Proteas keep hopes alive

ADELAIDE – South Africa clawed their way to a tense nine-run victory over Sri Lanka yesterday to keep their hopes alive in the triangular limited-overs series, although they may have paid a heavy price.

Key batsman Herschelle Gibbs suffered a groin strain in the match, joining the already sizeable ranks of South African players who are out injured. The Sri Lankans, needing 11 to win off the last over, botched their drive for victory – making 254-8 in reply to South Africa’s 263-5.The Proteas, desperate for a victory after losing two of their first three matches, held their nerve while their opponents lost theirs and added just 29 runs for the last three wickets to fall.South Africa were aided by an unbeaten 125 from opener Boeta Dippenaar, his top one-day international score, and a sprightly 68 off 65 balls from Gibbs, who hurt himself while fielding.Jacques Kallis, Makhaya Ntini and Andre Nel have already suffered injuries.Sri Lankan coach Tom Moody said the super-sub rule had cost his side dearly when they lost the toss and fielded first after choosing in-form spinner Malinga Bandara for the role.Each of the three teams now has two wins from four matches, although Australia are one point ahead of Sri Lanka and two ahead of South Africa courtesy of the bonus points system.The South Africans made a solid but not dramatic total, but almost paid a heavy price for failing to hit a boundary between the 13th and 36th overs.Sri Lanka suffered an early setback when Jehan Mubarak spooned a Shaun Pollock delivery to Ashwell Prince at mid-wicket with the score at 11.But the dismissal brought the dangerous pairing of Senath Jayasuriya and Kumar Sangakkara to the crease.They immediately gave their opponents reason to worry, clobbering the ever-accurate Pollock for 15 runs in his fifth over and nine in his sixth after he had conceded just four runs off his first four.Charl Langeveldt, playing his first match back from injury, got an even worse pasting, smacked for a humiliating 20 runs in one over with Jayasuriya hoisting two sixes either side of a four.Sri Lanka seemed on course for victory with a 107-run partnership between Tillekeratne Dilshan and Mahela Jayawardene for the fifth wicket.But a succession of late wickets, sparked when Bandara was run out for a duck, left them facing a difficult assignment which they approached badly – swiping wildly at balls and missing.- Nampa-AFPThe Sri Lankans, needing 11 to win off the last over, botched their drive for victory – making 254-8 in reply to South Africa’s 263-5.The Proteas, desperate for a victory after losing two of their first three matches, held their nerve while their opponents lost theirs and added just 29 runs for the last three wickets to fall.South Africa were aided by an unbeaten 125 from opener Boeta Dippenaar, his top one-day international score, and a sprightly 68 off 65 balls from Gibbs, who hurt himself while fielding.Jacques Kallis, Makhaya Ntini and Andre Nel have already suffered injuries.Sri Lankan coach Tom Moody said the super-sub rule had cost his side dearly when they lost the toss and fielded first after choosing in-form spinner Malinga Bandara for the role.Each of the three teams now has two wins from four matches, although Australia are one point ahead of Sri Lanka and two ahead of South Africa courtesy of the bonus points system.The South Africans made a solid but not dramatic total, but almost paid a heavy price for failing to hit a boundary between the 13th and 36th overs.Sri Lanka suffered an early setback when Jehan Mubarak spooned a Shaun Pollock delivery to Ashwell Prince at mid-wicket with the score at 11.But the dismissal brought the dangerous pairing of Senath Jayasuriya and Kumar Sangakkara to the crease.They immediately gave their opponents reason to worry, clobbering the ever-accurate Pollock for 15 runs in his fifth over and nine in his sixth after he had conceded just four runs off his first four.Charl Langeveldt, playing his first match back from injury, got an even worse pasting, smacked for a humiliating 20 runs in one over with Jayasuriya hoisting two sixes either side of a four.Sri Lanka seemed on course for victory with a 107-run partnership between Tillekeratne Dilshan and Mahela Jayawardene for the fifth wicket.But a succession of late wickets, sparked when Bandara was run out for a duck, left them facing a difficult assignment which they approached badly – swiping wildly at balls and missing.- Nampa-AFP