What happened the last time South Africa faced Sri Lanka at a T20 World Cup game?
Sri Lanka and South Africa are slated to square off on Monday, June 3, in the fourth match of the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024. The Group D contest will be played at Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York.
The two sides have clashed 17 times and South Africa have been the dominant side. With one of their matches in the format ending in a tie, the Proteas have an upper hand over Sri Lanka, with 11 wins to their name as compared to the Islanders’ five.
Their last meeting at the T20 World Cup came in the 2021 edition of the global tournament that was played in the UAE. The game went down as a thriller, with South Africa clinching a close-fought four-wicket win on the penultimate ball of the contest.
At the Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Proteas skipper Temba Bavuma won the toss and elected to field first. His side started the proceedings decently with the ball, as Anrich Nortje sent wicketkeeper-batter Kusal Perera packing in the powerplay.
Pathum Nissanka and Charith Asalanka anchored the innings thereon and stitched a crucial partnership, but the latter being involved in a run-out slowed down Sri Lanka’s momentum. After the top-order batters’ efforts, no middle-order or lower-order batter, except skipper Dasun Shanaka, could post scores in double digits.
Nissanka was the only stand-out batter in the Islanders’ innings, as he finished with 72 runs to his name in 58 deliveries. Tabraiz Shamsi and Dwaine Pretorius were phenomenal with the ball, picking three wickets each, as the Lankans closed in on 142 in 20 overs, losing all their wickets.
South Africa overcame their batting struggles to clinch a nail-biting victory
South Africa’s chase wasn’t easy either, as they lost two wickets in the powerplay courtesy of Dushmantha Chameera, who got the breakthrough and dismissed openers Quinton de Kock and Reeza Hendricks.
A composed run-a-ball 46, followed by cameos by David Miller and Kagiso Rabada helped South Africa get over the line with just one ball to spare, and eventually win the game by four wickets. Even after the initial setbacks, the middle and lower-order batters handled the chase well and bagged a win.