SUNDAY, MARCH 23, 2014 SPORTS Sri Lanka defeat S Africa CHITTAGONG: World number one Sri Lanka held their nerve in the final overs to pull off a narrow five- run victory over South Africa in Chittagong yesterday. Left-handed opener Kusal Perera hit a brilliant 40-ball 61 to lift Sri Lanka, who won the toss and batted, to 165-7 before restricting South Africa to 160-5. The victory gave Sri Lanka an ideal start to the group one cam- paign in the Super-10 stage at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury stadi- um. South Africa needed 15 off the final over but Lasith Malinga kept SCOREBOARD a tight line and despite a last ball six by tail-ender Imran Tahir, Sri CHITTAGONG, Bangladesh: Scoreboard of the World Twenty20 Super-10 stage group one Lanka carried the day. South Africa match between South Africa and Sri Lanka at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury stadium yesterday: were given a flying 32-run start by Quinton de Kock (25) and Hashim Sri Lanka South Africa Amla (23). Jean-Paul Duminy (39) K. Perera c de Villiers b Tahir 61 Q. de Kock b Malinga 25 and AB De Villiers (24) hit Ajantha T. Dilshan b Steyn 0 Hashim Amla c Dilshan b Senanayake 23 Mendis out of the attack with 22 runs in his first two overs but both M. Jayawardene c Steyn b M. Morkel 9 JP Duminy c Dilshan b Senanayake 39 departed within nine runs to give K. Sangakkara c Tsotsobe b Tahir 14 AB de Villiers c Sangakkara b Mathews 24 Sri Lanka the edge. A. Mathews b Steyn 43 D. Miller run out 19 A. Morkel c Chandimal b Mendis 12 David Miller (19) and Albie D. Chandimal st de Kock b Tahir 12 Morkel (12) briefly threatened, CHITTAGONG: South Africa’s Quinton de Kock bats as Sri Lankan wicketkeeper Kumar T. Perera b M. Morkel 8 F. Behardien c Jayawardene b Kulasekara 5 D. Steyn run out 0 with Morkel hitting two successive Sangakkara tries to catch the ball during the ICC Twenty20 Cricket World Cup match. —AP N. Kulasekara not out 7 sixes but Sri Lanka pulled off the S. Senanayake not out 1 M. Morkel not out 0 Imran Tahir not out 8 win. momentum,” said De Villiers. “We fit after recovering from a ham- Steyn was in the thick of things Extras: (lb3, w7) 10 Extras: (lb3, w2) 5 Sri Lanka captain Dinesh weren’t good enough.” string injury, finished with 2-37 from the first over as he was hit for Total: (for seven wkts; 20 overs) 165 Total: (for eight wkts; 20 overs) 160 Chandimal praised Perera and the Earlier, Perera and Mathews while fellow pacer Morne Morkel two fours and a six by Perera Did not bat: A. Mendis and L. Malinga Did not bat: L. Tsotsobe death bowling. “Everyone is over gave Sri Lanka total some stability. grabbed 2-31. before the paceman bowled the Fall of wickets: 1-17 (Dilshan), 2-42 Fall of wickets: 1-32 (de Kock), 2-82 (Amla), 3- the moon,” said Chandimal. “I am Perera hit six boundaries and three Sri Lanka’s most experienced trio other opener Dilshan on the last (Jayawardene), 3-83 (Sangakkara), 4-106 110 (de Villiers), 4-119 (Duminy), 5-133 (A. full of beans again. Kusal hit some towering sixes before leg-spinner of Tillakaratne Dilshan (nought), delivery. Perera went onto make (Perera), 5-137 (Chandimal), 6-152 Morkel), 6-148 (Behardien), 7-151 (Steyn), 8- good boundaries to get us a good Imran Tahir pulled back the scor- Mahela Jayawardene (nine) and his fifth T20 half-century off 29 (Thisara), 7-160 (Mathews) 152 (Miller) start and Mathews finished it off ing rate by taking 3-26 in his four Kumar Sangakkara (14) failed to balls before he holed out in the Bowling: Styen 4-0-37-2 (2w), Tsotsobe 4- Bowling: Kulasekara 3-0-23-1, Mathews 3-0- well. Our death bowling with overs. Mathews gave the final supplement Perera. deep off Tahir. The Netherlands are 0-31-0 (1w), M. Morkel 4-0-31-2 (1w), 21-1 (1w), Senanayake 4-0-22-2, Malinga 4-0- Lasith (Malinga) was very good.” touches to the innings by hitting South African captain Faf du the third team in the group. Top Duminy 2-0-13-0 (1w), A. Morkel 2-0-24-0 29-1 (1w), Perera 2-0-18-0, Mendis 4-0-44-1 South Africa skipper De Villiers three boundaries and a six to help Plessis was ruled out of the match two teams from each group will (2w), Tahir 4-0-26-3 Result: Sri Lanka won by five runs rued their loss of wickets at regular Sri Lanka add 45 in the last five as he was unable to recover fully qualify for the semi-finals. The final intervals. “We lost wickets at cru- overs. from a hamstring injury and was of the event will be played in cial time and that stopped the Paceman Dale Steyn, declared replaced by De Villiers as captain. Dhaka on April 6. —AFP Preview Aussies set for Pakistan’s spin assault DHAKA: Injury-plagued Australia begin their not played at this ground yet. It is going to be have made the final of the World Twenty20 just quest for the only major title missing from fresh for us. We have to adjust pretty quickly.” once in four attempts, losing the title to their overflowing cupboard when they clash Australia, already missing premier fast England in 2010. Bailey said the current squad with shaky Pakistan in the World Twenty20 in bowler Mitchell Johnson due to a toe infection, was different from previous ones, but needed Dhaka today. will also be without all-rounder James Faulkner to be consistent to win a maiden T20 title. Pakistan’s seven-wicket drubbing at India’s for the opening match. hands on Friday night should give Australia Bailey said Faulkner, a hard-hitting right- ‘CONSISTENCY IS KEY’ added confidence for the group two Super-10 hand batsman and left-arm seamer, had still “We have got more versatility just in terms game at the Sher-e-Bangla stadium. not recovered from the knee injury that forced of what we can do with the ball,” he said. “And But skipper George Bailey refused to take him to miss the recent tour of South Africa. we are probably a little bit more powerful with victory for granted, insisting instead that it was “We will just monitor him,” the captain said. the bat, and bat a little deeper. spin-heavy Pakistan that held the advantage. “He is an important player. He has certainly “You just have to to play some good, consis- “I don’t think we have any advantage,” played a huge role for Australian sides in the tent cricket to get to the semi-finals. And then Bailey said. “If anything, they have probably T20 and one-day formats.” you hope that you have carried some momen- got the advantage in terms of having played Australia, who have won the 50-over World tum there. here and got used to the conditions. “We have Cup four times and are a leading Test side, “Consistency is probably the key. There’s are a whole different range of ways that a game can be won and lost in T20s and it can happen quickly-it can be one catch, might be one over, CHITTAGONG: New Zealand cricketer Martin Guptill makes an unsuccessful might be one wicket that’s taken. attempt to make a catch off England batsman Jos Buttler during the ICC “But the better team is probably going to World Twenty20 tournament cricket match. —AFP win their game. Every team that plays at their worst is going to lose. The challenge is to make sure that the gap is not too big.” NZ defy rain to Bailey conceded it would be a challenge to tackle Pakistan’s spinners, led by the prolific Saeed Ajmal, but was hopeful his batsmen will stand up to the task. defeat England “They are a very, very strong spinning side, but I think we have got a strong batting line- CHITTAGONG: New Zealand defied a stub- Bopara hit a 19-ball unbeaten 24 and Tim up that hopefully can overcome them,” the born England and rain to win their opening Bresnan hit an eight-ball 17 not out to help Australian captain said. World Twenty20 match by nine runs on the England muster 88 in the last 10 overs. “Spin plays a huge role in T20, wherever it is Duckworth-Lewis method in Chittagong England were off to a disastrous start played in the world. But in these conditions, it yesterday. when opener Alex Hales was dismissed off tends to be match-winning. We know we are Chasing a challenging 173-run target, the third ball of the innings, caught one- going to face lots of spin.” New Zealand were 52-1 after 5.2 overs handed high over his head by Corey Bailey said it was important to start with a when heavy rain came down following a Anderson at mid-off. win in the group which also includes defend- burst of thunder, which halted the Group Lumb and Ali steadied the innings dur- ing champions the West Indies, India and hosts One match played at the Zahur Ahmed ing their 72-run second wicket stand. Ali, Bangladesh. Chowdhury stadium. playing only his third T20, hit six well-timed “In a tournament like this, momentum is After a 25-minute delay when the boundaries and a six before he holed out really important,” he said.