Ken Borland

South Africa went hard at Sri Lanka and hammered them by 32 runs in their rain-reduced ICC World T20 match at Hambantota on Saturday.

: http://www.supersport.com/cricket/article.aspx?id=1593311

With rain delaying the start of play for two-and-a-half hours, the match was reduced to a faintly ridiculous seven overs a side, but it didn’t stop South Africa from playing with the same intensity as in their overwhelming opening victory over Zimbabwe.

Captain AB de Villiers led the way with the bat, plundering 30 off 13 balls as he lifted them to 78 for four after they had lost the toss and been sent in to bat.

South Africa’s much-vaunted new-ball pair of Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel then had Sri Lanka’s batsmen in immediate submission. There was no question of them treating the batsmen with kid gloves as they bowled with aggression and control to leave the hosts on 13 for two after three overs and out of the contest.

South Africa have some weighty decisions to make at the top of their batting order, but Hashim Amla again did a good job opening the batting, scoring 16 off nine balls, with three fours.

Richard Levi scored 4 off four balls but, after a diet of normal seamers from Nuwan Kulasekara, he was then deceived by a back-of-the-hand slower ball and Dilshan Munaweera covered the ground well from midwicket to wide mid-on to take a fine catch.

The loss of Amla, beautifully stumped down the leg side by Kumar Sangakkara off left-arm spinner Rangana Herath, at the end of the third over brought De Villiers to the crease and he was quickly away, hitting a four and two sixes, but also using the size of the outfield well with cleverly-placed shots that saw him collect two runs on five occasions. He and Faf du Plessis, and then JP Duminy, also kept the pressure on the Sri Lankan fielders with excellent running between the wickets.

Du Plessis found batting more of a challenge and could score just 13 runs off 11 balls, but Duminy went to 12 not out off five balls with ease, suggesting he should have batted number three instead of the out-of-form Titan.

The left-hander also gave the innings a wonderful finish as he scooped Thisara Perera for four and then drove the last ball straight back over the bowler’s head for a magnificent six.

With Ajantha Mendis allegedly resting a side strain (the mystery spinner is more likely just being kept hidden from the Proteas until the knockout stages), Lasith Malinga was Sri Lanka’s only truly top-class bowler, but he had a difficult time, conceding 27 runs in his two overs.

Morkel and Steyn then came tearing in with the ball as Sri Lanka made a sorry start to their run-chase, with Tillakaratne Dilshan suffering the agony of being run out without facing a ball.

The match situation was tailor-made for the hard-hitting opener, but he was back on his heels as Mahela Jayawardena called for a quick single and De Villiers was able to turn a wayward throw into a run out with some brilliant work behind the stumps.

Jayawardena struggled to four off six balls before flicking Steyn high to deep square-leg and Sangakkara came to the crease with the required run-rate already 14.20 runs per over.

Sangakkara tried some wild sallies but his only boundary in scoring 13 off 11 balls was via a classic cover drive off Johan Botha.

One of the world’s greatest batsman was removed by the grand old man of the South African team, Jacques Kallis, who bowled a marvellous over that could easily have gained him two more wickets.

The pace of Steyn then accounted for Thisara Perera (1) and Munaweera, who looked out of his depth in scoring 13 off 14 balls, fell in the final over, bowled by Albie Morkel.

Sri Lanka ended their seven overs on 46 for five and suffered a massive defeat for such a truncated game.

Steyn finished with magnificent figures of 2-10 in his two overs and Morne Morkel conceded just nine runs in his pair of overs up front, and they are giving South Africa an edge in helpful conditions that gives them penetration and makes run-scoring difficult.

South Africa’s high-quality fast bowling stuffed Sri Lanka as they beat them by 32 runs in their rain-reduced ICC World T20 match at Hambantota on Saturday.

7th over – WICKET – Dilshan Munaweera’s struggles are over as, after scoring 13 off 14 balls, he cuts Albie Morkel to Farhaan Behardien at deep point. Albie should have another wicket two balls later as Lahiru Thirimanne tries to steer his first ball, a shortish delivery, over short third man, where Morne Morkel leaps, gets two hands to the ball above his head but it slips through.

6th over – Thisara Perera is out for one as he pulls a back-of-a-length delivery from Dale Steyn straight to deep midwicket. Jeevan Mendis collects a well-struck boundary as he bashes the fast bowler straight down the ground for a one-bounce four.

5th over – Jacques Kallis is introduced and has Kumar Sangakkara dropped for a second time with his first ball! Sangakkara, on 10, top-edges a hook as Kallis bangs the ball in short on the receptive surface, the ball steepling to midwicket, where Albie Morkel is perfectly positioned, but the ball slips out! Two balls later, Kallis also digs the ball in short to Munaweera, whose hook shot it also top-edged, but it flies over short fine-leg for four. WICKET – But Kallis eventually gets reward with the penultimate ball of the over as Sangakkara edges a wild swipe to leg and is caught behind by AB de Villiers for 13 off 11 balls.

4th over – Sangakkara creates some room for himself with good footwork and drives Johan Botha crisply through extra cover for four.

3rd over – Another superb over from Morne Morkel but the last ball sees Sangakkara dropped on one as he slices a leg-side heave towards third man, poor old Faf du Plessis running from point, getting under the ball but spilling the catch!

2nd over – A great over from Steyn has cost just three runs and frustrated Sri Lanka. WICKET – Mahela Jayawardena has scored just four off six balls and he steps outside leg stump for the last ball of the over, but Steyn follows him, the Sri Lankan captain flicking the ball high to Behardien at deep square-leg.

1st over – Jayawardena gets the benefit of the doubt on a very close lbw shout first ball, swings wildly outside off stump and misses the second delivery, before driving Morne Morkel’s third ball inside-out high over cover-point for four. WICKET – But disaster then strikes for Sri Lanka as Tillakaratne Dilshan is run out without facing a ball! Jayawardena drives the ball to mid-off, where Albie Morkel fumbles. But Dilshan is on his heels and slow to set off for the single, Albie quickly recovers and throws the ball at the wicketkeeper’s end. The throw is a little wayward, but De Villiers does brilliantly to gather the ball and dive forward into the stumps, colliding with Dilshan’s bat in the process and injuring his forearm. But the dangerous opener is caught centimetres short of his ground!

South Africa innings

Captain AB de Villiers provided the perfect spark as he lifted South Africa to 78 for four after their seven overs in their ICC World T20 match against Sri Lanka at Hambantota on Saturday.

7th over – WICKET – Faf du Plessis holes out to long-off with a lofted drive off Thisara Perera, having scored 13 off 11 balls, but JP Duminy ends the innings in style with a perfectly-executed scoop for a one-bounce four to fine leg and then a superbly struck straight six back over the seamer’s head.

6th over – Lasith Malinga returns, but his first ball is a wide outside off stump and his second is short and hooked magnificently for a massive six by De Villiers. The wicketkeeper/batsman slices the next delivery just over the covers for a couple more runs. WICKET – De Villiers steps outside off stump for the last ball of the over, but goes too early, Malinga sees him and pitches the ball full and wider. De Villiers can only mistime a lofted drive to deep mid-off, having plundered 30 off 13 balls.

5th over – A good start to the over for South Africa as De Villiers belts a reverse-sweep for four off Rangana Herath. Three balls later, the left-arm spinner thinks De Villiers is going to come down the pitch, but the South African captain hangs back, waits for the flatter, short delivery and pummels it over long-on for six.

3rd over – A superb over from left-arm spinner Herath costs just six runs and ends with the wicket of Hashim Amla. WICKET – Amla comes down the pitch for a heave-ho but misses an arm-ball, wicketkeeper Kumar Sangakarra pulling off a superb stumping from outside leg stump. That was beautiful glovework to send Amla on his way for 16 off nine balls.

2nd over – Malinga’s first ball is superbly driven over extra cover for four by Amla. Three balls later, Malinga is striving for his famous yorker, but it’s a half-volley and Amla carves the ball over extra cover again for another boundary.

1st over – WICKET – Richard Levi is deceived by a back-of-the-hand slower ball from Nuwan Kulasekara and his attempted lofted drive skews off the bat, high to wide mid-on, where Dilshan Munaweera, running from midwicket, dives to take a splendid catch. Levi scored four off four balls. Amla’s flashing blade scythes his first ball over the covers for four.