(Reuters) – Lasith Malinga and Nuwan Kulasekara held their nerve in the death overs with miserly fast bowling as Sri Lanka beat South Africa by five runs in their World Twenty20 opener at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chittagong yesterday.
South Africa had the upper hand chasing 166 for victory in their Group One super 10 match and needed 19 runs off the last two overs with five wickets in hand.
But Kulasekara gave away just four runs and picked up the wicket of Farhaan Behardien (five) to leave South Africa needing 15 runs off limited-overs specialist Malinga’s final over.
Dale Steyn (zero) and the dangerous David Miller (19) were run out off the first two deliveries and although Imran Tahir (eight not out) managed a last-ball six, the chase had already gone out of South Africa’s reach.
AB de Villiers, captaining the side in the absence of the injured Faf du Plessis, was not impressed by his team’s finish.
