South Africa batted first and were restricted to 235/9 in their 50 overs. Annerie Dercksen was the standout performer with the bat for South Africa, scoring a career-best 61* off 60 deliveries, including four fours and a six. Lara Goodall contributed with 46, while all-rounders Chloé Tryon and Suné Luus added 35 and 31 respectively.

Malki Madara was the pick of the Sri Lankan bowlers, claiming 4/ 50 in her ten overs. Dewmi Vihanga supported well with 3 for 41.

Annerie Dercksen - Cricinfo

In reply, Harshitha Samarawickrama anchored the innings for Sri Lanka with a composed 77 off 93 balls, and Kavisha Dilhari added 61 from 75 to steer the home side to victory with 21 balls to spare. Hasini Perera chipped in with 42, while Vishmi Gunaratne made a handy 29.

Spinner Nonkululeko Mlaba was once again South Africa’s most effective bowler, finishing with 2/44 in her ten overs. Masabata Klaas, Nadine de Klerk and Luus each claimed a wicket.

The loss may have come at an additional cost for the visitors. Luus left the field after sustaining a right patella contusion and was replaced by Nondumiso Shangase. Earlier in the match, wicketkeeper Karabo Meso had to leave the field due to heat exhaustion, with Sinalo Jafta taking over behind the stumps. The extent of both players’ injuries is yet to be confirmed.

Reflecting on the loss, South African captain Laura Wolvaardt said the team didn’t give their bowlers enough to defend.

Harshitha Samarawickrama - Cricinfo

“We just didn’t put enough runs on the board – the pitch was a bit slow and sticky up front, but it may have flattened out later,” Wolvaardt said.

“We needed to be braver with the bat for longer periods and more consistent with the ball. A lot of their runs were scored square of the wicket, which wasn’t where we wanted to be bowling. Some of their bowlers were really slow, which made it hard to score freely.”

The Proteas will be back in action on Wednesday when they face India once again.

Morgan Piek OFM Sport