South Africa eked out a one wicket victory over Sri Lanka despite a sensational bowling performance from Sri Lankan fast bowler Lasith Malinga who created history by becoming the first bowler to take four wickets in four balls in international cricket in the first “Super Eight” match at the spankingly new Provi-dence Stadium yesterday.
South Africa had seemed to be cruising to a comfortable victory at 206-5 needing only four runs to seal the deal before Malinga went to work.
He bowled the experienced Shaun Pollock for 13 and then deceived all-rounder Andrew Hall with a slower delivery causing him to offer a simple catch to Upul Tharanga for a first ball duck with the last two balls of the 45th over.
A testing over from left-arm seamer Chaminda Vaas followed and then it was Malinga’s turn again a hat-trick beckoned.
Jacques Kallis was well set on 86. He had survived a difficult caught and bowled chance off Malinga when on 75 but this time Malinga was not to be denied.
He had Kallis caught behind with the first ball of his next over achieving the fifth hat-trick in World Cup cricket and becoming the second Sri Lankan bowler after Vaas to achieve the feat.
Malinga was not finished yet and he sent Makhaya Ntini’s stumps sprawling to etch his name in the history books of the ICC and the stadium. South Africa at that stage were still three runs adrift from the victory when last man Charl Langeveldt walked to the crease.
Langeveldt and Robin Pieterson first quelled the jitters before seeing South Africa to 212-9 with ten balls remaining.
A crowd of 5,220 watched the first match at the new stadium as most of the questions about the pitch and outfield were answered positively, despite the muddy situation outside the stadium walls, patrons were treated to an exciting game in a world class stadium.
Batting first after winning the toss, Sri Lanka were dismissed for a seemingly inadequate 209 all out in 49.3 overs. The early Sri Lankan batsmen failed to establish significant partnerships losing wickets at regular intervals. Langeveldt picked up 5-39 to share the man-of-the-match award with Malinga.
Russel Arnold joined Tillakaratne Dilshan and the pair put on 97 for the sixth wicket before Dilshan was caught by Justin Kemp off the bowling of Ntini for a 76-ball 58 decorated with four well timed boundaries. Arnold, after achieving his 28th one-day international fifty, top-edged a Langeveldt delivery which was easily taken by wicket-keeper Mark Boucher. His even fifty was made in 71 balls and included two fours.
The last five Sri Lankan wickets fell for only 14 runs giving South Africa a target of 210 to win.
South Africa started badly as AB de Villiers was bowled by a beauty from Vaas without troubling the scorers and with the total on one. But a 94-run partnership from skipper Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis, with a run rate of five runs an over, steadied the South Africans who were under no pressure to score quickly.
Smith was the first to go brilliantly stumped by Kumar Sangakkara as Muttiah Muralitharan tempted him into an expansive drive. He scored a 65-ball 59 laced with seven fours and a six which damaged a photographer’s tripod. He was fortunate to survive two dropped catches one at six and the other at 75.
Herschelle Gibbs and Kallis put on 65 before Gibbs was caught and bowled by Muralitharan for 31 and Boucher was out leg before to Muralitharan for a first ball duck. Justin Kemp was neatly stumped by Sangakkara off Sanath Jayasuria.
Kallis’s workmanlike 110-ball 86, studded with four boundaries held the innings together and South Africa were coasting before Malinga decided to rock the boat.
South Africa now with two points will play Ireland in their second “super 8” match on Tuesday at the same venue.
