Proteas Women’s allrounder Sune Luus brought out one of her best performances at the Wanderers to secure South Africa’s two-wicket victory and clinch Sunday’s Turbo Bowler accolade, writes ANITHA MADIKIZELA.
The right-handed leg-spinner decimated the Sri Lanka Women’s batting order by snatching a well-deserved 5-14 off 3.4 overs. The home team restricted the travelers to just 105 runs before the Islanders were bowled out in the final over of their allotted innings.
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After missing South Africa’s romp to victory in the first T20I at Newlands, the 23-year-old Protea has taken her bowling to new heights by picking up her second five-wicket haul in T20I cricket to propel her to the top of the five-for records for South Africa’s women, breaking her record tie with pacer Shabnim Ismail at one apiece.
SA won the toss & elected to field first. Only team change is Suné Luus is coming in for Mignon du Preez. #ProteasWomen #AlwaysRising #SAvSL pic.twitter.com/BbEvuBpy6u
— Cricket South Africa (@OfficialCSA) February 3, 2019
Luus ripped through Sri Lanka’s middle order with the dismissals of Shashikala Siriwardene (38 off 33 balls, 5×4, 1×6) and Imalka Mendis (12 off 21 balls) in the 16th over of the innings before accounting for Umesha Thimashini (7) and Nilakshi de Silva (4) her following over.
She finished her attack off with a sensational caught and bowled effort to get rid of No 11 Inoka Ranaweera as Luus finished her spell with five wickets at the expense of just 14 runs to help the home side win by two wickets in Joburg – sealing the three-match series with an unassailable 2-0 lead.
5 wickets for @SuneLuus and that's the end of the Sri Lanka women's innings. They are all out for 102 runs. This is Luus' 2nd career five-wicket haul in T20 internationals. #ProteasWomen #AlwaysRising pic.twitter.com/88YC9gGlmP
— Cricket South Africa (@OfficialCSA) February 3, 2019
The leg-spinner recorded her second-best bowling figures in T20Is to help the home team over the line and earn herself an obvious Player of the Match award following her awesome match-winning display.
Sri Lanka will be going into the final encounter at SuperSport Park on Wednesday with the hopes of securing the win that will avoid a humiliating whitewash on foreign soil.
Photo: Matthew Lewis/IDI/Getty Images