Sri Lanka vs South Africa 2018, 5th ODI – Statistical Highlights

Sri Lanka might have lost the ODI series but did finish things off on high with a huge 178-run win in the final ODI stealing a 3-run win in a rain-affected thriller in the 4th ODI. Skipper Angelo Mathews build his team’s innings with an unbeaten 97 and took them to 299/8 in the 50 overs. The Saffers were never in the 300-run chase as they lost Hashim Amla in the very first over and Akila Dananjaya ran through their young middle and lower order. The off-spinner bagged a 6-wicket haul to bundle out the visitors for just 121.

All the major stats and numbers recorded during Sri Lanka’s exceptional win in the final ODI:

6/29 – Akila Dananjaya became only the 2nd player to take a 6-wicket haul in ODI cricket against South Africa. Sunil Narine had figures of 6/27 in the Windies Triangular series in 2016.

Dananjaya’s figures of 6/29 are also the best ODI figures for a Sri Lankan since Angelo Mathews’ 6/20 against India in 2009 also coming at Colombo (RPS).

6/29 – Dananjaya’s bowling figures of 6/29 are the best in the ODIs between Sri Lanka and South Africa. Lance Klusener’s 6/49 in the 1997 Lahore ODI was the only other 6-fer in the SL-SA ODIs.

12 – Dananjaya is only the 12th player to take multiple 6-wicket hauls in ODI cricket. He is the 3rd from Sri Lanka to take two 6-fers in this format after Chaminda Vaas and Ajantha Mendis.

14 – Dananjaya’s 14 wickets in this series are the 2nd most by a Sri Lankan in a bilateral ODI series. Ajantha Mendis bagged 15 wickets in the 5-match series against Zimbabwe in 2008.

No player before the 24-year-old took more than 11 wickets in any bilateral ODI series between Sri Lanka and South Africa.

14 – The 14 wickets by Dananjaya are the most for any player in a 5-match bilateral ODI series against South Africa surpassing Mitchell Johnson’s 13 wickets in the 2009 series.

Geoff Allott in the 1999 7-match home series took 14 wickets against South Africa while Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal bagged 17 and 16 wickets respectively in the 6-match series in South Africa earlier this year.

121 – South Africa’s total of 121 is their lowest in ODI cricket against Sri Lanka. Their previous lowest against the Lankans in this format was 140 in 2013 also at this venue.

178 – Sri Lanka’s 178-run win in this match is their 2nd biggest win in terms of runs over South Africa in ODI format. Their biggest was by 180 runs in July 2013 also at the RPS in Colombo.

299 – Sri Lanka made 299 in their 50 overs and the highest partnership was 53. No other team has scored more runs in an ODI where the highest partnership was 60 and lower.

The lowest highest partnership in a 300+ ODI total is 62 when England made 304 against South Africa in the 2005 East London ODI.

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