SriLanka batsman made the most of their practice match against Emerging Cape Cobras, before their spinners got a good work-out to seal a 78-run win at Brackenfell Sports Field.
The match was not on the original tour schedule, but was added on a request made by the Lankan team management. Batting first, Sri Lanka lost their skipper Tillakaratne Dilshan cheaply, but were steadied by a 123-run second wicket partnership between Mahela Jayawardene and Upul Tharanga. Jayawardene had suffered a unfruitful Test series, and his poor run seemed set to continue when he offered opening bowler Brendan Young a return catch, but it was put down.
Jayawardene capitalized with 74 at better than run-a-ball, while Tharanga chipped in with a half-century in his first game on the tour. Thereafter, the Sri Lankans were supported up by chirpy cameos from the youngsters in the middle order - Lahiru Thirimanne and Dinesh Chandimal. Leg spinner Alistair Gray slowed down the Lankans with three wickets in the middle overs, but Quicky Lasith Malinga and spinner Ajantha Mendis slogged proficiently, striking three sixes between them to the push the score to 296 for 9 in 50 overs.
The Emerging Cape Cobras' chase got off to a poor start when they lost their opener Richard Levi, for a duck in Malinga's opening over. Other opener Gray continued to have a good game, though. He made 93 off 126 balls to keep the home team in the hunt, but the spinners made frequent scratches at the other end. Mendis and Rangana Herath took 6 wickets as ECC's chase lost steam to collapse from 127 for 2 to 218 all-out.
Sri Lanka play the first of five ODIs against South Africa on January 11 in Paarl.
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