South Africa seals series with 22-run win

South Africa sealed a 22-run win over Sri Lanka in the second Twenty20 International in Hambantota on Sunday (August 4), with an all-round show, taking an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.

JP Duminy hit 30 off 23 balls and David Miller provided the fireworks with an aggressive 21-ball 36 as South Africa reached 145 for 6 after electing to take first strike in the day-night match under windy conditions.

Lonwabo Tsotsobe and Morne Morkel then claimed two wickets each as Sri Lanka, the world's top-ranked T20 side, was restricted to 123 for 7 by an impressive South African fielding display.

Kumar Sangakkara played a lone hand for Sri Lanka with an attractive 39 off 35 balls, but he was only one of three batsmen who crossed 30 in difficult conditions for both teams due to the stiff breeze.

Tsotsobe removed Mahela Jayawardene and Dinesh Chandimal, the captain, in his first three overs with both batsmen falling to catches by Quinton de Kock, the wicketkeeper.

Morkel claimed the vital wicket of Sangakkara, caught superbly in the covers by David Wiese, before having Nuwan Kulasekara caught behind. Thisara Perera remained unbeaten on 22 off 20 balls.

Earlier, Duminy and Miller’s aggressive batting helped South Africa recover after it had been reduced to 48 for 3 in the ninth over. South Africa had gone into the game unchanged, while Sri Lanka brought in Jayawardene and Kulasekara in place of Tillakaratne Dilshan and Jeevan Mendis.

Kulasekara finished with 2 for 22, while Sachithra Senanayake claimed 2 for 18 in four steady overs of offspin bowling.

The series win helped South Africa salvage some pride after an embarrassing 4-1 defeat in the preceding One-Day Internationals.

South Africa, who won the first T20I game by 12 runs in Colombo on Friday, will be looking to secure a series whitewash when the final match is played in Hambantota on Tuesday.