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WC 2015 SA vs SL: South Africa break knockout jinx, seal semifinal berth with thumping win over Sri Lanka

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DC Correspondent
18 March 2015 8:35 AM GMT
South Africa outplay Sri Lanka to seal 9-wicket win
WC 2015 SA vs SL: South Africa break knockout jinx, seal semifinal berth with thumping win over Sri Lanka
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While Dale Steyn and co. did their bit to rock the Sri Lankan innings, it was JP Duminy who stole the show with a hat-trick. (Photo: AP)

Sydney: JP Duminy took a hat-trick as South Africa's bowlers set up a crushing nine-wicket World Cup quarterfinal win over Sri Lanka in Sydney on Wednesday. They will face the winners of Saturday's match between New Zealand and the West Indies in an Auckland semi-final on March 24.

Here is how the action unfolded..

Sri Lanka, who won the toss, were bowled out for just 133 on a good Sydney Cricket Ground pitch.

After South Africa's pacemen reduced Sri Lanka to four for two, leg-spinner Imran Tahir (four for 26 in 8.2 overs) and off-spinner Duminy (three for 29 in seven) made sure the Islanders' innings never got out of first gear.

South Africa, so often labelled World Cup 'chokers', completed an emphatic win by finishing on 134 for one with 32 overs to spare.

Quinton de Kock, who had managed just 53 runs in six previous innings this World Cup, was 78 not out after hitting the winning boundary -- his 12th four -- off paceman Lasith Malinga.

Faf du Plessis was unbeaten on 21.

Victory meant the Proteas had, after several heartbreaking reverses that started at the SCG with a rain-affected semi-final loss to England in 1992, finally won a knockout match at the World Cup.

Leg-spinner Imran Tahir took four for 26 and off-spinner JP Duminy a hat-trick on his way to three for 29.

Kumar Sangakkara top-scored with 45 as his record-breaking run of four successive one-day international hundreds came to an end.

Kusal Perera who came back to open the innings with Lahiru Thirimanne dropping down the order, was dimissed in the second over by Kyle Abbott. The left-hander edged one and wicketkeeper de Kock took a stunning catch on the second attempt to give South Africa their first breakthrough.

Then struck Dale Steyn in his third over as he removed Dilshan to put Sri Lanka in further trouble. Faf du Plessis, who was stationed in the slips, took a fine catch to end Dilshan's stay in the middle.

Watch: Dale Steyn gets bowling advice from 11-year-old ahead of World Cup

Batting in the middle order in this game, Lahiru Thirimanne, joined Kumar Sangakkara in the middle. While the man with four tons in this World Cup looked sedate, Thirimanne attacked the South African pacers.

Sri Lanka brought up their fifty in the 15th over of the innings, with Thirimanne scoring major chunk of runs. Sangakkara who was slow, scoring only six from 42 balls, hit his first boundary off Tahir's bowling and the stadium became a scene of joy.

But Sri Lankan fans' joy was cut short as Imran Tahir dismissed Lahiru Thirimanne in the 20th over. The leg-spinner tossed up one which bounced and the left-hander gave an easy caught and bowled opportunity.

While Sangakkara did not get going, he still managed to register his name in the record books. Kumar Sangakkara became just the sixth player to score 500 runs at a World Cup when he reached five not out against South Africa.

The 37-year-old left-hander came into this match on the back of a record run of four successive hundreds after making 105 not out against Bangladesh, 117 not out against England, 104 against Australia and 124 against Scotland in the group stage.

However, needing just four more for 500 runs in the tournament, Sangakkara found scoring more difficult against South Africa, taking 28 balls to get to five with a three off Kyle Abbott.

There have now been seven instances of a batsman scoring 500 runs at a World Cup, with India great Sachin Tendulkar -- who performed the feat twice -- holding the record for most runs at a World Cup with 673 at the 2003 edition in Southern Africa.

The other batsmen to have made 500 runs at a World Cup include Sangakkara's Sri Lanka team-mates Mahela Jayawardene (2007) and Tillakaratne Dilshan (2011), as well as Australia's Matthew Hayden and Ricky Ponting (both 2007).

While Sangakkara registered his name in the record books, his side was in deep trouble after Imran Tahir scalped a big wicket on Mahela Jayawardene in the 24th over.

A short ball from Tahir invited Mahela to go for a big one over the mid-wicket fieldsman. But he could only manage to give an easy catch to South African skipper AB de Villiers.

In an over before, the Sri Lankan right-hander survived a close LBW shout and was involved in a confusion while running between the wickets.

Angelo Mathews was tested with short balls from Morne Morkel before he was eventually dismissed by JP Duminy. The Sri Lankan skipper could only score 19. Thisara Perera joined his skipper in the dressing room without wasting too much time as Imran Tahir dismissed him.

Sri Lanka lost their third wicket in quick succession when Duminy remove Kulasekara to leave Sri Lanka in shambles; 116/7. It soon became 116/8 as Duminy completed a hat-trick by dismissing man-on-debut Kaushal.

Duminy became the 9th bowler to have a hat-trick in the World Cup and the first South African to achieve such feat in the World Cup.

Watch:

Then fell the big man, Kumar Sangakkara; Sri Lanka's only hope to see them through to a respectable total. The left-hander tried to cut a Morne Morkel-delivery but only ended up giving an easy catch to David Miller, who was standing at the third-man.

With Sanga's dismissal, came to heavy rains.

However, the play resumed soon and Imran Tahir wasted no time in scalping his fourth wicket to end the Sri Lankan innings for 133.

South Africa brought back batsman Faf du Plessis and Kyle Abbott came in for fellow paceman Vernon Philander, who had been struggling with a hamstring injury.

Hours before this match, Sri Lanka left-arm spinner Rangana Herath was ruled out of the rest of the tournament with a finger injury with his replacement, off-spinner Tharindu Kaushal, whose solitary Test appearance came against New Zealand in Wellington in December last year, handed a debut.

Dushmantha Chameera, a 147km/h seamer, was chosen to accompany pace spearhead Lasith Malinga.

South Africa were looking to win their first World Cup knockout match, with Sri Lanka, the 1996 champions and runners-up in 2007 and 2011 bidding for a third straight appearance in the final.

Whichever side wins this match will play either New Zealand or the West Indies, who meet on Saturday, in a March 24 semi-final in Auckland.

It was no surprise Mathews opted to bat first given that, after morning cloud cover evaporated, conditions appeared ideal for run-scoring on a good pitch.

Sri Lanka came into this match with veteran batsman Kumar Sangakkara in prime form after scoring a record four hundreds in successive one-day internationals.

( Source : deccan chronicle/afp )
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