South Africa easily chase 78-run target against Sri Lanka in T20 World Cup

NEW YORK (Agencies): South Africa commenced a successful journey of the T20 World Cup 2024 with six wickets victory over Sri Lanka in the match played at New York’s Nassau County International Cricket Stadium on Monday. The Proteas chased the target of 78 in the 17th over. Quinton de Kock was the top-scorer for South Africa, making 20 off 27. Heinrich Klassen remained unbeaten on 19. Earlier, South Africa bowled Sri Lanka out for mere 77 runs after the Lions opted to bat first. In a dismal batting performance, Sri Lanka’s top order crumbled under the fierce South African bowling attack. Pathum Nissanka, opening the innings, fell cheaply, caught by Heinrich Klaasen off Ottneil Baartman Baartman for just 3 runs.

Kusal Mendis showed some resilience, scoring 19 runs off 30 balls, but his efforts ended with Anrich Nortje dismissing him. Kamindu Mendis also struggled, contributing only 11 runs. Captain Wanindu Hasaranga and Sadeera Samarawickrama both departed without scoring. Charith Asalanka managed just 6 runs before falling to Nortje, leaving the team in a dire state. Angelo Mathews provided a glimmer of hope with an unbeaten 16, including two sixes, but it was too little to salvage the innings. Dasun Shanaka’s 9 runs were also not enough. Nortje bagged impressive figures of 4-7 while Keshav Maharaj took 2-22. Kagiso Rabada ended with figures for 2-21.

Namibia defeat Oman after super over thriller:

In Bridgetown, Namibia scored a nerve-shredding victory over Oman in their T20 World Cup Group B clash in Barbados on Sunday after a low-scoring thriller was decided by a super over. David Wiese was the hero for Namibia, contributing 13 runs in the Africans’ super over total of 21 before then restricting Oman to 10 runs with the ball in hand to seal a crucial win at Kensington Oval. The match had gone to a decisive extra over after a tense duel saw both teams finish with 109 runs from their allotted 20 overs. Oman had looked to be heading for defeat after a superb four-wicket bowling display from Ruben Trumpelmann saw them all out for 109 off 19.4 overs. But Oman’s bowlers responded with a disciplined performance to contain Namibia’s bats, with Mehran Khan conjuring a superb spell to leave the match on a knife edge. Khan finished with figures of three wickets for seven runs off three overs. The veteran Oman bowler took two wickets in the final over to frustrate Namibia, who had needed just five runs from the over to clinch victory. But Khan was bizarrely overlooked for the super over bowling duties by Oman, with Bilal Khan handed the ball instead.

That move backfired spectacularly, though, with Wiese blasting a four off the first ball and then crushing a full toss for six off Khan’s second delivery. Wiese took three more runs off the next two balls before Namibia skipper Gerhard Erasmus hit back-to-back fours to set Oman a daunting victory target of 22 off their super over. Wiese took over the bowling duties for Namibia and after conceding just two runs from his first two deliveries, took the wicket of Naseem Khushi. Two more singles left Oman needing 18 from the last delivery to win, meaning Wiese could allow Zeeshan Maqsood to blast a six knowing victory was assured. Oman captain Aqib Ilyas was left lamenting an agonising near-miss — but defended the decision to opt for Bilal as the super over bowler over the in-form Khan. Earlier, Trumpelmann had given Namibia a dream start with two wickets from the first two deliveries of the match, part of a four-wicket performance. Wiese also impressed in the regulation 20 overs with 3-28 off 3.4 overs. Namibia made hard work of the run chase, however, with Jan Frylinck (45) and Niko Davin (24) top scoring as the southern Africans came up just short of their victory target.

Brief scores:

1: South Africa 80 for 4 (De Kock 20, Hasaranga 2-22, Shanaka 1-6) beat Sri Lanka 77 (Nortje 4-7, Rabada 2-21, Maharaj 2-22, Baartman 1-9) by six wickets.

2: Namibia 109 for 6 (Frylinck 45, Mehran 3-7) tied with Oman 109 (Kail 34, Trumpelmann 4-21, Wiese 3-28). Super Over Namibia 21 beat Oman 10.