Highlight
South Africa started the T20I series against Sri Lanka with a 1-0 lead.
Aiden Markram’s disciplined bowling and 48-run innings early in the match allowed South Africa to prevail.
Sri Lanka finished 28 runs behind the 164 they needed to win.
In the first T20I in Colombo, Sri Lanka became 28 runs worse after South Africa used disciplined bowling and Aiden Markram’s quickfire 48 runs to beat Sri Lanka. South Africa leads the three-match series 1-0.
South Africa, led by captain Faf du Plessis, benefited from disciplined bowling and 48 runs from Aiden Markram on Friday night, to beat Sri Lanka by 28 runs in the first Twenty20 international. South Africa was in a precarious position at 69-5 when Markram came to the crease and launched an incredible 33-ball assault. The result was South Africa getting 163-5 and being able to defend it by restricting Sri Lanka to 135-6, so taking a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. Despite Keshav Maharaj, a left-arm spinner, and skipper Faf du Plessis leading the bowling with numbers of 1-19 on his T20 debut, South Africa could not pull off the upset win they wanted despite a career-best unbroken 66 by Dinesh Chandimal. Markram (South Africa) hit for six in his powerful attack, scoring two big hits to increase the first-innings total for his team after he had made the decision to bat first.
After settling in for 73 runs with Quinton de Kock (36) and Reeza Hendricks (38) both going out in single figures, South Africa lost to leg-spender Wanindu Hasaranga.
Markram had a successful attack against the opposition bowlers, hitting 65 runs off 35 balls for the fourth wicket with David Miller, who scored 26 off 15 deliveries.
Markram was wicket No.11 for South Africa, who needed 36 to win from the final 20 balls. In the penultimate over, medium-pace bowler Dasun Shanaka, who captains Sri Lanka, was able to break the partnership.
Sri Lanka had several of its players get out, including Avishka Fernando (who was sent back by the 11th wicket) and Maharaj (who got out thanks to a strikeout from Bhanuka Rajapaksa).
And he rose to the occasion by hitting his sixth T20 half-century and improving his best score of 58. He hammered 54 balls, with five fours and two sixes.
The second game is Sunday, and it is also being played at the same location.
