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World T20: Sri Lanka beat South Africa with excellent death bowling

Sri Lanka captain won the toss and elected to bat first in its first match against SA

Chittagong: Sri Lanka won a really thrilling encounter against South Africa by 5 runs with the help of some excellent death bowling.

Opener Kusal Perera smashed 61 to steer Sri Lanka to five-run win over South Africa in a tight contest in its World Twenty 20 opener on Saturday.

Sri Lanka put up a respectable 165-7 and in response South Africa was restricted to 160-8.
Perera gave Sri Lanka a fluent start, hammering Dale Steyn 17 in the first over. Steyn however retaliated handing Tilkaratne Dilshan a first-ball duck at the same over.
During the course of his fifth half-century, Perera hit six four and three sixes in just 40 balls. After his dismissal, Mathews drove the innings to safety, before Steyn removed him in the last over.
Mathews hit three fours and a six in 32 balls.
In between, leg-spinner Imran Tahir ripped through the Sri Lankan middle order, claiming his career best 3-26.
Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel picked two wickets apiece.
JP Duminy hit 39 while Quinton de Kock made 25. Kock and Duminy added 50-run to keep South Africa in the contest but a late flurry of wicket led its sensational collapse. AB de Villiers contributed 24.
Sachitra Senanayake claimed 2-22 for Sri Lanka. Lasith Malinga, Nuwan Kulasekara, Angelo Mathews and Ajantha Mendis grabbed one wicket apiece.

Here is the scorecard of the match:

Sri Lanka Innings:
Kusal Perera c de Villiers b Tahir 61
Tillakaratne Dilshan b Steyn 0
Mahela Jayawardene c Steyn b Morkel 9
Kumar Sangakkara c Tsotsobe b Tahir 14
Angelo Mathews b Steyn 43
Dinesh Chandimal st de Kock b Tahir 12
Thisara Perera b Morkel 8
Nuwan Kulasekara not out 7
Sachitra Senanayake not out 1
Extras: (3lb,7w) 10.
TOTAL: (seven wickets) 165.
Overs: 20.
Fall of wickets: 1-17, 2-42, 3-83, 4-106, 5-137, 6-152, 7-160.
Did not bat: Lasith Malinga, Ajantha Mendis.
Bowling: Dale Steyn 4-0-37-2 (2w), Lonwabo Tsotsobe 4-0-31-0 (1w), Morne Morkel 4-0-31-2 (1w), JP Dumini 2-0-13-0 (1w), Albie Morkel 2-0-24-0 (2w), Imran Tahir 4-0-26-3.

South Africa Innings:
Quinton de Kock b Malinga 25
Hashim Amla c Dilshan b Senanayake 23
JP Duminy c Dilshan b Senanayake 39
AB de Villiers c Sangakkara b Mathews 24
David Miller run out 19
Albie Morkel c Chandimal b Mendis 12
Farhaan Behardien c Jayawardene b Kulasekara 5
Dale Steyn run out 0
Morne Morkel not out 0
Imran Tahir not out 8
Extras: (3lb,2w) 5.
TOTAL: (eight wickets) 160.
Overs: 20.
Fall of wickets: 1-32, 2-82, 3-110, 4-119, 5-133, 6-148, 7-151, 8-152.
Did not bat: Lonwabo Tsotsobe.
Bowling: Nuwan Kulasekara 3-0-23-1, Angelo Mathews 3-0-21-1 (1w), Sachitra Senanayake 4-0-22-2, Lasith Malinga 4-0-29-1, Thisara Perera 2-0-18-0, Ajantha Mendis 4-0-44-1.
Umpire: S Ravi, India, and Rod Tucker, Australia.
TV umpire: Aleem Dar, Pakistan. Match referee: Javagal Srinath, India.221317 GMT Mar 14

Earlier, Sri Lanka captain Dinesh Chandimal won the toss and elected to bat first in its first match against South Africa in the ICC World Twenty 20 on Saturday.

AB de Villiers is leading the side in place of regular Twenty20 captain Faf Du Plessis, who was ruled out with hamstring injury.
However, fast bowler Dale Steyn was fit enough to play and took two wickets.
( Source : PTI )
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