SHAFAQNA PAKISTAN (Shia News Agency)
South Africa crushed Sri Lanka by nine wickets at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Wednesday to reach the World Cup semi-finals where they will face either New Zealand or the West Indies.
Chasing just 134 to win, the Proteas reached their target in the 18th over with opener Quinton de Kock making an undefeated 78.
Earlier, South Africa dismissed Sri Lanka — won won the toss — for just 133, with leg-spinner Imran Tahir taking four for 26 and off-spinner JP Duminy, whose haul included a hat-trick, three for 29.
Bidding to win their first ever knockout match at a World Cup, the Proteas bowlers removed both openers inside the first five overs and never eased up the pressure thereafter.
Duminy (3-29) dismissed Sri Lanka skipper Angelo Mathews (19) with the final ball of the 33rd over and returned to send back Nuwan Kulasekara (1) and ODI debutant Tharindu Kaushal (0) with the first two deliveries of the 35th.
The ninth World Cup hat-trick left the 1996 champions reeling at 116-8 after the loss four wickets for just two runs in three overs and when Kumar Sangakkara was dismissed soon afterwards, the writing was on the wall.
Sangakkara, who had been looking for a fifth successive century, scored a measured 45 from 95 balls but was forced to throw off the shackles as the wickets tumbled around him and holed out to deep third man off paceman Morne Morkel.
A heavy shower appeared out of the blue as if to mourn what looks like being the final one-day innings of one of the game’s great batsmen and the players came off the pitch for a 23-minute rain break.
It only delayed the inevitable, however, and Lasith Malinga (3) was the last man to depart, hammering the ball to David Miller at cover off South Africa’s other main spin threat Imran Tahir.
Tahir took 4-26, including the wicket of Mahela Jayawardene to leave another retiring Sri Lanka batting great with a tally of four runs in his final innings in the 50-over format.
Sri Lanka, who won the toss and chose to bat, were never able to score at a pace that would have put pressure on the South Africans and test their mental resolve.
While Sangakkara was at the crease, though, they would have fancied their chances of putting on some kind of tally for their bowlers to defend.
Once he departed and the rain cleared, however, the semi-final appointment in Auckland against New Zealand or West Indies next week would now seem to be South Africa’s to keep.
Sangakkara’s ton run ends after joining 500 club
Kumar Sangakkara became just the sixth player to score 500 runs at a World Cup before his record-breaking run of hundreds came to an end during Wednesday’s quarter-final against South Africa.
The 37-year-old left-hander came into this match on the back of a record run of four successive hundreds after making 105 not out against Bangladesh, 117 not out against England, 104 against Australia and 124 against Scotland in the group stage.
However, needing just four more for 500 runs in the tournament, Sangakkara — a losing finalist at the 2007 and 2011 World Cups — found scoring more difficult against South Africa, taking 28 balls to get to five with a three off Kyle Abbott.
With wickets tumbling around him, Sangakkara — in what is set to be his final ODI before retirement if Sri Lanka lose — was eventually out for 45 off 96 balls, including just three fours, as Sri Lanka collapsed to 127 for nine in the 37th over after the Islanders won the toss.
There have now been seven instances of a batsman scoring 500 runs at a World Cup, with India great Sachin Tendulkar — who performed the feat twice — holding the record for most runs at a World Cup with 673 at the 2003 edition in Southern Africa.
Tendulkar also scored 523 runs at the 1996 World Cup.
The other batsmen to have made 500 runs at a World Cup include Sangakkara’s Sri Lanka team-mates Mahela Jayawardene (548 in 2007) and Tillakaratne Dilshan (500 in 2011), as well as Australia’s Matthew Hayden (659 in 2007) and Ricky Ponting (539 in 2007).
Source: Dawn
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