By Srian Obeyesekere

South Africa achieved a very deserving consolation victory in this Tri Series against a disorganised host country Sri Lanka by 76 runs on the back of some gallant cricket having crossed 300 going down to India and some high scores in defeat with yesterday’s triumph being driven by their inform batter Annerie Dercksen who found just reward for some fighting knocks previously including 81 versus India a day ago, while Chloe Troy produced a brilliant all-round display of 74 in a total of 315 for 9 in 5 off 50 overs on the back of an equally compelling 67 versus India to a dream hat-trick 5 for 34 to boot to bowling out Sri Lanka for 239 in 42.5 overs at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium.

By and large Sri Lanka got it wrong from the start of the toss by skipper Chamari Athapaththu’s bad decision of not capitalising on taking first lease in a game of academic interest having already made it to the finals instead of putting South Africa in which backfired.

Furthermore, Sri Lanka lost the game mainly by the failures of Athapathu and No. 3 Harshitha Samarawickrama to drive home the 124 for 2 halfway mark 25 over score, with Harshitha throwing it away the very next ball when the third wicket pair was well set when she holed out to Tryon a delivery off Sehnie Naidu. Similarly, the Lankan skipper played a bad shot trying to clear the mid on boundary by a half hearted on drive into the hands of Dercksen off Khaka with the score 160 for 4 after 29.3 overs. From that point the game was good as lost by the Lankans with the next in Nilakshi Silva, heroine of the victory against India, stopped in her tracks on 14 bowled by Khaka.

The South African lasses indeed sprinkled a champagne heist in their last fling of a side that had tried and gone down to superior displays by India and Sri Lanka, some of which unable to cross the border line.

Of course, the playmaker fronting the batting was lower order batter Annerie Dercksen whose previous efforts with the bat found the ultimate three figure fusion in a 104 innings off 84 balls hitting 9 boundaries and 5 over the top while Chloe Tryon followed back to back half centuries rounding off a fine all-round show with the hat-trick in the bag of 5, the first when she had Dewmi Vihanga caught by Nadine de Klerk for 16 first ball of the 42nd over followed by luring Sugandika to another catch to de Klerk and the magical third hat-trick ball nailing Malki Madara to edging to wicket keeper Jafta plunging Sri Lanka to 227 for 9 from which it was a last wicket formality.

Chief Scores
South Africa 315/9 (50 Overs)
(Annerie Dercksen 104, Chloe Troy 74, Tazmin Brits 38, Laura Wolvaardt 33, Nadine de Klerk 32, Nodumiso Shangase 18, Dewmi Vihanga 5/43, Chamari Athapaththu 2/70, Manudi Nanayakkara 1/40)

Sri Lanka 239 (42.5 Overs)
(Chamari Athapaththu 52, Anushka Sanjeewani n.o. 43, Hasini Perera 33, Harshitha Samarawickrama 33, Vishmi Gunaratne 24, Nilakshi Silva 14, Manudi Nanayakkara 13, Chloe Tryon 5/34, Ayabanga Khaka 2/30, Miane Smit 1/35, Sehnie Naida 1/40)