SA repeated their antics from the previous match by not allowing the Sri Lankan batsmen to gain control. Opener Kusal Perera (39 off 33) was the only regular batsmen from the home side who settled in. Kagiso Rabada bounced back from a disappointing match by picking up a couple of early wickets.
The Proteas spinners were on point once again as they picked up the bulk of the wickets. Bjorn Fortuin (2 for 21) was the star bowler from a bowling perspective. Keshav Maharaj (1 for 14) kept a check on the runs and also picked up the important man Kusal Perera.
Sri Lanka managed to reach 120 runs courtesy of some explosive shots by Chamika Karunaratne. The target was similar to the one SA chased with ease in the last T20I. However, this time they raced to the mark with all wickets intact.
Quinton de Kock (59* off 46) and his opening partner Reeza Hendricks (56* off 42) strolled their way to the required score. The wicket-keeper batsman, who averaged 153 runs in the series, was named man of the match and claimed the man of the series award.
After winning the ODI series, Sri Lanka will be immensely frustrated by their efforts in the T20I matches. Despite both sides undergoing a transitional period of sorts, their form going into the T20I World Cup is anything but similar.
Brief Scores
Sri Lanka: 120/8 in 20 overs (Perera 39, Karunaratne 24*; Fortuin 2/21, Rabada 2/23) lost to
South Africa: 121/0 in 14.4 overs (de Kock 59*, Hendricks 56*; Chameera 0/9, Karunaratne 0/13)
Man of the Match
Quinton de Kock
