South Africa demolish Sri Lanka by 177 runs

South Africa's batsmen gave a quality display to lay the foundation for a crushing 177-run win over Sri Lanka in the second of five one day internationals on Friday.

South Africa posted 317 for six in their allotted 50 overs after winning the toss and batting and then bowled Sri Lanka out for 140 in 33.2 overs to take a 2-0 lead in the series.

Graeme Smith (99), Boeta Dippenaar (89) and Jacques Kallis (53) were the mainstays of the home side's innings.

Smith and Dippenaar put on 134, off 138 balls, for the third wicket en route to both achieving their highest scores in one day international cricket.

Sri Lanka started their run chase brightly with captain Sanath Jayasuriya particularly brutal on the South African bowling attack.

Marvan Atapattu was the first wicket to fall when he was caught by Jonty Rhodes at cover off the bowling of Shaun Pollock for six in a first wicket partnership of 51.

Jayasuriya scored 46 off 32 balls with five fours and two sixes before being clean bowled by seamer Andrew Hall.

Once the captain was out the rest of the wickets fell at regular intervals as the visitors failed to put any decent partnerships together.

Fast bowler Makhaya Ntini returned figures of three for 38 in 10 overs while slow left-arm Nicky Boje claimed two for seven in 2.2 overs.

Earlier, Smith, who played the senior role after starting his innings with circumspection, was run out attempting a quick single for what would have been his maiden one day century.

He played the ball to mid-wicket and set off for the run then hesitated, allowing Mahela Jayawardene to swoop on the ball and return it to the bowler's end where Jayasuriya broke the stumps.

Smith's runs came off 106 balls with six boundaries and two sixes.

Kallis raced to his half century off only 24 balls with a six over extra cover having despatched the previous two balls of Hasantha Fernando's over for four in exactly the same place.

He was run out for 53 in the next over when Dippenaar drove the ball down the pitch only for Pulasthi Gunaratne to get his finger tips to the ball and deflect it onto the stumps.

Dippenaar hit five fours and two sixes off 97 balls in his innings of 89 before he holed out to long on where Jayawardene took a good running catch.

The teams play in the third match in Benoni on Sunday.

First ODI: Pollock leads SA to easy victory

Mail Cricket Editor