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Sri Lanka vs South Africa in past World Cup encounters
On Wednesday, at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), the AB de Villiers led South Africa will clash in the first quarter-final of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, against an inspired Sri Lankan side, who will be giving it their all for their heroes Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene, who are due to retire after the tournament.
There’s very little to choose between the two sides if one compares the history. On paper, South Africa are definitely the stronger of the two sides and entered the competition as favourites but Sri Lanka have the knack of winning knock-out matches in important tournaments, something the Proteas have never ever managed to do in a World Cup.
On Wednesday, at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), the AB de Villiers led South Africa will clash in the first quarter-final of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, against an inspired Sri Lankan side, who will be giving it their all for their heroes Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene, who are due to retire after the tournament.
Contest between the two sides have given the tournament some unforgettable memories. Suvajit Mustafi looks at the past encounters between these two teams in World Cup matches.
- World Cup 1992 – Wellington | League match
This was the first ever encounter between the two sides and Sri Lanka sealed the thriller at Wellington to move to the third position in the table. Aravinda de Silva won the toss and invited South Africans to bat. At 114 for one, the Sri Lankans thought their decision might have backfired. Skipper Kepler Wessels and Peter Kirsten had built a good partnership but both fell in their 40s, at the same score.
South Africa couldn’t really recover and when it seemed that Jonty Rhodes was building the innings, he was caught spectacularly by Sanath Jayasuriya at short cover, a catch that would have made Rhodes himself proud. South Africa managed 195 and began well with the ball, reducing Sri Lanka 35 for three. Allan Donald was in middle of a fiery spell but Arjuna Ranatunga held his nerves and guided Sri Lanka to a memorable win, clinching the thriller by three wickets.
Brief scores:
South Africa 195 in 50 overs (Kepler Wessels 40, Peter Kirsten 47; Don Anurasiri 3-41, Arjuna Ranatunga 2-26) lost to Sri Lanka 198 for 7 in 49.5 overs (Roshan Mahanama 68, Arjuna Ranatunga 64*; Allan Donald 3-42) – by three wickets
- World Cup 1999 – Northampton
Seven years later, the sides met again in the tournament and it seemed to be a repeat of their previous encounter. Winning the toss, Sri Lanka sent South Africa in and in the 21st over, had the African side struggling at 69 for five.
The Sri Lankan bowlers, especially the gifted duo of Chaminda Vaas and Muttiah Muralitharan, combined well and picked up wickets at regular intervals. Lance Klusener, who later was adjudged the man-of-the-tournament, played a lone hand down the order. His quick 52 from 45 balls, ensured South Africa reach 199 from their 50 overs. It wasn’t going to enough against the defending champions, who main strength laid in chasing.
However the South African bowlers stood up to the occasion and bowled with fire. Pollock was at his miserly best and gave away only 10 from his eight overs and picked up the wickets of Aravinda de Silva and Roshan Mahanama. Jacques Kallis wrecked the top-order and Klusener was too tough to handle for the Sri Lankan tail. The island nation was bowled out for 110.
Brief scores:
South Africa 199 for 9 in 50 overs (Daryll Cullinan 49, Lance Klusener 52*; Pramodya Wickramasinghe 2-45, Chaminda Vaas 3-46, Muttiah Muralitharan 3-25) bt Sri Lanka 110 in 35.2 overs (Shaun Pollock 2-10, Jacques Kallis 3-26, Lance Klusener 3-26) – by 89 runs
- World Cup 2003 – Durban | Group Stage
A baffling and terrible miscalculation led to host South Africa’s exit for the World Cup. The sides met in a must win game. South African wicket-keeper Mark Boucher knew that he had to ensure that they didn’t lose a wicket in the last ball before the rain stopped the play, in order to qualify. He was told they needed 229 after 45 overs to qualify without losing another wicket. He blocked the last ball of the 45th over, but all he needed to take was a single. He pumped his fist to celebrate the accomplishment of qualification to the next round but that just added further to the embarrassment. The score 229 meant a tie, and South Africa were knocked out of the tournament.
Indeed South Africa have exited World Cups in the most bizarre fashions. The rain-rule did them in 1992, the quarter-final blow in 1996 and a tie to go out in 1999. Winning the toss, Sri Lanka batted first and riding on a Marvan Atapattu hundred, Sri Lanka reached 229 for 6 in 50 overs.
However it was a good contest marred by rain. Years later, what is remembered most is the infamous calculation that cost skipper Shaun Pollock his captaincy too.
Brief Scores:
Sri Lanka 268 for 9 in 50 overs (Marvan Atapattu 124, Aravinda de Silva 73; Jacques Kallis 3-41, Andrew Hall 2-62) tied with South Africa229 for 6 in 45 overs (Herschelle Gibbs 73, Mark Boucher 45*; Aravinda de Silva 2-36, Sanath Jayasuriya 2-49) by D/L method
- World Cup 2007 – Guyana | Super Eight Match
A devastating spell from Lasith Malinga had almost pulled the match in Sri Lanka’s favour from a seemingly impossible position.
When South Africa crumbled from 160 for two to 182 for five, with Muttiah Muralitharan creating in-roads, victory still seemed comfortable as they were chasing only 211. When they needed just four, they still had five wickets in hand but Malinga almost produced the impossible. He first foxed Shaun Pollock with a slower ball, and then got Andrew Hall out caught with a yorker. The first ball of his next over produced the wicket of the big fish Jacques Kallis and that was Malinga’s hat-trick and in the very next ball a yorker cleaned up Makhaya Ntini. He had picked up four of four. Now with a wicket in hand and three to get, South Africa stared at another ‘choke’. Finally, a thick edge off Robin Peterson’s bat sealed it for South Africa.
Prior to the Malinga scare, the Proteas dominated the game, first bowling out Sri Lanka for 209 and then putting up a good batting display with Kallis adding 94 for the second wicket with Graeme Smith and then a 65 with Herschelle Gibbs.
Brief Scores:
Sri Lanka 209 in 49.3 overs (Tillakaratne Dilshan 58, Russel Arnold 50; Makhaya Ntini 2-26, Charl Langeveldt 5-39) lost to South Africa 212 for 9 in 48.2 overs (Graeme Smith 59, Jacques Kallis 86; Lasith Malinga 4-54, Muttiah Muralitharan 3-34) – by one wicket
Head-to-head (Overall)
Played: 59 SA: 28 SL: 29 Tied: 1
Most Runs: Kumar Sangakkara (SL) Runs: 1744 (43 ODIs) Average: 45.9
Most Wickets: Shaun Pollock (SA) Wickets: 51 (35 ODIs) Average: 23.9
Head-to-head (In World Cups)
Played: 4 SA: 2 SL: 1 Tied: 1
Most Runs: Marvan Atapattu (SL) Runs: 125 (2 ODIs) Average: 62.5
Most Wickets: Muttiah Muralitharan (SL) Wickets: 7 (3 ODIs) Average: 15.7
(Suvajit Mustafi consumes cricket for lunch, fiction for dinner and munches numerous other snacks throughout the day. Yes, a jack of several trades, all Suvajit dreamt of was being India’s World Cup winning skipper but ended up being a sports writer, author, screenwriter, director, copywriter, graphic designer, sports marketer, strategist, entrepreneur, philosopher and traveller. Donning so many hats, it’s cricket which gives him the ultimate high and where he finds solace. He can be followed at @RibsGully and rivu7)
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