ESPNcricinfo presents the Plays of the Day from the third ODI between South Africa and Sri Lanka, in Bloemfontein
Firdose Moonda in Bloemfontein17-Jan-2012Trend-breaker of the day
Tillakaratne Dilshan had gone two matches without a run to his name. At the end of the first over of the third ODI, he hauled out a vicious flick to fine leg to stop the rot. Dilshan played an uncharacteristically watchful knock, with his first boundary coming after 41 balls and the Dil-scoop emerging shortly after. He was dismissed caught trying to slog-sweep after he had built a decent foundation. Jonty Rhodes moment of the day
AB de Villiers said South Africa had given away 15 runs too many in the field in East London and demanded an improvement from his men. The response started when Morne Morkel ran across from a wide fine leg, dived to attempt a catch and, when the ball fell short, grabbed it on the half-volley, one-handed, to save four. That was overshadowed, though, by Faf du Plessis, who de Villiers says is “one of the best fielders in the world right now.” Dinesh Chandimal pushed the ball to the right of du Plessis at point and du Plessis lunged, picked it up and struck down the stumps at the striker’s end in a fluid, seamless movement. Kumar Sangakkara was not even halfway down the track and de Villiers had not reached the stumps yet, but du Plessis was spot on.Yorkers of the day
Before Lasith Malinga could get his turn, Morne Morkel removed Nuwan Kulasekara with a pin-point yorker, and then Dale Steyn dismissed Malinga himself with a full, slower ball. But, it was up to the yorker king, Malinga, to bowl the best toe-crushers of the match. He fired in a low, lethal one to Graeme Smith, and then deceived Colin Ingram with a slower one, the ball after Ingram had stroked him for four. South Africa’s new No. 3, Ingram, had no clue and tried to bring the bat down as the ball dipped on him, but was completely fooled.Bungle of the day
In the tenth over, Faf du Plessis carved Rangana Herath to short fine leg for what should have been just a quick single. But the fielder there hurled in a wayward throw that went to a dawdling Lasith Malinga at long-off. Instead of hurrying to the ball, Malinga took his time, allowing for a second and then fluffed the pick-up to let du Plessis and Alviro Petersen steal a third.Déjà vu of the day
At the start of the 34th over, South Africa were one run behind the Duckworth-Lewis par score of 172. Given that the opposition was Sri Lanka and margins were so small, there was an eerie déjà vu of the 2003 World Cup group match that knocked South Africa out; but this time, South Africa did not get their calculations wrong. De Villiers sprinted through for a couple off the first ball, scampered a single off the second and Albie Morkel put pressure on the fielder for a quick single to draw level. Then, Lasith Malinga bowled a wide to put South Africa ahead and they stayed there until the end of the over, when the rain came down.
