Who will win South Africa vs Sri Lanka - 1st ODI?
Sri Lanka beat below-par South Africa in the test series and will now look to end their poor ODI record against South Africa when they meet in Dambulla. The match is scheduled for July 29 and the live action begins at 09:45 local time.
Sl vs Sa - 1st ODI: Where to watch/Live streaming
TV channels: Sky Sports, Sony Six, SuperSport, Fox Sports, Channel Eye, Willow TV, OSN Sports Cricket, GTV
Live streaming: SonyLiv, SLC Cricket
Toss Prediction
The last time South Africa were in Sri Lanka, the winning captain chose to bat first in each of the ODI matches. India bowled first in the most recent ODI at Dambulla, however - a very successful tactic.
Read on for team previews, betting tips, latest odds and match prediction for Sri Lanka vs South Africa - 1st ODI.
Sri Lanka Team News & Playing 11
SL Team News
Captain Angelo Mathews is fit again and ready to reprise his role in charge of the ODI team. Dinesh Chandimal has not been selected despite captaining the team in Mathews’ absence as he serves a four-match ODI ban following the ball-tampering row in the West Indies. Uncapped Prabath Jayasuriya has been selected, and will compete with Akila Dananjaya and Lakshan Sandakan for a starting place.
Kasun Rajitha is pushing for an ODI debut too, but Dushmantha Chameera and Asela Gunaratne are not selected.
SL Key Players
Upul Tharanga has scored 307 runs in his last ten ODIs during a lean spell for Sri Lanka’s ODI batsmen. That includes 56 in their win in the Tri Series final against Bangladesh and an unbeaten 39 in the previous game as Sri Lanka chased just 83 to win.
While the batsmen have struggled, however, the bowlers impressed. Suranga Lakmal took 3/21 as Sri Lanka dismissed Bangladesh for 82, while Thisara Perera has 16 wickets in his last ten ODIs.
The return of Angelo Mathews is a big boost too. The captain averages 41.86 with the bat in ODIs and has claimed 114 wickets at 34.21 with the ball.
SL Team Form
Sri Lanka took a while to get going in their most recent ODI series – the tri-series with Zimbabwe and Bangladesh – but they were dominant team in the end as they thrashed Bangladesh twice to take victory.
A surprise loss to Zimbabwe – falling 12 runs short in pursuit of 290/8 – was followed by a crushing defeat to the hosts, bowled out for 157 in reply to 320/7.
Thisara Perera claimed four wickets as Sri Lanka hit back with a five-wicket defeat of Zimbabwe, however, and they then bowled Bangladesh out for 82 to win their final group game by ten wickets.
In the final, Sri Lanka posted 221 thanks to Upul Tharanga’s half-century and their bowlers dismissed Bangladesh for just 142 in reply.
Their most recent bilateral series saw them lose 2-1 to India, however.
Sri Lanka Predicted Playing 11
Shehan Jayasuriya, Upul Tharanga, Kusal Mendis, Kusal Perera, Dhananjaya de Silva, Niroshan Dickwella, Thisara Perera, Angelo Mathews, Suranga Lakmal, Lakshan Sandakan, Akila Dananjaya
South Africa Team News & Playing 11
SA Team News
Junior Dala, JP Duminy, Reeza Hendricks, David Miller and Andile Phehlukwayo all come into the South Africa squad for the ODI series, with Miller and Hendricks warming up by getting in the runs in South Africa’s warm-up match.
SA Key Players
Hashim Amla scored a century when these two teams last met in an ODI and he has 384 runs in his last nine ODIs at an average of 48. He is likely to open the batting with Quinto de Kock, who has scored 394 in six ODIs.
When they met at Centurion in 2017, Amla scored 154 and De Kock 109 after an opening partnership of 187.
Faf du Plessis scored 71 in the warm-up match, meanwhile, and also scored 75 when the two teams last met.
With the ball, Kagiso Rabada will hope to continue the form he showed in claiming seven wickets at Galle in the first test.
SA Team Form
South Africa were in poor form in the test series between these two and their most recent ODI series was poor too – losing 5-1 in a six-game series with India.
Four times they were bowled out, posting just 118 in the second game and being dismissed for 201 and 204 in their last two games. Their only win came in the fourth game, a rain affected match in which they scored 207/5 to win by five wickets under the D/L method.
Indicative of their struggles was the fact Hashim Amla was their top run scorer with just 154 from six innings. With the ball, Lungi Ngidi claimed eight wickets and Kagiso Rabada five, but nobody else managed more than three.
South Africa Predicted Playing 11
Quinton de Kock, Hashim Amla, Faf du Plessis, JP Duminy, David Miller, Reeza Hendricks, Willem Mulder, Junior Dala, Tabraiz Shamsi, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi
Jul 29, 2018
09:45 IST / 4:15 GMT
Rangiri Dambulla Stadium - Dambulla, Sri Lanka
Sl vs Sa 
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