals never recovered from a bruising start as Abu Dhabi’s bowlers applied relentless pressure.
Holder struck early, Narine dominated through the powerplay and middle overs, and Livingstone delivered key blows as the Capitals were bundled out for 108. Narine, Holder and Livingstone finished with three wickets apiece.
Player of the match Narine said: “Winning games changes everything, it means a lot. We haven’t made the playoffs in three years, and that’s something we’ve been pushing hard for. It’s emotional because we’ve played good cricket before without getting the results.”
Dubai Capitals captain Mohammad Nabi was philosophical in defeat.
“At one point it looked like they might get close to 200, but we did well to pull things back with the ball. With the bat, though, we weren’t good enough as a unit,” he said.
“There wasn’t excessive turn, but they bowled very well to their areas. The plan was to rotate strike and avoid early wickets, but it didn’t come off.”
