Defeat to Sri Lanka Leave Proteas as Favourites for World Cup
The South African cricket team, known as the Proteas, went into the final match of the ODI series against Sri Lanka with little more than national honor to defend. It was down to the last day and the last match, and at least the home fans could count on the Proteas to guarantee their seedings and rankings if they couldn't get any. Anyway, for the small T20 squad in waiting, it was to be a Form 3 final exam in Grade 8. Aiden Markram was in a good mood, however, and the talented part-time opener batted more or less behind a couple of anchor farces from the other batting side. Despite not counting for cricket in any meaningful way, Markram performed exceedingly well to his brief, which at least provided a nice national shine.
South Africa Dominant in ODI Series Against Sri Lanka
The ODI series was already wrapped up by the hosts before Saturday's international cricket match against Sri Lanka at Newlands. Sri Lanka were playing for pride when they posted 225 all out on the final day of the match. In reply, South Africa were 135 for two in their 28 overs. It was another in a string of four whitewash defeats for Sri Lanka in a five-match series in less than two years.
The teams were to be assessed in the ODI series, one of the last such formats before the selection of squads for the ICC Cricket World Cup in 2023. Markram's batting heroics on the day definitely put him in a position to get the ok from the South African selectors for their squad. He was named Man of the Match for the final, despite being left out of the broadcast for the opener.
Fine-tuning Before the World Cup
For the visitors, it was another futile attempt that ended in defeat to South Africa. This will leave the coach with some tough decisions to make. Kusal Mendis was the standout player for Sri Lanka and really the only player close to top form. Mendis' efforts almost got them through the first Challenge Cup match in Dubai, and he did quite well in that tournament. In fact, he was the only member of the team to put any runs on the board. However, he did score a half-century, which doesn't mean as much as it usually does; it's just something that didn't happen.
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