Zoysa bowls Sri Lanka to win against South Africa

COLOMBO: Left-arm seamer Nuwan Zoysa took career-best figures of 5-26 on Sunday as Sri Lanka crushed South Africa by 37 runs in the second One-Day International.

Sri Lanka now leads the five-match series 2-0, having secured a thrilling three-wicket win in the opening match on Friday.

Defending a modest 213 runs to win, Sri Lanka got off to a stunning start as Zoysa ripped through the South African top order, taking four wickets within the space of five runs.

Zoysa began his wicket hunt by bowling out-of-form opener Herschelle Gibbs for seven when the total was on 15, and 20 runs later had No. 3 batsman Nicky Boje, promoted in the batting order, caught by Tillekeratne Dilshan for 14.

Skipper Graeme Smith fell in Zoysa's sixth over, bowled between the bat and pad for 14.

Jaqcues Kallis, South Africa's top-scorer in the first one-dayer was ruled out lbw by Sri Lankan umpire Gamini Silva though television pictures showed the ball pitching outside the leg stump. South Africa were 5-40 when Jacques Rudolph departed for four runs.

Mark Boucher, another half-century maker in the first match was snapped up by Mahela Jayawardene at first slip off legspin bowler Kaushal Lokuarachchi, leaving the visitors struggling at 6-50. Shaun Pollock and Jean-Paul Duminy resisted the Sri Lankan barrage to add 44 runs for the seventh wicket in 86 balls before Duminy played back and was trapped lbw by Dilshan. He made 22 runs in 45 balls.

Lance Klusener joined Pollock for a 51-run stand in 69 balls giving South Africa a minor hope of victory.

However, Pollock departed in the 45th over after making 54 _ his eighth limited-overs fifty when he was caught by skipper Marvan Atapattu at wide mid-on off Dilshan.

Dilshan wrapped up the South African innings for 176 when he had Klusener caught by Sanath Jayasuriya for 40 runs. Dilshan recorded 4-52.

Earlier Kumar Sangakkara and Upul Chandana shared a fighting 93-run partnership for the sixth wicket to help Sri Lanka set a modest 214-run target for South Africa.

Sangakkara top-scored with 63 runs off 83 balls _ his 15th limited-overs fifty and rescued a cracking Sri Lankan innings after the hosts had lost five wickets for 86 runs in the 25th over. Chandana was unbeaten on 61 _ his fifth half-century and gave Sangakkara able support.

Atapattu won the toss and elected to bat first but fast bowler Pollock struck early when he bowled opener Jayasuriya with an away swinger for nine runs.

Avishka Gunawardene looked dangerous during his brief innings of 21 but failed to build on the start. Gunawardene faced 27 balls and hit two fours and a six over extra cover off pacer Alan Dawson. Atapattu too fell after a good start edging to Boucher off Ntini for 26.

Jayawardene struggled for 12 balls and departed without scoring while Dilshan departed for five runs leaving Sri Lanka five down for 86 runs.

Sangakkara and Chandana steadied the innings with a 117-ball stand until Sangakkara was run out in the 45th over of the innings. Seamer Jacques Kallis took three wickets for 20 runs in six overs.