Dwaine Pretorius made his best score in Twenty20 Internationals
Image courtesy of: ESPNcricinfo
Dwaine Pretorius and Reeza Hendricks smashed 77 not out and 66 respectively as South Africa crushed Sri Lanka by 45 runs via the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method in the third Twenty20 International in Johannesburg.
Being put in to bat first, South Africa got off to a cautious start before opener Aiden Markram was caught by Sri Lanka skipper Lasith Malinga at mid-on off the bowling of Suranga Lakmal for 15.
Hendricks and Pretorius made up for the loss of Markram with a 90-run partnership, during which Hendricks surpassed his fifty, before he was clean bowled by Jeffrey Vandersay for 66, which came off 52 balls and included eight boundaries and a six.
Pretorius and South Africa stand-in captain JP Duminy kept the runs flowing with an unbeaten 71-run stand, during which Pretorius sailed past his half-century.
Pretorius ended up making a career-best 77, which came off 42 balls and included seven boundaries and three sixes.
With Duminy remaining unbeaten on a 14-ball 34, which included two boundaries and three sixes, South Africa finished on 198/2.
Lakmal and Vandersay picked up one wicket apiece.
Chasing 199 to win initially, Sri Lanka got off to a brisk start with Niroshan Dickwella taking the attack to the South African bowlers.
However, after putting together a 42-run partnership in four overs, his opening partner Dhananjaya de Silva was trapped lbw off the bowling of Pretorius for eight runs.
Dickwella went on to make a 22-ball 38 before he was caught behind off the bowling of Andile Phehlukwayo.
Sri Lanka began to collapse once Dickwella was gone as they went from 55/2 to being reduced to 96/6.
Soon after, the rain came and the match was delayed.
Once it relented, Sri Lanka were given a revised target of 183 to win from 17 overs.
However, even though Isuru Udana walloped a 23-ball 36, it was not enough to lead his side to victory as they ended up being bowled out for 137.
Phehlukwayo was the most successful bowler with four wickets, while Junior Dala and Lutho Sipamla took two wickets apiece. As for Pretorius, he claimed one.
Pretorius was named Man of the Match.