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Quinton de Kock and AB de Villiers smashed aggressive centuries to propel South Africa to an imposing 5-339 in the third and final one-day international against Sri Lanka on Saturday.
Their 116-run third-wicket partnership in windy conditions at Mahinda Rajapaksa Stadium in Hambantota gave South Africa an ideal chance to win the series tied at 1-1.
Left-hander De Kock smashed a 127-ball 128 while skipper De Villiers hit a fiery 71-ball 108 - making a century off just 66 balls - as South Africa posted their highest total against Sri Lanka.
South Africa's previous highest one-day total against Sri Lanka was 6-317 at Centurion in 2002.
De Kock gave South Africa, who won the toss and batted, an ideal start with a solid 118-run opening stand with Hashim Amla (48).
South Africa won the first one-day in Colombo by 75 runs while Sri Lanka restored parity with an 87-run victory in the second at Pallekele.
De Kock, dropped at 38 off Sachithra Senanayake, reached his fifth one-day hundred with a sharp single off 108 balls.
The talented left-hander holed out at mid-off in the 41st over but not before bettering South Africa's highest individual one-day score against Sri Lanka made by Boeta Dippenaar (125 not out) at Adelaide in 2006.
In all De Kock hit 12 fours and three sixes but was overshadowed by his skipper who smashed 11 boundaries and four sixes.
De Villiers was in a punishing mood, dancing and moving at the pitch with consummate ease to stroke his way to the third fastest one-day century by a South African behind Mark Boucher's 44-ball effort and his own 58-ball century in the past.
De Villiers hit two boundaries and then took a single off Angelo Mathews to complete his 17th one-day hundred.
In between Jacques Kallis missed out, trapped lbw for just four to end a disappointing series with five runs, leaving a big question mark on his survival until next year's World Cup.
Sri Lanka had packed the side with five spinners, bringing in Rangana Herath for paceman Nuwan Kulasekara. South Africa replaced injured paceman Vernon Philander with Wayne Parnell.
Ace home paceman Lasith Malinga went for 85 runs in his 10 wicket-less overs.(AAP)
Comments - 6
Comments - SA seal ODI series win in SL
Lakshman Saturday, 12 July 2014 07:57 PM
SA deserved to win our bawling was less than mediocre via DM iPad app
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Roland Saturday, 12 July 2014 03:06 PM
Time has come to change all SL cricket selectors, they are not doing their job fairly, and the World Cup is around the corner.
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Senna Saturday, 12 July 2014 03:55 PM
Our selectors Still on experiments . not to win matches. Thissara is a match winning player. Go through his history. Sad that he was not included in today's match. Selectors are brain Donars.
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Don Don Saturday, 12 July 2014 03:58 PM
When SL play day matches at the grounds where floodlights are available, what else do you expect?
Poor event management.
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Punny Pellow Monday, 14 July 2014 02:41 AM
[quote name="Roland"]Time has come to change all SL cricket selectors, they are not doing their job fairly, and the World Cup is around the corner.[/quote] Well Roland, we must understand that no team can always win !! Brazil in Brazil are in third place !! So, we must not think that all these Cricketers are super heros. Let cricket be a sport and not anything more. Sri Lanka is face with far more important problems to be solved and cricket is the least of them !!!
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ravindran Monday, 14 July 2014 03:59 AM
it is a waste keeping Mahela Jayawardne in the team.The world cup is head the selectors has have some remady soon
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