Joy for Zondeki as SA cruise home
Source: Supercricket - December 06, 2002

Monde Zondeki took a wicket with his first ball in international cricket as South Africa cruised to a six wicket win over Sri Lanka in the fifth and final one day international in Bloemfontein on Friday.

Chasing the tourists' moderate 228/8, South Africa cruised to 231/4 from 45.1 overs to clinch the match and register a 4-1 series triumph.

Neil McKenzie boosted his World Cup aspirations by scoring a composed, unbeaten 70 and Jonty Rhodes (27*) got some valuable time in the middle after playing a peripheral role with the bat throughout the series.

As expected, South Africa experimented with their top-order, but the gamble failed to pay off.
Andrew Hall was given a second chance to open, but scored just 18 before edging Pulasthi Gunaratne to Kumar Sangakkara behind the stumps.

Robin Peterson was promoted to the pinch-hitting role, but endured a torrid time during his brief stay. He was dropped by Russel Arnold at slip and scored just 5 before edging Chaminda Vaas through to Sangakkara.

Herschelle Gibbs, fresh from his century in Kimberley, raced to 47 from just 45 balls with nine sweet boundaries and looked set to carve Sri Lanka apart. However he got a bottom edge to a Chamila Gamage delivery and chopped on to his stumps.

Two players who may be vying for just one World Cup slot then got together determined to seize the day.

Boeta Dippenaar and McKenzie both showed commmendable application in adding 88 for the fourth wicket. Dippenaar got to 36 before being run out due to a direct hit from Marvan Atapattu at backward square leg.

Earlier, 20-year-old debutant Zondeki made a sensational start to his international career by taking a wicket with his first delivery.

Mondeki was introduced into the attack in the 19th over and his first delivery to the in-form Atapattu was a widish ball which the opener edged to wicketkeeper Mark Boucher, who parried the ball to slip where Hall clung on one-handed to give the Border speedster a dream start.

The greenhorn bowled with encouraging pace, occasionally exceeding the 140kph mark, and finished with a respectable analysis of 1/37 from eight overs to enhance his World Cup prospects.

Atapattu had held the tourists' innings together early on with another fine knock of 53 from 63 balls with eight boundaries.

Poor starts have hamstrung Sri Lanka throughout the series and today was no different as they lost three early wickets.

Captain Sanath Jayasuriya's lean run in this series continued when he was dismissed by Allan Donald in the veteran paceman's first over.

Donald opened the bowling with Shaun Pollock in the absence of Makhaya Ntini and induced a poor shot from the skipper who holed out to Jonty Rhodes at point for 2. He struggled with the new ball however, conceding 38 runs in his first four overs.

Pollock, by contrast, was a model of consistency, picking up 2/10 in a seven over spell up front and ending with 2/23 from his full quota.

He took his 250th scalp in limited over internationals when he had number three Aravinda de Silva caught behind by Boucher for his second straight duck, and Mahela Jayawardene fell to the same combination for just 3.

Sangakkara stood firm in the latter part of Sri Lanka's innings with his first substantial score of the series. He reached fifty from a patient 92 balls with six boundaries and ended unbeaten on 77.

The wicketkeeper put on 61 for the fifth wicket with Russel Arnold who scored a neat 36 from 45 balls before edging Hall to Pollock at a wide second slip.

Sangakkara was also involved in a fine stand of 56 for the sixth wicket with Thilan Samaraweera before a mix up in the 46th over saw the newcomer run out for 36.

Vaas then holed out to Gibbs off Donald for a duck and Prabath Nissanka was run out without scoring as Sri Lanka's attempts to accelerate towards the end of their innings faltered.

South Africa made two changes to the side that clinched the series in Kimberley on Wednesday. Zondeki made his international debut, replacing Ntini. Jacques Kallis was rested with Boeta Dippenaar getting another chance to impress ahead of the World Cup.

Sri Lanka also made two changes, Saramaweera coming in for Hashan Tillekaratne and Chamila Gamage replacing Dilhara Fernando.

South Africa lead the five match series 3-1.

Scoreboard of the Sri Lanka innings in the fifth and final one-day international against South Africa at Goodyear Park on Friday:

Sri Lanka
M.Atapattu c Hall b Zondeki 53
S.Jayasuriya c Rhodes b Donald 2
A.de Silva c Boucher b Pollock 0
M.Jayawardene c Boucher b Pollock 3
K.Sangakkara not out 77
R.Arnold c Pollock b Hall 36
T.Samaraweera run out 33
C.Vaas c Gibbs b Donald 0
P.Nissanka run out 0
C.Gamage not out 4
Extras (b-1 lb-6 nb-3 w-10) 20
Total (for eight wickets, 50 overs) 228
Fall of wickets: 1-6 2-7 3-48 4-84 5-145 6-201 7-208 8-208
Did not bat: Pulasthi Gunaratne.
Bowling: Pollock 10-4-23-2, Donald 9-0-65-2 (w-7) Hall 10-1-37-1 (w-1) Klusener 5-0-24-0 (w-2), Zondeki
8-1-37-1 (nb-3) Peterson 8-0-35-0.

South Africa innings

H Gibbs b Gamage 47
A Hall c Sangakkara b Gunaratne 18
R Peterson c Sangakkara b Vaas 5
N McKenzie not out 70
B Dippenaar run out (Atapattu) 36
J Rhodes not out 26
Extras (6lb, 2nb, 16w) 28
Total (for 4 wkts) 229 -- 45.1 overs
Fall of wickets: 1/44 2/53 3/87 4/175
Did not bat: Mark Boucher, Lance Klusener, Shaun Pollock (captain), Allan Donald, Monde Zondeki.
Bowling: Vaas 10-0-37-1, Gamage 10-0-37-1 (8w), Gunaratne 8.1-0-40-1, Nissanka 10-0-48-0 (2nb, 8w),
Samaraweera 4-0-25-0, Jayasuriya 3-0-17-0

Result: South Africa won by 6 wickets
South Africa won the series 4-1
Man of the match: Shaun Pollock (South Africa)
Man of the series: Jacques Kallis (South Africa)