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South Africa 206/1 in 37.2 overs: Faf du Plessis helps one full and on his pads for four past the 'keeper, taking South Africa to a nine-wicket win. Du Plessis finishes with 96, Hashim Amla unbeaten on 80, his second half-century of the tournament.
South Africa 196/1 in 36 overs: End of Lasith Malinga's spell, he finishes with one for 47 in 10 overs. Faf du Plessis squirted the third ball of the over, which was full and in the blockhole, for a four straight down the ground and moved to 92, with eight more runs required for the win and to get to his century. Malinga doesn't concede any runoff the final three balls and that's the chance to get to a century gone! Isuru Udana continues.
South Africa 191/1 in 35 overs: Faf du Plessis drives the last ball of the Udana over for a four past mid-on, making it a six-run over. Plenty of bottom hand in that shot. Lasith Malinga continues, to bowl his final over.
South Africa 185/1 in 34 overs: Faf du Plessis squirts a yorker from Lasith Malinga for four and the over yields three more runs. Isuru Udana comes back into the attack.
South Africa 178/1 in 33 overs: Faf du Plessis collects a four and the five other balls yield a single each. A big over for South Africa, which is coasting. Lasith Malinga comes into the attack.
South Africa 169/1 in 32 overs: Thisara Perera bowls straight and on a length, and Faf du Plessis and Hashim Amla are content to play the ball on its merit. Just three runs off the over. And it's drinks. Jeevan Mendis to continues from the other end.
South Africa 166/1 in 31 overs: Hashim Amla reviews successfully and can continue his innings on 68. Umpire S. Ravi gives him out after being hit low on the front pad trying to sweep Jeevan Mendis. The umpire raises his finger and Amla thinks he's out. He begins to walk off but Faf du Plessis convinces him to review, which proves to be the right decision. More than half the ball has pitched outside the leg-stump, it's confirmed. Thisara Perera continues.
South Africa 159/1 in 30 overs: Without breaking a sweat, South Africa collects five runs off the over. The last 10 overs have fetched the Proteas 48 runs. Jeevan Mendis continues.
South Africa 154/1 in 29 overs: Four singles and a wide as another Jeevan Mendis over passes by. Thisara Perera's into the attack.
South Africa 149/1 in 28 overs: Faf du Plessis charges down the pitch and lofts Suranga Lakmal for a 88m six down the ground and follows it up by swatting a short ball for four through midwicket. He also reaches his fifty, off 70 balls, the 35th of his ODI career. Jeevan Mendis switches ends.
South Africa 136/1 in 27 overs: Four singles and a wide fetch South Africa five runs.
South Africa 131/1 in 26 overs: Another watchable over from Lasith Malinga! He's bowling full and straight and consistently hitting the blockhole. The short ball is only a surprise delivery which he is using judiciously to keep Hashim Amla and Faf du Plessis honest. Dhananjaya de Silva continues.
South Africa 130/1 in 25 overs: Dhananjaya de Silva, who replaces Isuru Udana, is milked for four singles in the over. Lasith Malinga continues.
South Africa 126/1 in 24 overs: A maiden from Lasith Malinga. He's going flat out in this spell! The field-set is the same from his previous over. Malinga bowls straight and full for the most part and Hashim Amla plays him with a straight bat again. Amla rolls his wrist and keeps the one short ball in the over along the ground, but the backward square leg fielder is there to disallow an easy single.
South Africa 126/1 in 23 overs: Faf du Plessis collects a four with a thick outside edge off Isuru Udana, who's made to pay for giving the South African captain width. The other five deliveries in the over fetch South Africa three runs. Lasith Malinga continues.
South Africa 119/1 in 22 overs: A very watchable over from Lasith Malinga. Sri Lanka tries to be innovative with its field-set: with Malinga bowling full and looking to angle his deliveries from the leg-stump line, a fielder at short midwicket and a backward square leg are stationed to catch any uppish flicks off the pads by Hashim Amla and Faf du Plessis. Malinga bends his back and bowls full and straight, but Amla and Du Plessis negate the threat by playing with a straight bat. Isuru Udana continues.
South Africa 115/1 in 21 overs: Four runs come off Isuru Udana's second over. He has been quick to test Hashim Amla and Faf du Plessis with the angle from round the wicket. He has bowled a few wides, but when he has been on and around off-stump, the batsmen haven't had much of a discomfort and not been tied down either. Lasith Malinga comes into the attack, replaces Jeevan Mendis,
South Africa 111/1 in 20 overs: Faf du Plessis and Hashim Amla are doing this with ease. Another Jeevan Mendis over goes by with the duo collecting runs without breaking sweat. Isuru Udana continues.
South Africa 105/1 in 19 overs: Six singles off the six legitimate deliveries and a wide give South Africa seven off the over. It's coasting now, with the target less than hundred!
South Africa 98/1 in 18 overs: Hashim Amla and Faf du Plessis effortlessly milk Jeevan Mendis for four runs in the over. Mendis is not finding much turn but has been accurate for the most part. Left-arm seamer Isuru Udana is into the attack.
South Africa 94/1 in 17 overs: Suranga Lakmal is trying hard to find a breakthrough for Sri Lanka but is spraying the ball over the pitch. He begins the first over after drinks with a wayward delivery down the legside that goes for five wides. The penultimate ball of the over is short and sits up for Faf du Plessis to pull him in front of square on the legside. Jeevan Mendis continues.
South Africa 81/1 in 16 overs: Just two runs off the Jeevan Mendis over, but 50 of the partnership comes up. Good work from Kusal Perera behind the stumps denies Amla a four. He paddled a delivery outside leg-stump but the Sri Lankan wicketkeeper moves swiftly to his left and gets his pads on the way. Amla plays the last ball of over quietly down the pitch. And the players will have drinks.
South Africa 79/1 in 15 overs: An expensive over in the circumstance from Suranga Lakmal. Gives Hashim Amla width to free his arms and the South African opener cuts through backward point, beating the third-man fielder, for a four. Amla plays a sublime pull shot, albeit only for a single to deep midwicket, to end the over.
South Africa 72/1 in 14 overs: Jeevan Mendis starts his spell with a tight first over. Doesn't find much turn but bowls a stump-to-stump line and Faf du Plessis and Hashim Amla are happy to play with a straight bat and collect the runs on offer. Suranga Lakmal continues from the other end.
South Africa 69/1 in 13 overs: Faf du Plessis is starting to collect his runs at a quicker rate. He begins this Suranga Lakmal over by stepping out and lifting one over the infield on the offside for a four, forcing Sri Lanka to drop the cover fielder on the boundary. The South African captain, though, takes off for a risky single after firm drive straight to Lasith Malinga at mid-off; a direct hit at the non-striker's end would have had him. Bowling change for Sri Lanka: leg-spinner Jeevan Mendis replaces Thisara Perera.
South Africa 62/1 in 12 overs: Hashim Amla lifts one over mid-off for a brace before a couple of singles off length deliveries that are played with a horizontal bat to the sweeper on the cover boundary. Suranga Lakmal continues with Faf du Plessis on strike.
South Africa 58/1 in 11 overs: The field is spread out now but Hashim Amla and Faf du Plessis are severe on anything even a little wide and starting to look comfortable. Five runs off it. Thisara Perera continues.
South Africa 53/1 in 10 overs: Faf du Plessis steps out and creams a ball on off-stump through a packed cover region for a four to end the powerplay that South Africa has dominated. This comes after Hashim Amla square cut the Sri Lankan all-rounder for a two and a four off the first two balls, helping make it a big over. Suranga Lakmal comes into the attack from Lasith Malinga's end.
South Africa 42/1 in 9 overs: Another probing Malinga over, which ends with a dot ball. Faf du Plessis has been very watchful, he has five runs from 16 balls. Malinga begins the over with a couple of deliveries on leg-stump, the first a length ball whipped off the hips by Hashim Amla and the second a short ball that goes down the leg, before correcting his line and restricting the South African duo to just three runs. Thisara Perera continues.
South Africa 36/1 in 8 overs: Thisara Perera begins his spell with a maiden. Chokes Faf du Plessis with length deliveries on and around off-stump. One ball keeps a touch low to sow seeds of doubt in the batsman's mind. Lasith Malinga continues, on for his fifth over.
South Africa 36/1 in 7 overs: Lasith Malinga has found his radar, goes for just two in this over, in which he probes around off-stump to Hashim Amla, going past the outside edge once. Without the scoreboard pressure, Amla and Faf du Plessis happy to play each ball on its merit for now. Thisara Perera is into the attack, replacing Suranga Lakmal. He has a packed offside field with a wide-ish mid-off, a short extra-cover, a cover point and point. Challenge laid down to Du Plessis and Amla to pierce that field-set.
South Africa 34/1 in 6 overs: Suranga Lakmal with a tight first over. He bowls a stump-to-stump line and on and around good length to make the batsman play every ball. Faf du Plessis whips the last ball of the over through square leg for a couple. Three runs off the sixth over. Lasith Malinga continues.
South Africa 31/1 in 5 overs: Lasith Malinga provides Sri Lanka an early wicket again. It's his trademark, inswinging yorker that goes under the bat of Quinton de Kock and clips the base of leg stump. Gone for 15. Faf du Plessis is the new batsman in. And a bowling change at the other end: Suranga Lakmal replaces Dhananjaya de Silva.
South Africa 28/0 in 4 overs: Eight runs off the fourth over. Quinton de Kock growing into his innings with a brace of fours off off-spinner Dhananjaya de Silva: drives a full ball on off-stump through covers before late-cutting a fractionally short ball past the short third man fielder for another four. Lasith Malinga continues.
South Africa 20/0 in 3 overs: Another Lasith Malinga over that proves expensive for Sri Lanka. Quinton de Kock began the over with a sublime straight drive past the stumps for a four before Hashim Amla punished another ball on his pads through the vacant midwicket area for a four. Malinga completes the over with a length ball outside off-stump, which Malinga lets go. Dhananjaya de Silva continues.
South Africa 10/0 in 2 overs: A tight first over from off-spinner Dhananjaya de Silva, who bowls the first five deliveries on and around off-stump to Quinton de Kock before rounding off the over with a straight delivery that draws the leading edge. No damage done, though, and Lasith Malinga continues.
South Africa 9/0 in 1 over: An excellent start to his innings from Hashim Amla, who creamed the third ball he faced for a four through covers before flicking a juicy half-volley on middle and leg to the right of the fielder at midwicket. Lasith Malinga, the tormentor-in-chief for Sri Lanka in its win over England exactly a week ago, punished for erring in length. Here comes Dhananjaya de Silva with the new ball from the other end.
Quinton de Kock and Hashim Amla are walking out to begin South Africa's chase of 204, with Lasith Malinga to begin proceedings for Sri Lanka.
We'll be back with the chase in a bit.
Kusal Perera and Avishka Fernando are the highest scorers for Sri Lanka - 30 while Dwaine Pretorious is the most successful bowler with 3/25 in 10 overs. Chris Morris too picked up three wickets, 9.3-0-46-3. South Africa needs 204 to win, a little over 4 runs an over.
SL 203 in 49.3 overs: Chris Morris takes the last Sri Lankan wicket. Lasith Malinga wanted to get the maximum but couldn't clear the infield. He miscues one off Morris to Faf du Plessis at mid-off and Sri Lanka doesn't last the 50 overs.
SL 197/9 in 48.3 overs: This was always on the cards. A short ball from Kagiso Rabada and Isuru Udana, in pursuit of quick and huge shots, can only manage an edge that goes high up and the bowler settles beneath it. Sri Lanka just one wicket away from being all out. Can Lasith Malinga and Suranga Lakmal last nine deliveries?
SL 195/8 in 48 overs: The last two overs for Sri Lanka to make this count. Isuru Udana is on strike, he is a bowler who can bat and Lanka would love to see him take strike for majority of these 12 balls.
A swarm of bees invade the ground as the players and umpires lie down.
SL 184/8 in 45.3 overs: Thisara Perera falls to Phehlukwayo. And Sri Lanka slips further. Rabada takes a superb diving catch and the umpires go upstairs to double check and Perera has to walk. His stay in the crease would have helped Sri Lanka in the death.
SL 179/7 in 44 overs: Tahir and Phehlukwayo have kept the lid on the scoring with Isuru Udana and Thisara Perera at the crease. Perera is batting on 19 off 22 balls and will be hoping to up the ante in these remaining overs.
SL 163/7 in 40 overs: Just when a partnership was building for Sri Lanka, Chris Morris bowls a shorter one as it takes the top edge off Jeevan Mendis' bat as Dwaine Pretorius settles underneath it. Mendis is out for 18 (46 balls) as Sri Lanka loses its seventh wicket and the tail is exposed in the last 10 overs.
SL 159/6 in 39 overs: 23 runs have come in the two overs bowled by Chris Morris and JP Duminy. Jeevan Mendis sent Morris for a gigantic six over deep backward square leg in the previous over while Duminy was slammed for a boundary, in the mid-off region, by Mendis. Five wides as freebies added to the scorecard as Sri Lanka look to unsettle the Proteas in the last 10 overs.
SL 139/6 in 37.4 overs: Thisara Perera gets a life. He sends the ball to mid on and Faf du Plessis had a shy at the stumps and missed by a whisker. Perera was not even in the frame when the ball crossed the stumps.
SL 135/6 in 36.1 overs: Jean-Paul Duminy strikes off the first ball he has bowled. Duminy tosses the ball up on leg stump and de Silva (24 off 41 balls) was committed to the sweep shot and he was no way near the ball and was beaten all ends up. A shocker of a shot and Sri Lanka is six down.
SL 135/5 in 35 overs: Jeevan Mendis and Dhananjaya de Silva have added 24 runs in 47 balls as Sri Lanka is progressing slowly, without a loss of a wicket for sometime. The duo needs to ensure normal service is restored before they can take the attack to the opposition and post a score of repute.
SL 127/5 in 32 overs: A superb spell from Dwaine Pretorius! It is his first World Cup outing and he finishes with figures of 10-2-25-3. Sri Lanka is building blocks one by one as the partnership between Mendis and de Silva is 17 now.
SL 115/5 in 30 overs: Imran Tahir and Dwaine Pretorius are in the midst of a good spell as South Africa have managed to tighten the screws around Sri Lanka. Jeevan Mendis and Dhanajaya de Silva need to stabilise the wobbling ship before they can unleash the big shots. Only 48 runs have come in the last 20 overs for Sri Lanka after the initial flurry.
SL 111/5 in 27.1 overs: Wickets continue to tumble as Sri Lanka loses half its side. Pretorius strikes as Kusal Mendis doesn't capitalise on a start. Some width offered from Pretorius and Mendis tried to attack him by sending him over the cover region but Chris Morris takes a good, low catch as Mendis departs for 23.
SL 106/4 in 25 overs: The run-rate has dropped drastically as Sri Lanka has managed only 39 runs in the last 15 overs. Apart from Avishka and Kusal Mendis, none of the batsmen have been able to read the South African bowling. Kusal Mendis and Dhananjaya de Silva have managed to add just 6 runs in 19 balls.
SL 100/4 in 21.5 overs: Angelo Mathews departs. He drags one onto his stumps and Sri Lanka is in disarray. Mathews charges down the track to Morris, the bowler keeps it a little short and Mathews is committed to the pull and the ball takes the bottom edge and disturbs the timber.
SL 91/3 in 20 overs: The runs have dried up and the partnership is just 19 off 51 balls. The last five overs have yielded just nine runs and the last 10 have yielded just 24 runs with the loss of a wicket.
SL 85/3 in 17 overs: The Sri Lankan batsmen are finding it tough as Mathews and Mendis have added 13 runs off 33 balls for the fourth wicket. Boundaries have become rare as South Africa is bowling a probing line and length.
SL 77/3 in 14 overs: Angelo Mathews and Kusal Mendis are taking it slow, playing the ball on merit as Sri Lanka looks to consolidate.
SL 72/3 in 12 overs: Angelo Mathews and Kusal Mendis have a job on hand and Sri Lanka starts all over again, building a partnership with two new batsmen.
SL 72/3 in 11.3 overs: Pretorius castles Kusal Perera. Sri Lanka in a spot of bother. An inside edge as Perera tries to send it to the third man region but the ball hits the pad and then the stumps.
SL 67/2 in 9.5 overs: The 67-run stand for the second wicket is broken. Avishka Fernando tries to find the fence again but is unsucessful. He is caught by Faf du Plessis off Dwaine Pretorious for 30 (29 balls, 4 fours). A slower ball from Pretorious and Fernando is caught unawares. He is caught at mid-on and SL loses its second wicket.
SL 45/1 in 7 overs: The partnership is reaching the 50-run mark. Rabada gifts a full toss to Perera and given the form the batsman is in, a boundary was the least that could have come. The batsman leans and just directs the ball to the fence at the cover region.
SL 36/1 in 5 overs: Avishka Fernando is on a roll. He has smashed Kagiso Rabada for two boundaries in the over. The first was a stroke of luck as an inside edge ran away to the fence but the second, the last ball of the over, was oozing with class. A straight drive that is right out of the textbook.
SL 26/1 in 4 overs: Avishka Fernando (13 off 12) and Kusal Perera (11 off 11) have added 26 runs in 23 balls as Sri Lanka seems to have put the horrid start behind them. The boundaries are also coming, at least one an over, as Fernando sent Rabada and Perera sent Morris to the fence once each in the last two overs - both shots with exquisite timing.
SL 14/1 in 2 overs: Kusal Perera thumps Morris for a boundary in the last ball of the over as Sri Lanka gets off to a decent start after a first ball horror. Coming to the boundary, Perera sent a short ball racing through the covers area for four.
Chris Morris to share the new ball. Two slips for him.
SL 6/1 in 1 over: Avishka Fernando comes to the crease. Fernando gets off the mark with a backfoot punch. An evenful first over comes to an end.
SL 0/1 in 0.1 over: What a start for South Africa. First ball duck for Dimuth Karunaratne. Kagiso Rabada gives South Africa the perfect beginning. The ball shot up from back of a length and caught Karunaratne by surprise. The Lankan skipper failed to fend that on the hop.
We are all set for live action.
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TOSS UPDATE: South Africa has won the toss and elected to field.
South Africa (Playing XI): Hashim Amla, Quinton de Kock(w), Faf du Plessis(c), Aiden Markram, Rassie van der Dussen, Jean-Paul Duminy, Andile Phehlukwayo, Dwaine Pretorius, Chris Morris, Kagiso Rabada, Imran Tahir
Sri Lanka (Playing XI): Dimuth Karunaratne(c), Kusal Perera(w), Avishka Fernando, Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Dhananjaya de Silva, Thisara Perera, Jeevan Mendis, Isuru Udana, Lasith Malinga, Suranga Lakmal
How can Sri Lanka still make it to last four?
Sri Lanka will face the West Indies and India after today’s match against South Africa. It has to win all its remaining matches in order to finish on 12 points. However, if it loses one and wins two, then other results need to go in its favour: England should lose all its remaining matches, Bangladesh shouldn't win more than two and Pakistan should lose at least one.
WEATHER WATCH | Reports suggest "any early mist this morning will make way for a fine afternoon with a good deal of sunshine. A warm day is in the offing."
With Sri Lanka still in contention for a semifinal spot, and Proteas playing for pride more than anything else, here's a throwback to the time rain spoiled South Africa's chances at the 2003 World Cup.
With one victory in seven games and just two matches remaining, South Africa became the first premium unit to press the exit button. K.C. Vijaya Kumar writes on South Africa's World Cup pain.
Placed seventh with six points in the kitty, a win against the Proteas would take Sri Lanka up to the fifth spot, trailing close behind England, and tighten the race for the semifinals.
The islanders, who turned around their campaign in the tournament after stunning England in Leeds last week, have a good chance against a beleaguered South Africa side, which is already out of the knockout race.
But Sri Lanka’s batting remains a concern. Angelo Mathews struck form in its last outing, but it is time for the others to step up. Seasoned pacer Lasith Malinga — who scalped four wickets — and off-spinner Dhananjaya de Silva helped Sri Lanka defend a relatively modest target (232) against England.
Sri Lanka coach Chandika Hathurusingha admitted that there have been discussions with the players on their batting form.
With a bright day expected, Chester-le-Street gears up for its World Cup debut hoping for a run feast. The last match on this ground — between England and Australia a year ago — was a high-scoring affair. The Englishmen chased down a 311-run target in just 45 overs.
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Duminy: It would be nice to end playing in a World Cup game
As Jean-Paul Duminy walked in for the pre-match media interaction, the handful of South African scribes gathered at Emirates Riverside looked excited.
“Does it mean you are going to get a game tomorrow (against Sri Lanka)?” one of them asked straightaway. Duminy, who has so far featured in only three of South Africa’s games in the World Cup, smiled and said: “We will find out later after practice. Team selection is after practice, so I’m hoping that there is an opportunity, yes…”
The 35-year-old Duminy will hang up his boots from international cricket after the World Cup and he would ideally want to feature in the team’s remaining two matches.
“Two games left, it would be nice to end playing a game in a World Cup,” he said.
He agreed that it is ‘disappointing’ to warm the bench at a time when the team has failed to qualify for the knockouts for the second time since 1992.
“The last thing I would have thought is playing the first three games and being left out, particularly after a retirement call. But that’s the nature of the beast, you know. You are never guaranteed a selection,” Duminy said.
“Nobody has an opportunity to be selected if you are not putting in performances. It's a bittersweet moment for me, you know, wanting to end off on a real high in terms of international one-day cricket, but unfortunately it wasn't meant to be.”
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Sri Lanka to carry on wearing ‘lucky’ yellow World Cup shirts
Sri Lanka will stick with the yellow shirts the side wore in its victory against England as a World Cup lucky charm after getting approval from the International Cricket Council.
Dimuth Karunaratne’s side revived its flagging campaign by upsetting the host at Headingley to blow the race for the semifinals wide open.
Sri Lanka, whose first-choice shirts are predominantly dark blue, will wear its alternative yellow kit in the team’s remaining three group games.
“We approved Sri Lanka’s request to carry on wearing yellow as the colour,” an International Cricket Council spokesman told AFP.
“Every team chose an alternate colour prior to the start of the tournament.”
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Tournament so Far
After an opening hammering at the hands of New Zealand and an unconvincing win over Afghanistan, Sri Lanka suffered washouts against Pakistan and Bangladesh that could yet scupper their top-four hopes. They bounced back superbly from defeat to Australia to sensationally stun England, though.
Losses to England, Bangladesh and India before a no-result with West Indies left South Africa with a mountain to climb. Victory over Afghanistan provided a glimmer of hope but defeats against New Zealand and Pakistan saw the Proteas eliminated.
What They Said
Sri Lanka coach Chandika Hathurusingha: "You can take it either way. When you have no pressure of qualifying, they [South Africa] can come and play without any pressure, fearless cricket and that can get them going, so at the same time they can turn up and just want to go home, so you never know."
South Africa all-rounder JP Duminy: "Ultimately you need to make that decision for yourself. Is your foot on the plane or does that give you a sense of freedom? I 100 per cent agree with the freedom. Just go out and play your natural game, your naturally-gifted game."
Facts
- South Africa have won 16 of their last 18 ODIs against Sri Lanka, including the last five meetings. The two losses in that run came in successive games in August 2018.
- Sri Lanka have won both of their two previous ODIs at The Riverside, both times against England by margins of eight wickets in 2006 and 157 runs in 2014.
- Lasith Malinga's next maiden over will be his 100th in this format; he would become just the fourth player to reach a century of maidens for Sri Lanka in ODIs (Chaminda Vaas – 278, Muttiah Muralitharan – 195, Nuwan Kulasekara – 106).
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