De Villiers' half century steers South Africa to 169-5

Cape Town (AFP) - AB de Villiers marked his return to international cricket with a half-century as South Africa met Sri Lanka in the decisive third and final Twenty20 international at Newlands on Wednesday.

Playing in his first international match after recovering from an elbow injury which kept him out of action for six months, De Villiers made 63 off 44 balls, hitting two fours and three sixes, in a South African total of 169 for five.

Batting at number three, De Villiers made a cautious start, with his first run coming off the fifth ball he faced.

His first six runs were singles but he gradually increased his range of strokes, hitting left-arm spinner Lakshan Sandakan for a straight six and pulling a short ball from Asela Gunaratne for another six as he went to his ninth T20 international fifty off 35 balls.

He cleared the boundary with another pull shot, off Isuru Udana, but he lost his wicket just as South Africa were looking to pile on the pressure when he squeezed a drive against Nuwan Kulasekera to Upul Tharanga at backward point off the first ball of the 18th over.

Sri Lanka' players celebrate after the dismissal of AB de Villiers (not visible) during their T20 cricket match against South Africa at Newlands on January 25, 2017, in Cape Town

With captain Farhaan Behardien having been run out three balls earlier, it meant South Africa lost two experienced, explosive batsmen in quick succession.

Mangaliso Mosehle hit three sixes in the final over, however, to enable South Africa to post a competitive total.

Sandakan was again the pick of the bowlers, conceding only 23 runs in four overs and breaking a 71-run second-wicket partnership between De Villiers and Reeza Hendricks when Hendricks was stumped for 41.

The series is tied at 1-1.