Led by two of the country’s brightest stars of the future, South Africa A clinched the three-match limited-overs cricket series with a 203-run thrashing of Sri Lanka A at Centurion Park on Wednesday.
After Morne van Wyk had been instrumental in spurring the hosts to a mammoth 324 for six, Monde Zondeki ripped the the middle order to shreds to reduce Sri Lanka to 121 all out.
Van Wyk underlined his status as the most likely successor to national wicketkeeper Mark Boucher by scoring 118 and then taking four catches.
His flying leap to dismiss skipper Russel Arnold signalled the end of the Lankan resistance and sealed the series win following the surprise loss in Benoni on Sunday. Van Wyk was forced to make such an athletic leap after Zondeki had delivered a snorter that Arnold (26) could only fend away.
Zondeki, after bowling indifferently with the new ball in Benoni, was relieved of his opening duties on Wednesday.
When he was eventually given the ball after Roger Telemachus and Garnett Kruger had made early inroads, Zondeki responded with alacrity.
He took six for 37 and throughout bowled with sustained pace and hostility.
Equally belligerent, but slightly less successful, was Garnett Kruger. Drafted into the side after Dewald Pretorius pulled a hamstring, Kruger dismissed both Sri Lankan openers with just nine on the board.
The tourists, however, were placed under enormous pressure even before the early strikes after Van Wyk had steered SA A to the huge tally.
Having been given just one chance on the recent cricket tour to England, Van Wyk has grasped with both hands the opportunity to prove his enormous worth in this series.
After making consecutive half centuries in Potchefstroom and Benoni, Van Wyk finally made the most of a solid start to go on to make a century.
Along with Loots Bosman, who made 77 from 74 balls, Van Wyk simply bludgeoned the Sri Lankan attack.
The pair put on 157 for the first wicket before Bosman, rather tamely, gave away his wicket after a gloriously aggressive innings.
The robust scoring rate was maintained, however, when Martin van Jaarsveld, after failing to get off the mark this series, hammered 70 from 60 deliveries.
Although the hosts lost a clutch of wickets at the end, Justin Kemp, with an undefeated 31, ensured that the 300-mark was comfortably broached. — Sapa