CRICKET POLL

South Africa ended their stint in the tri-nation series with a big, consolatory victory over finalists Sri Lanka in Colombo. Despite Dewmi Vihanga's five-wicket haul, South Africa posted 315 for 9, with Annerie Dercksen smashing an 84-ball 104. She had Chloe Tryon for company, who put in an incredible all-round performance. She first smashed 74 off 51 and then went on to pick a hat-trick as well as a five-wicket haul to secure her team's 76-run victory.

South Africa laid a fairly strong foundation for their batting effort with a 68-run opening stand between Laura Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits. Sri Lanka hit back through the middle-phase where Vihanga ran through the top-order with a five-fer and Chamari Athapaththu picked a wicket too. South Africa went from 68 for 0 to 127 for 6 before Dercksen and Tryon picked up the pieces to spark the turnaround. They added 112 off 88 deliveries for the seventh wicket in the process.

Dercksen smashed nine fours and five sixes during her whirlwind knock that was ended by Manudi Nanayakkara. But that wicket paved the way for another fiery stand - this time between Tryon and Nadine de Klerk. This pair took South Africa past the 300-run mark before Tryon became Athapaththu's second wicket, for a 74 off 51 which included four fours and five sixes. De Klerk threw her bat around for an unbeaten 32 off 19 to push the team to a score in excess of 300.

Sri Lanka too started well through Hasini Perera and Vishmi Gunaratne but Tryon sent both packing in the space of four overs after they added 52 for the opening wicket. Sri Lanka's top-order showed better resistance to a collapse as Harshitha Samarawickrama and Athapaththu forged a 56-run third-wicket stand.

But once Seshnie Naidu broke it with the wicket of Samarawickrama, Sri Lanka lost their way and hurtled downhill quickly. They went from 124 for 2 in 25 overs to 191 for 6 in 36.1 overs. Anushka Sanjeewani and Vihanga pushed the team past 200 but Tryon returned to pick a hat-trick by dismissing Vihanga, Sugandika Kumari and Malki Madara off three successive deliveries in the 42nd over. In the following over, Sri Lanka folded for 239 with the wicket of Inoshi Priyadharshani.

Brief Scores: South Africa Women 315/9 (Annerie Dercksen 104, Chloe Tryon 74, Nadine de Klerk 32*; Dewmi Vihanga 5-43) beat Sri Lanka Women 239 in 42.5 overs (Chamari Athapaththu 52, Anushka Sanjeewani 43; Chloe Tryon 5-34) by 76 runs