AB de Villiers leads way as South Africa make 299-7
Skipper AB de Villiers hit 96 and predecessor Graeme Smith regained his limited overs form with a brisk 68 as South Africa totalled 299-7 against Sri Lanka in the fourth one-day international on Friday.
|Last Updated: Jan 20, 2012, 10:44 PM IST|Source: Bureau
Kimberley (South Africa): Skipper AB de Villiers hit 96 and predecessor Graeme Smith regained his limited overs form with a brisk 68 as South Africa totalled 299-7 against Sri Lanka in the fourth one-day international on Friday.
Scorecard: Sri Lanka Vs South Africa»Live Commentary: Sri Lanka Vs South Africa»
Number three De Villiers hit eight fours and three sixes off 76 balls before being bowled by Thisara Perera with the ball slamming into middle stump after an attempt to steer it down leg side backfired.
Smith managed only six, 28 and two in the first three matches of the series, triggering a media and public outcry that led to De Villiers coming out in support of the Test captain.
He struck seven fours and a six off 69 balls at sun-drenched De Beers Diamond Oval in the northern Cape city before being caught by Sri Lankan captain Tillakaratne Dilshan off the bowling of Lasith Malinga.
His dismissal 23.5 overs into the innings was soft with the bat turning in his hand as he attempted a leg-side shot off a delivery that was short of a length.
De Villiers won the toss and opted to bat as South Africa sought a 4-0 lead over the visitors ahead of the final match in Johannesburg, and they put 84 runs on the board before Alviro Petersen (37) was first to fall.
Colin Ingram was trapped leg before just four balls after the departure of Smith, but Sri Lankan hopes of wresting the initiative were dashed as De Villiers and JP Duminy (36) added 70 fourth-wicket runs.
Sri Lanka, who came to South Africa out of form and lost a Test series 2-1 before the ODI matches began, arrived in Kimberley under a cloud with their government ordering a probe into a "crisis situation".
PTI
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.