Couldn't grab the opportunity: Dickwella

The general consensus among Sri Lanka was that its 96-run loss to South Africa in the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 clash at The Oval on Saturday was an opportunity lost.

Sri Lanka did well to restrict South Africa to 299 for 6 after opting to field. It then had a dream start, racing to 69 in 8.2 overs by the time the first wicket fell. At one stage, it was 116 for 2 in the 18th over and had a solid platform, but it folded for 203.

“This was an easy win in our hands, but we couldn't grab the opportunity," Niroshan Dickwella, who slammed a 33-ball 41 at the top, said after the game.

It probably needed just one big partnership after Dickwella’s quick start, but South Africa’s brilliance on the field and Imran Tahir’s wily bowling turned out to be the difference.

“I think we started well,” assessed Upul Tharanga. “But Dickwella and Kusal Mendis both got out in a very short period of time. And even when I and Chandimal were batting, we were trying to get a partnership going. But that run out (of Chandimal), and the next ball Chamara Kapugedara getting out changed things.”

Sri Lanka will need to regroup fast, but it will have to do so without the services of Tharanga for the next two matches – against India and Pakistan – after he was suspended by the ICC for a serious over-rate breach. Tharanga led the team on Saturday in the absence of the injured Angelo Mathews and has been the man in form, scoring 57 in the game apart from a century against New Zealand in their warm-up match before the tournament.

Sri Lanka was found guilty of being short by four overs and with Tharanga pleading guilty, there was no need for a hearing.

“I think we were slow,” admitted Tharanga when asked about Sri Lanka’s over-rate. “When they were playing in the middle overs, we were a bit slow between the overs on the field. The umpire told me in the 40th over that we were three overs behind. I knew that in the last six-seven overs, we definitely need the time. So after the 40th over, I didn't think about it that much.”

The Sri Lanka players were fined 10 per cent of their match fees for the first two overs and 20 per cent of their match fees for the additional overs their side failed to bowl in the allotted time, with the captain also receiving two suspension points.

While Tharanga's absence will be a blow, Mathews, who missed the match with a calf injury, is likely to return and take over as captain for Sri Lanka’s next two games starting with the June 8 clash with India at The Oval.