The
Proteas,
who
won
Friday’s
opener
in
the
series
by
28
runs,
were
hardly
tested
by
their
flat
opponents,
who
managed
just
103
in
18.1
overs.
That
was
their
lowest
first-innings
total
at
home
in
this
short
format.

South
Africa
wasted
little
time
chasing
that
figure
down,
De
Kock
helping
them
open
up
a
2-0
series
lead
inside
15
overs.

Sri
Lanka
had
little
answer
to
South
Africa’s
spinners
–
Bjorn
Fortuin,
Aiden
Markram,
captain
Keshav
Maharai
and
Tabraiz
Shamsi
–
who
took
nine
wickets
and
conceded
just
63
runs
in
their
14.1
overs.

Markram
finished
with
a
career-best
three
for
21,
which
included
the
wicket
of
opener
Kusal
Perera
for
30.

Bhanuka
Rajapaksa
was
Sri
Lanka’s
next
highest
scorer
with
20
as
the
hosts
lost
seven
for
a
paltry
32
runs
between
the
10th
and
19th
overs.

Sri
Lanka
failed
to
get
rid
of
De
Kock
with
a
review
following
the
fourth
delivery
of
South
Africa’s
innings
and
the
28-year-old
did
not
look
back.

He
brought
up
his
10th
T20I
fifty,
and
fourth
of
the
year,
after
his
opening
stand
with
Reeza
Hendricks
was
broken
in
the
ninth
over
when
Hendricks
was
caught
by
Dinesh
Chandimal
off
the
bowling
of
Wanindu
Hasaranga.

Markram
added
an
unbeaten
21
as
South
Africa
reached
their
target
with
almost
seven
overs
to
spare.

De
Kock
proves
his
importance

De
Kock
was
rested
for
the
ODI
series,
which
Sri
Lanka
won
2-1,
and
he
showed
his
worth
here.
He
steered
his
side
to
victory
with
an
unbeaten
58
off
48
deliveries
and
will
be
a
key
figure
if
South
Africa
are
to
challenge
for
the
T20
World
Cup,
which
begins
next
month.

Perera
not
backed
up
by
team-mates

Perera
got
Sri
Lanka
off
to
a
solid
start
with
30
from
25
balls,
but
his
team-mates
failed
miserably
to
capitalise.
The
31-year-old,
making
his
comeback
after
recovering
from
COVID-19,
hit
a
third
of
his
side’s
runs,
with
only
three
others
reaching
double
figures.