19.01.2012 De Villiers enjoys golden start
 Sri Lanka captain and batsman Tillakaratne Dilshan (R) plays a shot as South Africa’s captain and wicketkeeper AB de Villiers moves in for the catch during the third One Day International (ODI) match between South Africa and Sri Lanka at the Chevrolet Park Stadium in Bloemfontein January 17, 2012. AFP
AB de Villiers could not have wished for a better start to his captaincy of South Africa’s limited-overs team as the Proteas secured a one-day series win by beating Sri Lanka in the third Sunfoil one-day international (ODI) in Bloemfontein.
De Villiers’s men now hold an unassailable 3-0 lead in the fivematch series – making the two remaining fixtures, in Kimberley on Friday and the Wanderers in Johannesburg, of little more than academic value.
The Proteas held on to claim a narrow four-run win in Bloemfontein on the Duckworth/Lewis method but it would be churlish and unfair to say that the home team would have gone on to win the game if their innings had gone the full 50 overs instead of the 34 that were bowled before rain intervened.
South Africa, in reply to Sri Lanka’s 266 for nine, had reached 179 for five before rain intervened, comfortably up with the run-rate but with the last two recognised batsmen at the crease in De Villiers and Albie Morkel while Sri Lanka spearhead Lasith Malinga had five overs up his sleeve.
The Proteas’ win was down to the flexibility shown by team management, not always a term that is associated with the South Africa cricket team.
The decision to promote Faf du Plessis to four in the batting order proved to be a masterstroke as the 27-year-old contributed a careerbest 72 off 74 balls to keep his team in the match after they had sunk to 52 for three.
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