Du Plessis celebrates upon bringing up his eighth ODI hundred
Image courtesy of: Zimbio
Faf du Plessis came agonisingly close to making the highest ODI score by a South African batsman in his side’s 40-run win over Sri Lanka in Cape Town.
Du Plessis smashed a scintillating 185, which left him just four runs short of surpassing the 188 not out Gary Kirsten made against the United Arab Emirates in the 1996 World Cup.
It was also the second-highest score in an ODI against Sri Lanka behind the 264 India opener Rohit Sharma made in Kolkata on November 13, 2014.
Choosing to bat first, the Proteas lost opening batsman Hashim Amla early on, but Quinton de Kock and Du Plessis made up for it with a 100-run partnership, during which De Kock brought up his half-century.
De Kock was unable to make the most of his strong start as he was dismissed by Sachith Pathirana for 55, which came off 46 balls and included seven boundaries and two sixes.
De Kock made his ninth ODI half-century
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Du Plessis and captain AB De Villiers kept the runs flowing with a 137-run stand, during which Du Plessis surpassed his century and De Villiers his fifty, before the latter was clean bowled by Pathirana for 64, which came off 62 deliveries and included four boundaries.
De Villiers scored his 50th ODI fifty
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JP Duminy fell shortly after for 20, while Du Plessis and Farhaan Behardien put together a 74-run partnership before Du Plessis’ time at the crease finally came to an end when he was removed by Lahiru Madushanka for a career-best 185, which came off 141 balls and included 16 boundaries and three sixes.
Behardien went on to make an unbeaten 36 as South Africa finished on 367/5, which was their highest total against Sri Lanka in ODI history and their highest score at Newlands.
Pathirana and Lahiru Kumara picked up two wickets apiece, while Madushanka chipped in with one.
Chasing 368 to win, Sri Lanka made a brilliant start to their innings as stand-in captain Upul Tharanga and Niroshan Dickwella amassed a 139-run partnership, during which both batsmen raced past their half-centuries.
With Sri Lanka having made a blistering start to their innings, Dwaine Pretorius provided the breakthrough for South Africa as he sent Dickwella packing for 58, which came off 47 deliveries and included nine boundaries.
Dickwella’s third ODI fifty went in vain
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Tharanga brought up his hundred during a 64-run stand with Kusal Mendis, but that stand was broken when Mendis was caught behind off the bowling of Wayne Parnell for 29.
Tharanga ended up making 119 off 90 balls, which included 11 boundaries and seven sixes, before he became Parnell’s second victim.
Tharanga made his 14th ODI century
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Despite losing Dhananjaya de Silva not long after, the tourists halted South Africa’s charge as Sandun Weerakkody and Asela Gunaratne put together a 79-run partnership.
However, once that was ended, Sri Lanka completely collapsed as they went from 307/5 to being bowled out for 327.
Weerakkody made 58 off 51 balls, which included seven boundaries and a six, while Gunaratne scored 38.
Parnell was the most successful bowler with four wickets, while Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada and Imran Tahir claimed two wickets each.
Du Plessis was named Man of the Match.