50 overs South Africa 220 for 6 (50 overs: Kallis 84, Chandana 3-31) lost to Sri Lanka 221 for 4 (42.1 overs: de Silva 77*, Sangakkara 57) by six wickets
Scorecard

Sri Lanka gained the psychological edge ahead of Wednesday's Morocco Cup final against South Africa with a six-wicket romp in the last league match.

Changing the trend of the previous five games where teams batting first won, the Sri Lankans coasted to victory almost eight overs to spare. Aravinda de Silva led the way with an unbeaten 77 off 75 balls, Kumar Sangakkara made 57, and Sanath Jayasuriya contributed 47 at the top of the order.

"It was good to win batting second, we showed it could be done on this wicket," Jayasuriya said. "But the final will not be easy because South Africa will come out strongly. We have to be on our feet. All the hard work done in the league will go to waste if we lose the final."

In a match that held only academic interest, Sri Lanka rested four frontline bowlers, Chaminda Vaas, Pulasthi Gunaratne, Muttiah Muralitharan and Dilhara Fernando. South Africa also omitted four key players - Mark Boucher, Jonty Rhodes, Allan Donald and Nicky Boje - and nominated Boeta Dippenaar to keep wicket.

Jacques Kallis hit 84 as South Africa survived early blows to cross the 200-run mark after winning the toss. Kallis added 78 for the sixth wicket with Lance Klusener after a three-wicket burst by Upul Chandana reduced South Africa to 119 for 5 in the 29th over. Klusener remained unbeaten on 39 and Shaun Pollock made a quickfire 16 off nine balls as South Africa added 59 runs in the final eight overs.

Charitha Buddika Fernando made an immediate impression by removing Herschelle Gibbs and Gary Kirsten in his first 13 deliveries. Graeme Smith and Kallis retrieved the situation with a 71-run stand for the third wicket, before Chandana hit back with three quick wickets. He bowled Smith for 40, had Dippenaar caught behind for 18 and then lured Justin Ontong out of the crease to have him stumped by Kumar Sangakkara for 7. Chandana capped a fine display in the field by catching Kallis on the long-off fence off Jayasuriya.

The Sri Lankans made a flying start with Jayasuriya and Marvan Atapattu putting on 40 in the first six overs. Atapattu scored 15 when he edged seamer Roger Telemachus to Dippenaar behind the stumps. Jayasuriya, who hit six fours and a six, missed a second successive half-century by three runs when he was caught behind off Klusener in the 16th over.

De Silva and Sangakkara quashed South Africa's hopes with a match-winning stand of 96 for the third wicket.

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