Only a few weeks on from that morale-boosting Test win in Durban, things have taken a decisive downward turn for Sri Lanka. After Kallis and co gave them a drubbing in the third Test, South Africa's one-day side inflicted their worst defeat in a One-Day International, dismissing them for a paltry 43 in barely 20 overs. This was their worst ever total and the third largest winning margin of the 3,225 ODIs played so far. No wonder skipper Dilshan described it as the worst in his career. After playing so well to reach the World Cup Final less than a year ago, his form has slumped along with most of his team mates. Only Lasith Malinga, with five wickets to his name, can emerge with any credit from this annihilation.
The pitch was apparently not noticeably worse for Sri Lanka than it was when Hashim Amla was stroking a century, and both Kallis and AB de Villiers striking impressive fifties, so what was the excuse? The batsmen were simply undone by smart, accurate pace bowling, especially by Morkel and the returning Tsotsobe.
While the deficit of 258 has been beaten twice before, one of those was when New Zealand crushed lowly Ireland in Aberdeen three summers ago. James Marshall and Brendan McCullum piled on 274 for the first wicket on that occasion en route for 402-2. A weak opposition, without most of their 2011 World Cup stars, were dismissed for 112. The other superior margin of victory was the result of South Africa (again) getting the better of Zimbabwe in October 2010. Then it was Duminy and De Villiers who each reached three figures.
The three lower scores ever recorded in ODIs were each made, ironically, against Sri Lanka: Zimbabwe twice and Canada. At Harare in April 2004, Marvin Atapattu put the home team in and bowled them out for a pathetic 35 in 18 overs. Chaminda Vaas took 4-11 while Mahela Jayawardene had time to score only three not out in the heat of the exciting (not!) run chase. Dilshan and Sangakkara also played in that game so have now experienced both sides of the coin. Sanga and Mahela were also in the team which bowled the Canadians for 36 in the 2003 World Cup and the Zimbabweans for 38 in Colombo ten years ago. In all three matches, the venerable Vaas bowled brilliantly, taking 8-19 in the latter contest, a word I use rather loosely in this context!
Now Sri Lanka surely cannot sink any lower. They bounced back after losing the 1st Test and now they must do the same in East London on Saturday. Malinga apart, the attack looks toothless but the experienced batting line-up need to summon up the spirit of last year's World Cup to stand a chance against South Africa who look such an excellent well-balanced side.
