South Africa registered a thumping 102-run win over Sri Lanka in their ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 opener at Arun Jaitley Stadium (formerly, Feroze Shah Kotla Stadium), Delhi. Sri Lanka won the toss and invited South Africa to bat. The Proteas started well, thanks to tons from Rassie van der Dussen and Quinton de Kock. In the middle-order, Aiden Markram smashed the fastest World Cup hundred, in just 49 balls, thus setting up a record total of 429 runs for Sri Lanka to chase. In response, Sri Lankan batter Kusal Mendis gave Sri Lanka a good start but wickets kept falling as South African bowlers did not allow any partnership to flourish. Asalanka and Shanaka added some crucial runs. Kasun Rajitha also fought well at the end but all in vain. Catch the highlights of the SL vs SA match here. (Scorecard | Match Report | Full Coverage)
That's it from our side!
South Africa won the match by 102 runs!!
10:20 pm: South Africa won by 102 runs
Sri Lanka fought well, but in the end, the target was very big to achieve. Still, Sri Lankan batters put up a brave fight in a 102-run loss against South Africa. The Proteas should have won this match much earlier but they did that eventually. Shanaka and Rajitha fought hard in the end.
SL - 326/10 (44.5)
9:30 pm: Lankan tail fighting hard
Dasun Shanaka is the lone man who can bat now in the Sri Lankan batting line-up. With seven wickets down, the Sri Lankan tail with Captain is fighting and trying to decrease the difference of loss. Kasun Rajitha is with Shanaka in the middle. South Africa needs just three more wickets. Sri Lanka is still 185 runs behind.
SL - 244/7 (35)
8:55 pm: Asalanka and Shanaka fighting for Sri Lanka
South Africa have not given much room to make runs for Sri Lanka. Charith Asalanka and Captain Dasun Shanaka are taking their time on the crease. South Africa have managed to stop them so far. Sri Lanka still need more than 230 runs in 22 overs.
SL - 196/5 (28)
8:20 pm: South Africa on top after 20 overs!
With the wickets of Kusal Mendis and Sadeera Samarawickrama, Sri Lanka is struggling for runs here. South African bowlers are not giving any easy chances to Sri Lankan batters. They are looking forward to winning this match with a big margin.
SL - 150/4 (20)
7:35 pm: Kusal Mendis is playing attacking cricket
Kushal Mendis 72*(35) is attacking the South African bowlers and making runs according to the required run rate. Mendis smacked Rabada for two sixes in the over. Sadeera Samarawickrama is also giving him good support. Sri Lanka is scoring quickly now. South Africa needs another breakthrough.
SL - 94/2 (10)
6:50 pm: Sri Lanka starts the run-chase
Sri Lankan batters Kusal Perera and Pathum Nissanka opened the innings, but Nissanka got out on the first delivery of Marco Jansen. Kusal Mendis joins Kusal Perera. Sri Lanka needs big partnerships.
SL - 7/1 (2.2)
Innings Break!!
Target set for Sri Lanka - 429 runs in 300 balls
6:15 pm: South Africa sets record target for Sri Lanka
Aiden Markram hits the fastest century of the ODI World Cup today with his 106(54) and after that David Miller rubs salt on the wounds of Sri Lanka with his quick-fire 39*(21). Sri Lanka had no clue where to bowl the South African batters and that resulted in the highest total in the World Cups.
SA - 428/5 (50)
5:32 pm: Markram dealing in boundaries, Klaasen departs!
South Africa is eyeing a post-400 total here. Aiden Markram is dealing with boundaries only. The same was done by the Klaasen, who departs after trying to score big shits. David Miller joins Markram at the crease.
SA - 352/4 (44)
5:03 pm: Markram and Dussen eyeing to set a big target
Quinton de Kock departs just after completing his century. Aiden Markram comes to his place and is giving good support to the Rassie van der Dussen who is unbeaten on 108(109). Markram 36*(24) is finding boundaries in between and keeping the scorecard busy.
SA - 264/2 (37)
4:00 pm: De Kock and Dussen partnership going big
2nd wicket partnership for South Africa between Rassie van der Dussen 71*(77) and Quinton de Kock 75*(70) is going big and strong as South Africa crosses 150 runs in the 25th over.
SA -158/1 (25)
3:18 pm: South Africa stable after early wicket of Bavuma
Quinton de Kock and Rassie van der Dussen are taking the South African scoreboard slowly and making runs with a good run rate without taking any risk. After the early wicket of Temba Bavuma 8(5), South African batters have not given any chance to the Lankan bowlers. Sri Lanka is desperately searching for a wicket here.
SA - 85/1 (15)
2:05 pm: South Africa's Batting Starts!
Temba Bavuma and Quinton de Kock opening for South Africa and Ball is in Kasun Rajitha's hands. South Africa is not hasting for the runs. De Kock gets off the mark with a single on the deep square leg. Bavuma send the last ball for a boundary. Rajitha bowled well.
SA - 5/0 (1)
1:50 pm: Toss Update
Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to field first
Teams:
Sri Lanka (Playing XI): Kusal Perera, Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis(w), Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Dasun Shanaka(c), Dunith Wellalage, Matheesha Pathirana, Dilshan Madushanka, Kasun Rajitha
South Africa (Playing XI): Quinton de Kock(w), Temba Bavuma(c), Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Marco Jansen, Gerald Coetzee, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi, Kagiso Rabada
12:52 pm: Head-to-head
South Africa and Sri Lanka have met 80 times in 50-overs format with the former enjoying a 45-33 lead in the head-to-head record. There was one tied match and one no result. The last the two teams met in ODIs, Sri Lanka beat South Africa by 78 runs. That was in September 2021.
12:30 pm: Squads
Sri Lanka: Pathum Nissanka, Dimuth Karunaratne, Kusal Mendis (w), Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Kusal Perera, Dhananjaya de Silva, Dasun Shanaka (c), Kasun Rajitha, Lahiru Kumara, Dunith Wellalage, Dushan Hemantha, Dilshan Madushanka, Matheesha Pathirana, Maheesh Theekshana
South Africa: Quinton de Kock (wk), Reeza Hendricks, Temba Bavuma (c), Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen, Andile Phehlukwayo, David Miller, Marco Jansen, Gerald Coetzee, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi, Lizaad Williams, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi.
