Proteas tune up for World Cup with another series win

South Africa have defeated Sri Lanka comprehensively by nine wickets in a rain-hit Twenty20 international in Colombo to win the three-match series with a match to spare.

Having lost the one-day international series 2-1, South Africa won the first match by 28 runs and bowled out Sri Lanka for 103 in Sunday's second match, their lowest ever score when batting first at home.

It's South Africa's third consecutive T20 series win and the ideal tune up for next month's T20 World Cup, where they'll be grouped with Australia, England and the West Indies.

Despite the Proteas moving beyond legends like AB de Villiers, Dale Steyn and Faf du Plessis, spinner Tabraiz Shamsi believes the current group of players can still be a force in world cricket.

"We're on a run of consecutive series so I don't think this team is rubbish. I think we are quite good," said Shamsi, the world's top-ranked T20 bowler.

"People speak about the great teams of the past. This team is on par with them.

"We might not have as many household names because we haven't played that much international cricket. It doesn't mean the players are not that good, just because they are not well known."

Since losing their home series to Pakistan in April, the Proteas have beaten the West Indies 3-2 and Ireland 3-0 away and will be hoping for another clean sweep in Tuesday's series finale in Colombo.

They've now won six matches in a row.

Opener Kusal Perera scored 30 but found little support as five different South African bowlers picked up wickets at regular intervals.

Shamsi was the pick with 3-20 while Aiden Markram finished with a career-best 3-21 as the spinners wreaked havoc.

"We've got a lot of quality bowlers in the attack. These pitches take a lot more turn than back home, that's something we've got to get used to," said Shamsi, who was adjudged the player of the match.

In response, South Africa reached the target with the loss of just one wicket as opener Quinton de Kock smashed seven boundaries in his unbeaten knock of 58 while Markram scored 21 off 19 balls.