After losing Dimantha Mahavithana early in their chase, Chamuditha and Senuja Wekunagoda put their heads down and stitched together a second-wicket partnership of 143 runs. The Sri Lankan batters were conservative in their risk-taking, and kept the scoreboard ticking.
Giving another glimpse of why he has been earmarked as a future star, Chamuditha brought up his second hundred of the tournament. He struck 13 fours and a six during a well-paced innings of 110 that set up Sri Lanka for a crucial win.
There were some moments of anxiety as South African wicketkeeper Lethabo Phahlamohlaka grabbed two stunning catches, knocking Sri Lanka from a healthy 166-2 to 206 for four.
It brought down the scoring rate but didn’t derail the chase. Heentigala and Dulnith Sigera calmly navigated a tricky final phase to carry the team to victory in 46 overs.
The loss to Sri Lanka marked the end of a disappointing tournament for the Proteas, with their only win at the tournament coming against Tanzania.