anti-climatic end perhaps, with a full ball swiped to long-on for a single. Udana ends on an incredible 84* off 48, easily the innings of the day. He should be Man of the Match if nothing else. What devastating hitting. But Sri Lanka lose by 16 runs and South Africa have thus won the T20I series, taking a 2-0 lead
South Africa vs Sri Lanka, 2nd T20I at Centurion, SL in SA, Mar 22 2019 - Ball by Ball Commentary
Right that does it for us folks. Join us soon, because the cricket doesn't stop. IPL's starting in a few hours, and the third T20I of this series is yet to come too. This is Saurabh, signing off on behalf of Hemant and Thilak.
The man of the match is Rassie van der Dussen. "Reeza played brilliantly. We played a lot of our cricket together so we understand each other well. We complement each others' strengths. He scores in different areas than I do, so for a bowler it's always tough. Very satisfied with the summer, making my debut was a dream come true. Trying to take it a game at a time and be my best every ball. I've worked very hard, so I want to take all opportunities."
JP Duminy: "Certainly satisfying. Always good to get a series win under the belt. Yes there are a few areas we can brush up on, but all in all a good performance tonight. In T20 cricket, partnerships are under-valued and that 100-run partnership set up the game for us. That first over (by Steyn) was quality. He's a match winner and he's always going to give you something in the PowerPlay. And to follow it with Chris Morris, we got four-five wickets up front. Great innings by Isuru Udana. Always nice to play in the Highveld, we're looking to end the series on a high."
9.35 pm If Udana had some support... that is going to be the refrain in Sri Lanka. He's already shown earlier on this tour that he can really wallop the ball, but this was his best exhibition of hitting yet. Really gave the ball an almighty biff, but it was not just mindless hitting. He was picking his spots and his balls to hit, and he backed himself to bring off the shots he wanted to. Showed a great eye and equally great power. South Africa would have been nervous at one point, after looking to have the game sewn up. This has been a pretty poor limited-overs leg for Sri Lanka, but in Udana, they've discovered a gem.
and he's going out in style. Sri Lanka may not be winning this, but Udana is making some statement. Short ball outside off and he pulls it from outside off to beyond the square leg boundary. Got it not exactly off the meat of the bat, but hit so powerfully that it travels over the fence just the same
caught on the bounce at deep midwicket. Reeza Hendricks dives forward, but says it dropped short, and it did.
dragged this to deep square leg from well outside off, and there is confusion in the running between the wickets, and sloppiness in trying to run the batsmen out. The throw came to the bowler's end with the batsman well out of his crease having hesitated for the second, but Sipamala made a mess of collecting it. He hares after it and throws it to the keeper, but Udana dives to make his crease
oh that's done it. Full on off, and driven powerfully, but straight to cover. Sri Lanka need a no-ball six now to win
six first ball! full on a fifth stump line, he gets down on one knee and swings through the line. Sends it over long-off! Game on, game very much still on
Udana needs to hit 32 runs off this over to win it. Unlikely. But given what we've seen so far, you wouldn't call it impossible... Sipamla to bowl
you miss I hit it's Morris's turn to say, though to Malinga. Full fast and straight, Malinga was backing away, doesn't connect. The ball finds timbre.
he's slashed that past point he backed away and just threw his bat at it, gets a thick edge that runs between point and short third man for four
driven powerfully again, but not as straight and long-on collects on the bounce
bang this is sublime striking. Morris goes full again and Udana opts to go straight back over his head. ANd hits with such power and timing that it crashes into the sight screen without even a full follow through. Amazing
he responds with a pacy bouncer, but it's gone too high and it'll be a wide. Bounced over his head
you miss, I hit Morris misses the yorker by a few centimetres, and it's enough for Udana. Again clearing his front leg and striking it from middle and off to crash it through extra cover
yorker length on middle stump, driven by going back and clearing his front leg, but straight to cover
there have been a rash of injuries to fast bowlers in the IPL. Are any franchises watching Isuru Udana? Can bowl, can tonk - both pretty well
that's completely through him. tossed up outside off, and spinning back in, takes a feather of Malinga's bat when he goes to prod at it, and misses stumps by a whisker to run to fine leg
given some air on leg stump, he defends off the front foot with his pad in front of his bat
PRP: "Duminy has overs remaining from Morris and Steyn and he goes for Shamsi. Wow! It's not a surprise that he is not trusted for any permanent leadership role."
dragged it on Shamsi had tossed this up well outside off and Akila unwisely attempts to go for glory himself, with a big booming drive. Ends up getting an inside edge onto the stumps. Would have been better off looking to push or nudge it for a single to get Udana back on strike
moves way across the line and paddles it in the air to square leg. Duminy runs after it from fine leg but can't get there, collects on the bounce
fuller but in the same reverse-sweeping slot. He goes for it again, but misses this time.
whoa, reverse sweep for four angled across him, and he spots it early. Premeditated the reverse and connected well to send it to the square leg fence
57 needed off 18
he's broken his bat whew, Udana is whacking them so hard, the end of his bat has broken off! He's looking pretty unhappy about it. That was back of a length on the stumps, he backed away again and got it off the toe-end, it went up in the air, but landed safely behind mid-off. But the bat's going to have to be changed, though Udana has ensured he's still on strike
Over 20 • SL 164/9
South Africa won by 16 runs