Malinga heroics in vain
South Africa completed an extraordinary one-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in Guyana after Lasith Malinga’s historic feat almost instigated one of cricket’s great comebacks.
The world number one South Africans were just four short of their 210-run victory target when Malinga became the first bowler in international cricket to take four wickets in as many balls.
With tension brewing in the middle, Robin Peterson edged Malinga for four to hand South Africa their first points in the Super Eight.
Malinga’s late burst turned the first contest at the Providence Stadium into one of the most nerve-wracking in one-day history and offered the possibility of a tied match, the result between the two countries at the 2003 World Cup.
With a single boundary needed, Malinga rearranged Shaun Pollock’s stumps courtesy of a beautifully disguised slower ball, and when Andrew Hall spooned a similar delivery to cover next ball, panic well and truly set in.
That completed the 45th over of the innings and, although Jacques Kallis, who struck a determined 86, ensured he got on strike for the hat-trick ball, his ambitious drive provided wicket-keeper Kumar Sangakkara with a low catch.
Lasith Malinga dismisses Jacques Kallis to complete his hat-trick © Getty Images
It was fairytale stuff when Makhaya Ntini was undone by another screaming Malinga yorker which crashed into the base of the stumps.
But Charl Langeveldt, whose five-wicket haul restricted Sri Lanka’s total after winning the toss, and Peterson crept over the line.
The narrow margin between success and failure was emphasised by Malinga’s final ball of the 47th over, which grazed Peterson’s off stump.
Cruelly, it was another close affair which settled things as the ball flew to the third man rope, to send Peterson into a frenzied celebration whcih saw him smash the stumps at the non-striker’s end with his bat.
Such a narrow win, with 10 balls to spare, appeared almost unthinkable when South Africa were cruising at 160 for two in the 33rd over.
But Muttiah Muralitharan’s two wickets in as many balls to dismiss Herschelle Gibbs - to a fine low, return catch - and Mark Boucher checked their progress somewhat.
More fine work, this time by Sangakkara behind the stumps, accounted for Justin Kemp, who was stumped off the bowling of Sanath Jayasuriya.
Kallis responded emphatically to criticism of his patient style by limping South Africa along despite suffering cramp in the latter stages.
Criticised heavily back in his homeland for slow scoring during the defeat to Australia at the weekend, he oversaw the chase with aplomb until Malinga’s reintroduction to the attack for the delayed third powerplay.
Kallis drives through the off side in his vital 86 for South Africa © Getty Images
Kallis came to the crease in the first over after Chaminda Vaas cleaned up AB de Villiers’ stumps with a beauty which arced back into the right-hander.
Graeme Smith hit Malinga for three fours in quick succession and emphasised how dangerous he can be when set by blasting Vaas for a straight six on his way to a 50-ball half-century, and it took the Murali-Sangakkara double act to account for him shortly afterwards.
After being asked to field first, despite early morning rain freshening up the surface, South Africa bowled a side out for the first time in the tournament thanks to a clatter of five wickets in as many overs late on.
The Proteas’ bowling failures against minnows Scotland and the Netherlands were put into perspective as disciplined accuracy was backed up by superb fielding.
Langeveldt took a career-best 5-39, aided by three skiers being held in the 49th over.
Two other miscues against the new ball had provided him with the wickets of Jayasuriya and Mahela Jayawardene as Sri Lanka made an awful start.
It took half-centuries from Tillakaratne Dilshan and Russel Arnold to rescue the 1996 World Cup winners from a perilous 98 for five.
South Africa’s fielding restricted the scoring considerably and they also effected two brilliant run-outs, the first by a horizontal Gibbs launching himself into the stumps in a manner reminiscent of Jonty Rhodes to account for Chamara Silva.
