COLOMBO: South African captain AB de Villiers won the toss and sent Sri Lanka in to bat in the first one-day international at the Premadasa stadium in Colombo on Saturday.

The Proteas, already without three frontline players in Dale Steyn, Jacques Kallis and Graeme Smith, suffered a blow when star batsman Hashim Amla pulled out of the first game due to a stiff neck.

Sri Lanka are captained by 23-year-old Dinesh Chandimal after Angelo Mathews was suspended for two games for slow over-rates during the recent tri-series in the West Indies.

Sri Lanka: Dinesh Chandimal (captain), Lahiru Thirimanne, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Upul Tharanga, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Jehan Mubarak, Rangana Herath, Lasith Malinga, Shaminda Eranga, Thisara Perera.

South Africa: AB de Villiers (captain), Alviro Petersen, JP Duminy, Faf du Plessis, Colin Ingram, Ryan McLaren, David Miller, Morne Morkel, Chris Morris, Robin Peterson, Aaron Phangiso.

Umpires: Richard Kettleborough (ENG) and Ranmore Martinesz (SRI), TV umpire: Rod Tucker (AUS)

Match referee: Andy Pycroft (ZIM)

(AFP)