Sri Lanka invite South Africa to bat first

Sri Lanka captain Lasith Malinga won the toss and elected to bowl first in Wednesday’s key second ODI against South Africa at SuperSport Park in Centurion.

The hosts boast an early lead in the five-match series, after eight-wicket victory in the first ODI at the Wanderers in Johannesburg on the back of captain Faf du Plessis’ century. Fast bowler Lungi Ngidi, meanwhile, returned from three months on the sidelines due to injury with three important wickets.

“For a first performance back from injury I think I’d take three for 60. Representing my country means the world to me, so I wanted to do the best I could on the day. Coming back from injury, there were a lot of things on my mind, but when I was on the field I was able to block those out. I was very nervous before the game, but after bowling that first ball I settled down,” said Ngidi.

South Africa have won seven of the last 10 ODIs at SuperSport Park. Their previous ODI against the Sri Lankans at this venue was in February 2017, when opening batmsman Quinton de Kock and Hashim Amla amassed centuries. Amla is the country’s leading run-scorer in the intermediate format of the international game at this ground, but is not part of the current squad.

SuperSport