Half-centuries from Hashim Amla and JP Duminy helped South Africa secure a five-wicket win in the second one-day international against Sri Lanka on Saturday. Opening batsman Amla weighed in with 55 off 58 balls while Duminy was not out on 66 off 87 deliveries. South Africa, chasing Sri Lanka’s 236 for six, reached 237 for five with eight balls remaining. Amla and Graeme Smith (28) provided the hosts with an impressive start thanks to an opening stand of 76 before Duminy controlled the middle-order as the hosts took a 2-0 lead in the five-match series. Amla looked in complete control during his innings, which included five fours and two sixes. Duminy was content to simply work the ball around and struck just one six. Sri Lanka owed their final total to Dinesh Chandimal, who ended not out on 92, and left-handed opening batsman Upul Tharanga. He made 66 off 85 deliveries with six fours and a six. Chandimal, together with Nuwan Kulasekara (22) and Angelo Mathews (28), provided the innings with some late impetus. The third match of the series is in Bloemfontein on Tuesday. South Africa won the first game by 258 runs. Dinesh Chandimal and Upul Tharanga hit half-centuries in a battling Sri Lankan performance. Seeking to come back after a record defeat in the first match in Paarl, Sri Lanka made 236 for six after being sent in on a slow pitch on an overcast day. Tharanga hit 66 and Chandimal 92 not out as Sri Lanka made some amends after being bowled out for a record low 43 in Paarl. Sri Lanka made another poor start, with captain Tillekeratne Dilshan run out for his second successive nought and Kumar Sangakkara caught behind for three as they struggled to 21 for two after 10 overs. Tharanga and Chandimal put on 84 for the third wicket to build a foundation for a late innings acceleration that yielded 109 runs off the last 15 overs. But the tourists were seldom able to break a stranglehold imposed by tight South African bowling and tigerish fielding. The wickets taken included two spectacular diving catches, by Dale Steyn at short fine leg to dismiss Mahela Jayawardene and Robin Peterson, running back from mid-on to end an aggressive innings of 22 off 13 balls by Nuwan Kulasekera. The left-handed Tharanga made his runs off 85 balls with six fours and a straight six off JP Duminy. Chandimal hit only one four in reaching his fifty off 84 balls but added five more boundaries off the remaining 31 balls of his innings to finish tantalisingly short of a third one-day international century in 19 matches. Lonwabo Tsotsobe and Morne Morkel took two wickets each after rain delayed the start by 26 minutes.
