5th ODI: Sri Lanka beat South Africa and Won the Series by 4-1

Sri Lanka won by 128 runs against South Africa in the 5th and final ODI match played at Played at R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo on 31st July 2013. Click here for SL vs SA 5th ODI Scorecard. South Africa were hammered by Sri Lanka, losing by 128 runs to end the series on a disappointing note. Dilshan was the star with the bat, while Lakmal and Mendis starred with the ball. Click here for the Full Match Video Highlights

Sri Lanka: 307/4 (50.0 Overs)
Earlier Sri Lanka have won the toss and chose to bat. They loss the first wicket Kushal Janith Perera for 13 runs in 4.2 overs. Tillakaratne Dilshan and Lahiru Thirimanne steady the Sri Lanka Innings and both batsmen are scored a 50 runs. Dilshan got out with 1 run short of his Ton and he out for 99 runs. Lahiru Thirimanne Scored a 68 runs. Kumar Sangakkara finished the Sri Lankaan Innings very aggressively and he scored 75 runs in 45 balls. Finally Sri Lanka Scored a Massive total of 307 run with the loss of four wickets. What a performance by the hosts! They absolutely hammered the South African bowlers.

South Africa: 179-all out (43.5 Ovs)
To chase a huge target South Africa lost their wickets regularly finally they manage to get only 179-all out, End of a dismal series for South Africa. There's been little of note from them in this series. On the other hand, the hosts have looked quite a dominant force at home and showed enough hunger in even the dead rubber. Kumar Sangakkara, undoubtedly, has been the star of the series. The veteran set a Sri Lankan record for most runs in a bi-lateral series. Dilshan found form in the last two ODIs while the bowlers were consistent all-round.

Dilshan is the Man of the Match for his 99.
Kumar Sangakkara is the Man of the Series for scoring 372 runs in the series.

In the Preentation:

Dilshan: 'I think they bowled really well. I got bogged down a bit. Little disappointed but these things happen. I've enjoyed the series. I know I can catch up afterwards in the powerplay so I don't bother about the strike rate. I'm throughly enjoying my bowling as well.'

Sangakkara: 'We had Thirimanne batting at 3. I think Dilshan and he provided a very good platform. The ball was coming onto the bat well. I try to target bowlers. If you're playing in Sri Lanka, you need totals of above 260-270. My first series was a triangular against South Africa. They are the best side in Test cricket. I've enjoyed watching AB, Hashim, Morne and Steyn. They've been really good friends off the field as well. That has helped relations on the field. They're a fantastic bunch of guys. Our team can be proud that we beat such a good team.'

AB de Villiers: 'We played cricket against a team that was out of our league. We have to learn and improve. It's amazing when you lose, all these negative things come up. You tend to over-analyse things. Maybe that is what is needed. We have a young team and this has been a great experience. We need to be better prepared next time. There will be some freedom for me in the T20 series. We're a nation that won't give up. I'm still proud of our boys. We will come back stronger.'

Angelo Mathews: 'I couldn't have asked for anything better. Dilshan and Thirimanne batted brilliantly. Unfortunately Dilshan could not get his 100. Sanga batted very well too. We have a good blend of seniors and juniors. While the seniors perform, we'll try to blood the youngsters. I'm sure the T20 series will be very exciting. On behalf of the Sri Lankan team I would like to thank the fans for their support.'