South Africa beat Sri Lanka by five wickets
Santhosh S - 10 November 2001
South Africa notched up their second straight win in the Cathay
Pacific/Standard Chartered Hong Kong Cricket Sixes 2001 being played
at Kowloon Cricket Club in Hong Kong, on Saturday.
Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bat first. De Saram and
Kulatunga pinched 12 runs off the first over bowled by Crookes. Henry
Williams over cost South Africa 18 runs as De Saram smashed couple of
fours and a six.
Loots Bosman bowled the third over and the very first ball say
Kulatunga get a thick edge down to the third-man fence. Kulatunga
smacked a huge six over long on and then played a fine late-cut to the
third man boundary.
Kulatunga (19) hit a ball high and Elworthy took the catch. De Saram
followed that sequence with a four and a six to make it 26 runs off
the over. De Saram retired not out 33* (11 balls, 3 fours, 3 sixes)
and after three overs Sri Lanka were 56/1.
Andrew Hall bowled the fourth over and did well by giving away just 11
runs. In the meanwhile Jonty Rhodes ran out his counterpart
Hathurasinga, for a change Rhodes is not at the customary point, but
behind the stumps as a wicket keeper.
Elworthy bowled a brilliant last over, giving away just 12 runs. Sri
Lanka finished with 79/2 off five overs, Wanasinghe remained unbeaten
on 15 off 7 balls (3 fours).
Chasing a target of 80 runs to register their second win of the day,
South Africa took 18 runs off the Upashantha over, Crookes hitting
three fours and Bosman striking one.
Bosman smacked a massive six off Chandna, straight and high over the
bowler's head. He followed it up with a cracking on drive for four.
Bosman perished hitting the ball straight down Wanasinghe's throat at
long on, off the fourth ball of the second over.
Crookes gave Chandna the charge and was lucky to make back into his
crease in time, not to be given out stumped. Crookes struck one more
four to make it 14 runs off the over.
Wanasinghe bowled a superb over giving away just eight runs after
being hit for a four off the very first ball, which helped the
pendulum swing in Sri Lanka's favour. South Africa were 40/1 after
three overs.
Crookes lofted Hathurasingha for a massive six off the first ball and
then took a single to give Andrew Hall the strike. Hall stepped up the
tempo by striking a four and lofting two consecutive sixes to make it
25 runs off the over.
Required to make 15 runs off six balls, Crookes smashed De Saram's
first ball high over long on for a six. Crookes had to retire not out
32* (11 balls, 4 fours, 2 sixes). Rhodes came in and whipped the ball
around the corner for a four and then stole a quick single off the
fifth ball to take South Africa to 80/1. Hall remained unbeaten on 25
off nine balls.
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