SOUTH Africa has finished its 2022 Commonwealth Games journey on a high, absolutely demolishing Sri Lanka to the tune of 10 wickets.

Although neither South Africa nor Sri Lanka could make the finals anymore, that did not stop the Proteas absolutely making a statement in their final group game. The Proteas won the toss and elected to field, and it paid off straight away when Shabnim Ismail dismissed Hasini Perera on the very first ball of the innings.

It was a sign of what was to come for Sri Lanka, as the South Africans ripped through the Sri Lankan batting line-up. Only one Sri Lankan batter, skipper Chamari Athapaththu, made a double figure score as the team were bowled out for 46 runs in the 18th over. The next best was Malsha Shehani who managed nine runs from 18 alls, but the line-up suffered three ducks and only the two scores above five.

Anneke Bosch was the only one of the bowlers South Africa used who did not get a wicket. Nadine de Klerk led the way with three wickets off seven runs in just four overs, while Masabata Klaas nabbed two off seven runs in three overs. Chloe Tryon, Ismail and Nonkululeko Mlaba each took one.

In reply, the target was unsurprisingly not a challenge for the South Africans. Bosch (20 runs off 16 balls) and Tazmin Brits (21 off 21) went to work and reached the target one ball into the seventh over. The pair hit a combined five boundaries in the run chase, maintaining their strike rate over 100 to finish at 0-49.

Both teams now head home from the Games, and will undoubtedly be disappointed with how their tournaments panned out. Particularly the South Africans, who would have come into this tournament looking to push the English and New Zealanders for a spot in the semi-finals.