SL 320 :Sanga 169

20 July 2013 01:28 pm

An amazing 169 from Kumar Sangakkara propelled his team to 320 for five in the first one-day international against South Africa at the Premadasa stadium in Colombo on Saturday.

The total is also the highest score for Sri Lanka against the Proteas at home.

Sangakkara faced only 137 deliveries and hit 18 fours and six maximums as he raced to the third-highest ODI score by a Sri Lankan.

Morne Morkel escaped unharmed with 2-32 off his 10 overs as the former Sri Lanka captain laid into the other bowlers with ferocious drives and pulls.

Earlier, South African captain AB de Villiers won the toss and sent Sri Lanka in to bat.

The Proteas, already without three front-line players in Dale Steyn, Jacques Kallis and Graeme Smith, suffered a blow when star batsman Hashim Amla pulled out of the first game due to a stiff neck.

Sri Lanka are captained by 23-year-old Dinesh Chandimal after Angelo Mathews was suspended for two games for slow over-rates during the recent tri-series in the West Indies.

SRI LANKA: WU Tharanga, TM Dilshan, KC Sangakkara (wk), DPMD Jayawardene, LD Chandimal (capt), HDRL Thirimanne, J Mubarak, NLTC Perera, HMRKB Herath, RMS Eranga, SL Malinga

SOUTH AFRICA: CA Ingram, AN Petersen, JP Duminy, AB de Villiers (capt & wk), F du Plessis, DA Miller, R McLaren, RJ Peterson, AM Phangiso, CH Morris, M Morkel