South Africa beat Sri Lanka by seven wickets with 108 balls to spare in the third one-day international at the Wanderers Stadium yesterday.
The win, in a match held up for an hour when a swarm of bees drove the players from the field, allowed South Africa to take a winning 3-0 lead in the five-game series.
A 49th ODI half-century from captain AB de Villiers (60 not out) led the hosts past the paltry Sri Lankan target of 164. De Villiers hit the winning run in the 32nd over.
Earlier, Dwaine Pretorius bagged his best one-day international bowling figures as Sri Lanka were bowled out for 163 in just 39.2 overs. Pretorius, who came into the side after Wayne Parnell was rested, ended with 3-19 in seven overs as Sri Lanka failed to reach 200 in their third ODI innings on tour, after De Villiers had elected to bowl first.
Pretorius was backed up by Imran Tahir (2-21), Kagiso Rabada (2-39) and Andile Phehlukwayo (2-26) who each grabbed a pair of wickets after Niroshan Dickwella and captain Upul Tharanga had given the tourist a solid start with an opening stand of 60 for the first wicket.
Dickwella survived a dropped catch, some hostile bowling and the swarm of bees to score a fine 74 and give the visitors’ innings some respectability.
The left-hander was dropped on 25 when JP Duminy, running back from backward point, could not hold on to a high leading edge from Rabada’s bowling.
Dickwella’s 80-ball innings ended when he gloved an attempted pull against a short delivery from Pretorius to present wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock with his 100th dismissal in 72 one-day internationals. Dickwella hit seven boundaries.
Tharanga (31) top-edged a pull against Rabada, one ball after Dickwella had been dropped, and was caught at fine leg.