South Africa crushed a shell-shocked Sri Lanka in Sydney on Wednesday to sail through the semi-finals of the cricket World Cup.
JP Duminy took a hat-trick for the Proteas as the Sri Lankans, who won the toss and decided to bat on a good pitch, were skittled out for 133. Duminy’s hat-trick claimed his only victims in his seven overs, but he was ably backed up by leg spinner Imran Tahir, who took four wickets for 26 in his 8.2 overs.
South Africa, so often labelled World Cup ‘chokers’, knocked off their target with a humiliating 32 overs to spare.
Wicketkeeper/batsman Quinton de Kock, who had managed just 53 runs in six previous innings this World Cup, made 78 not out and had the honour of hitting the winning boundary – his 12th of the innings- off unorthodox pace bowler Lasith Malinga. Faf du Plessis also ended the match unbeaten, on 21.
Victory meant the Proteas, after several heart-breaking reverses that started at the SCG with a rain-affected semi-final loss to England in 1992, have finally won a knockout match at the World Cup. They will travel to Auckland next Tuesday to compete with the winners of Saturday’s match between New Zealand and the West Indies.
Sri Lanka’s defeat meant there was no fairy tale farewell for batting greats Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene, whose last one-day international before retirement Wednesday’s match has become. The pair, key members of the Sri Lanka side that lost the 2007 and 2011 World Cup finals, had been desperate to finish with a flourish.
The match also ended Sangakkara’s record-breaking run of four successive ODI hundreds, although he predictably top-scored with 45. He will continue playing test cricket, while Jayawardene’s retirement from ODIs means his stellar international career is at an end.
South Africa’s bowlers, often overshadowed in ODI cricket by their more celebrated batsmen, dominated Sri Lanka from the start. Kusal Perera, promoted to open the innings, fell for three when he edged Kyle Abbott and was brilliantly caught left-handed, at the second attempt, by de Kock as the wicketkeeper dived in front of first slip.
Tillakaratne Dilshan was then out for a seven-ball duck, edging fast bowler Dale Steyn low to du Plessis at second slip. Thirimanne, who struck five fours, exited when he chipped an easy return catch to man-of-the-match, Pakistan-born Tahir, who then had Jayawardene mistiming a pull to short mid-wicket.
At 81 for 4 and with 24 overs gone, there was no recovery for the reigning World Twenty20 champions, with Duminy dismissing Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews — one of several batsmen who contributed to their own dismissal with a poor shot — and then, at the start of his next over, recording the ninth World Cup hat-trick when he had Nuwan Kulasekara caught behind for one and debutant Tharindu Kaushal lbw for a golden duck on his ODI debut.
In the intervening over, Tahir removed Thisara Perera as Sri Lanka’s collapse continued.
Sangakkara was caught at deep third man off fast bowler Morne Morkel for 45 off 96 balls, including just three fours, before Tahir dismissed Malinga to wrap up the innings in a mere 37.2 overs.
The Proteas will be looking to reach a first ever World Cup final by getting past next Tuesday’s opponents. The West Indies are unpredictable enough to make it through and should prove an easier challenge than New Zealand, who would be playing in front of a home crowd.
Below is South Africa’s disastrous record in knockout matches at cricket’s showpiece tournament.
1992: Lost semi-final to England
1996: Lost quarter-final to West Indies
1999: Tied semi-final with Australia, exited World Cup on net run-rate
2007: Lost semi-final to Australia
2011: Lost quarter-final to New Zealand
2015: Won quarter-final against Sri Lanka
Note: In 2003, co-hosts South Africa failed to get out of the first group stage after a rain-affected tie with Sri Lanka in Durban.
