South African cricketers celebrate after winning the ICC Cricket World Cup match between South Africa and Sri Lanka in New Delhi, India, Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)South Africa vs Sri Lanka World Cup 2023 highlights: South Africa rode on centuries from Quinton de Kock, Rassie van der Dussen and Aiden Markram to thrash Sri Lanka by 102 runs in a World Cup match here on Saturday.
Put into bat, the Proteas batters toyed with the Sri Lankan bowlers with Van der Dussen (108 off 110 balls), Markram (106 off 54) and De Kock (100 off 84) smashing quick-fire centuries to lift the side to a commanding total, which was also the highest by a team in the World Cup. Dilshan Madushanka (2/86) picked up two wickets for Sri Lanka.
Chasing, Charith Asalanka (79 off 65), Kusal Mendis (76 off 42) and skipper Dasun Shanaka (68 off 62) played good knocks but it was not enough. Gerald Coetzee (3/68) was the pick of the bowlers for South Africa.
Follow highlights from the SA vs SL match below.
South Africa
428/5 (50.0)Sri Lanka
326 (44.5)South Africa beat Sri Lanka by 102 runs
South Africa's wrist spinner Tabraiz Shamsi is eager to hit the ground running in the ODI World Cup. (File)
Rabada back to clean up this Lankan tail but Pathirana with two resolute defences to thwart the pacer. nothing off the next couple of ball as well but the 5th has uprooted Pathirana's stumps. SL's valiant effort ends, SA win by 102 runs
Gerald Coetzee to Rajitha now who takes a single to put Pathirana on strike. The CSK man swings at the next ball but misses it completely. Finally gets a bat to the 3rd and takes a single. Rajitha then goes for a big hit and holes out to Markram. SL 322/9 after 43.4 overs
Marco Jansen will bowl the 43rd and after starting with a wide, Rajitha hits him for a boundary!! Straight over the bowler's head. The next one is smashed for six now!! Jansen looks on in disbelief. SL 320/8 after 43 overs
Gerald Coetzee to continue and after acouple of quiet deliveries, Pathirana smashes him for a boundary. SL not going down without a fight. SL 307/8 after 42 overs
Jansen continues and Rajitha smacks him for a four to begin!! The next two are dots as Jansen cramps him for room. What just happened? Rajitha tries to pull and the ball goes to the complete opposite direction for a boundary!! Hit on the left shoulder and the physio is checking Rajitha out now. Ends the over with four more!! SL 303/8 after 41 overs
Maharaj to bowl the 4oth and Shanka gets to business with a huge six!! great effort from Rabada in the deep but can't get it. 5 wides and a boundary next as the runs keep on flowing. But the bowler has the last laugh as Shanaka is cleaned up soon after those strikes. SL 291/8 after 39.5 overs
Jansen in the attack now and gives away just 1 from the first three deliveries. Not a whole lot to write home about from this over as SA are inching slowly towards a victory. Unless SL have something big up their sleeves. SL 276/7 after 39 overs
Maharaj starts this one off with 1 from the first 2 balls before the next 3 balls yield 3, including a wide. Halfhearted shout for an LBW and bavuma has taken the review. Missing the wickets and a review is lost. SL 273/7 after 38 overs
Gerald Coetzee continues and Shanaka has flicked a switchj with a six and a four to start this one off. The next ball is sliced and gets a boundary as well. The 4th is struck sweetly, straight down the ground past the bowler for four more!!! Pulls again and gets another four. 50 up for the skipper. SL 269/7 after 37 overs
Ngidi in to bowl this over and SA have missed a golden chance for a run out!! The innings has gone to a glacial pace now. Just the 2 from this one. SL 246/7 after 36 overs
Gerald Coetzee back to bowl the 35th and yields 3 from the first 2 balls. 2 more from the next two ball as it's turning into another queter over for SA. SL 244/7 after 35 overs
Ngidi continues and starts with 2 dots as Shanaka treads with caution. 2 from the next two as the SL captain and Rajitha rotate strikes. Jsut 3 off it. SL 238/7 after 34 overs
Gerald Coetzee continues and would you know it, Wellalage is caught behind. The SL resistance is crumbling at the momenmt as one brings two for SA. SL 233/7 after 32.3 overs
Ngidi returns and Asalanka with a single to start this off. Uff, the next ball beats Shanaka. Bavuma having a word with his bowler now. Shanaka then drives the next ball for a boundary. And the breakthrough comes finally!! Asalanka goes after him and Hendricks with a great running catch. SL 232/6 after 32 overs
Rabada will continue after drinks and Asalanka welcomes him back with a four!! Follows that up with another magnificent pull for four more!! SL 226/5 after 31 overs
Jansen continues and Asalanka has hit it high, a fielder trying to come underneath but it's gone over the ropes for a six!! the fifth one gets the same treatment as the first with another 6!! SL 214/5 after 30 overs
Rabada is back in the attack now and starts with a no ball. Free hit time. Asalanka swings his bat and is caught. Just a single. The 200 is up for SL and 50 partnership for these two. SL 201/5 after 29 overs
Jansen in the attcak now and Asalanka gets an inside edge. It could have gone anywhrere but SL get a single. In the aiiirrr and might be taken. Nooooo, Phehlukwayo has dropped one. Worse, it's a boundary to boot. The last ball is slashed up and falls in no man's land to run down for four more. SL 196/5 after 28 overs
Maharaj will continue and a brilliant fielding to deny any run. But Asalanka gets a boundary the next ball as he flicks off his leg side. Takes a single next and gets to 50. SL 186/5 after 27 overs
Marco Jansen is back in the attack. Can he provide a breakthrough? 2 from the first 3 balls as the SL batters are carefully navigating him. Ohhh!!! Almost a catch in the deep but the fielder can't catch it. Goes through his fingers. SL 179/5 after 26 overs
Maharaj in to bowl the 25th over and gives away 2 from the first four balls. Just those 2 runs from this over ultimately. SL 176/5 after 25 overs
Ngidi continues and after a dot ball, bowls a wide of the second delivery. Three singles from the next three nall as well as a wide. Asalanka ends the over with a nice pick up shot into the crowd. SL 174/5 after 24 overs
Maharaj in to bowl this one and Asalanka starts this one off with a well placed boundary. 3 more from the next four balls and just 7 from this over. SL 162/5 after 23 overs
Ngidi round the wicket now to Asalanka. Starts with 2 dots as the batter is content to just defend. Just a single ultimately from this over. SL 155/5 after 22 overs
Maharaj next and he has provided the breakthrough!!! Dhananjaya tries to go after him but has given an easy catch to substitute fielder Phehlukwayo. SL 150/5 after 20.1 overs
Coetzee continues and what a great fielding by Jansen to save 4 runs. Asalanka makes it up for a lofted shot over the inner circle to fetch a four. The next one is better as he strikes it over the ropes for a maximum. SL 150/4 after 20 overs
A review for stumping now. SA are interested but the batter looked in. Yes, the foot is inside the crease. Not out. de Silva goes for the same sweep again and gets a lucky four!! SL 139/4 after 19 overs
Coetzee in the attack and Asalanka with a good shot but only gets two. SL can't buy a boundary at the moment. And finally, Asanka loosens the shackles and ends the over with a 6!! SL 134/4 after 18 overs
Maharaj in the attack again and SL have slown down considerably after those high scoring initial overs. Just a single from the first five balls. SL 123/4 after 17 overs
Coetzee continues and Asalanka defends the first ball of this over. The next two balls yield no runs as well as SA look to keep the pressure on Sri Lanka. Finally a single inn this over to end it. SL 121/4 after 16 overs
Rabada in to bowl the 15th and Asalanka starts this one off with a boundary!! Sri lanka now need a partnership with two set batters gone. Just the six runs from this over. SL 120/4 after 15 overs
Nortje's replacement Gerald Coetzee in the attack now and he has struck a dagger through the SL hearts straight away!! Samarawickrama can't believe it. The bounce bamboozles the batter and he edges it for Jansen to take a brilliant catch. SL 111/4 after 13.2 overs
Rabada in to bowl the 13th and just a single by Mendis from the first 2 balls. And he strikes!! The extra bounce did Mendis in as he gets a nick and Klaasen makes no mistakes behind the stumps. SL 109/3 after 12.4 overs
Maharaj will continue and starts off with rwo dot balls. Samarawickrama pounces on the 4th ball and sends it for a boundary as 100 comes up for Sri Lanka. He goes down on one knee next and sweeps for 4 more to end the over. SL 107/2 after 12 overs
Rabada in to bowl the next over and 4 from the first 5 balls. A very rare quiet over in this match. Will it be the calm before another storm? Just 4 from this one. SL 98/2 after 11 overs
Spin introduced in the proceedings now and Maharaj will bowl this one. Gets the first ball to turn and it misses Samarawickrama's edge. He responds with a rocket shot, over the ropes and into the crowd. SL 94/2 after 10 overs
Rabada continues and he'll bowl to Mendis who takes a quick single to put Samarawickrama on strike. A wideish ball now and Mendis has pulled it deep into the crowd!! SIX!!! And another!! The crowd goes ballistic as he sends the last ball over the ropes for another maximum. SL 87/2 after 9 overs
Marco Jansen with the 8th and would you know it, Mendis threads the first ball through two fielders for a boundary. Takes a single and Perera back on strike. He gets the hold of the 4th ball and pulls for a boundary!!! Off to a flier. AND GONE!!!! Jansen strikes!!! Goes through Perera and cleans him up. SL 67/2 after 7.5 overs
Rabada introduced in the attack and Perera blocks. 50 partnership is up between the pair but Perera has not contributed anything to it. finally, he's off the mark wih a mistimed shot as indecision cost SA a wicket as Bavuma drops it. SL 58/1 after 7 overs
Jansen now and Kusal Mendis does not give an inch. After 2 dots, he smashes Jansen for another 6!! Strap in your seatbelts folks. We might be witnessing something special. The next one is hit over the inner circle for four more!!! Another!! What are we watching here!!! Terrific batting. 50 comes up for Mendis. SL 54/1 after 6 overs
Ngidi in for the 5th over and what a pick up shot from Mendis for a 6!!! Sri Lanka are giving it the old college try!! And another!! This time over the deep square leg boundary!! He's gone again!! This time flicked off the leg side and deposited over the ropes. SL 37/1 after 5 overs
Jansen continues and Mendis goes after him as well. A huge six from the second ball and Jansen is wondering what he did wrong. 7 from this over. SL 19/1 after 4 overs
Ngidi to bowl the 3rd and Kusal Mendis has got his number. Two fours already in this over and the SL batter is raring for more. Good little over from SL's perspective. SL 12/1 after 3 overs
Marco Jansen with a huge strike in the second over. Sri Lanka's first wicket is gone. Not the start they would have wanted chasing that mammoth total. SL 3/1 after 2 overs
It is 428 folks it has been carnage. Can this be chased yes, the wicket is excellent for batting will South Africa bat and bowl as badly as Sri Lanka did now only time will tell. Batting has been the weak link for Sri Lankans in the last few months to get these many runs they need two players to score at least 150s. As per South Africa is there any better way to start a world campaign probably not. They have put themselves in a position where they can start thinking about the Net Run Rate. If we are being completely honest it is the same with Sri Lanka as well it is a question of net run rate and not lose badly. Let us hope this too does not turn out to be a one-sided affair. We will be right back after a break stay with us for all the updates.
Markram has broken the record here. He is the fastest to get to a 100 in World Cups. Kevin O Brein held the record earlier with 50 balls but now we have a new name. This is a super start for South Africa. So far they have been not considered as favourites for the semifinals but with this performance, they will be they are making a statement here. Take a bow Markram you deserve all the applause for this innings. It is a pure joy as a spectator to witness an innings like this. After 46.3 overs RSA 381/4
This has been a breathtaking innings from the South African. Right from the moment he stepped into the crease, he just went after the bowling. He played some sublime shots throughout the knock. Pathirana was supposed to be a death bowling specialist but he too is being taken for cleaners. On the other hand, Sri Lanka managed to pick Klassen but Miller has walked into the middle don't be surprised if South Africa makes the highest ODI total in the history of the tournament which is 417 by Australia against Afghanistan. After 44.5 overs RSA 358/4
Dunith Wellalge has got himself an unwanted record by conceding a maximum number of runs on debut for a Sri Lankan. De Kock absolutely pummeled the youngster and showed no mercy on him while he was batting. It is a massive learning curve for the youngster it is an experience he will remember and make sure he does not repeat the errors again. The conditions were also terribly against him with the size of the boundaries and nature of the surface here. As the sun is dipping here the chance of winning this game is also looking dim for Sri Lanka. After 39.4 overs RSA 308/3
We are past five and we still have almost more than 10 overs left in the innings. This has been a poor performance from Sri Lanka be it bowling or be it their fielding or their over rate. There just seems to be no urgency from the players to get through the overs. The slow overs are also letting the South Africans have enough break to hold their breath from all the running they have been doing in this Delhi afternoon heat. Sri Lanka needs to improve drastically in their next game, especially on the field. After 39.4 overs RSA 284/3
It was a tired shot in the end by Van Der Dussen. He tried to hit Wellalage down the ground for a maximum however, could not time it well and was caught at long-on. The South African team would not be very disappointed as in-form Klassen has walked into the middle. If he gets going now it might be very difficult for Sri Lanka. The situation is also perfect for him we all have witnessed recently what he did in the final overs against Australia in the recently concluded ODI series. After 38 overs RSA 267/3
Brilliant ton a flawless innings from the South African. The best part about the knock was not only his shot-making but the tempo he played at. While De Kock was struggling when he was near his 50-mark Rassie played his shots once De Kock started to take on the bowling he took a back seat and quietly accumulated. Once again he has a lot of time left to make this a big innings and take South Africa to that 400-mark. Already Markram who has come in at four has started extremely well. After 35.2 overs RSA 246/2
De Kock shouted in joy after his magnificent 100. It has been an innings of pure class. He started off a bit slowly early on but once he crossed his 50 he started to show his range. Especially against Dunith Wellalage, he has been brutal. His left-arm angle came into him nicely allowing him to give a free swing. He would be disappointed with the dismissal as there were a lot more runs for taking. He tried to pull a short ball and could not get the timing right. Markram has walked into the middle not a bad time for him to come in and accelerate. After 31.2 overs RSA 217/2
Generally, when players get to their landmarks they tend to slow down which might give Sri Lanka an opportunity to chip in with a few quiet overs. It also may disrupt the rhythm of the batters. However, the South Africans would not be worried about a wicket falling now. If there is any good time to lose a wicket that is this. Klassen and Miller are in fantastic form and they can inject a lot of momentum into the innings with their freshness. 400 is looking definitely possible for South Africa here. After 29.2 overs RSA 200/1
Since they were bowled out for 50 in the Asia Cup final it has been all downhill for Sri Lanka. Their warm-up games have not gone according to the plan for them either. Their bowling is looking toothless which has been their strength in the recently concluded Asia Cup. Sri Lankans take a lot of pride in their fielding which too has not looked good today. Their batting has always been on the weaker side, especially against extreme pace and South Africa does have bowlers who can hit 140-mark regularly. After 28.1 overs RSA 182/1
This has been a brutal partnership from Rassie and De Kock they have upped the ante in the last 20 minutes or so. Sri Lanka needs to first stop this run leaking at least for an over as they are scoring a boundary every over. Given the batting still to come South Africa can get to 400. They are missing the likes of Theekshana and Hasaranga badly in this middle overs. In addition to their poor bowling Sri Lanka is also dropping a few opportunities which have been presented to them. After 26.1 overs RSA 161/1
The Sri Lankan captain has taken over the reins of the team during a phase when the national team was getting irrelevant in the cricketing landscape post the golden era which has seen the likes of Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardena, Lasith Malinga and many others. They are yet to reach their past glory. Those are the days when they were competing and reaching the knockout stages of ICC events on a regular basis but there has been significant improvement in Sri Lanka’s performance under Shanaka and the Asia Cup win in 2022 has confirmed the growth. “Shanaka backs his players every time. He knows how to get things from his players very well,” told Wanindu Hasaranga speaking to ICC. Whatever the leg-spinner has told resonated on the field. Despite the failures of the youngsters and some bitter defeats along the way throughout his tenure, Shanaka always backed his players and trusted their abilities and over the last 18 months has been reaping rewards. Apart from his captaincy, he is a lethal finisher. Though he is not one of the consistent players on the side, in his day, he can take the game away from any opposition. His career strike rate jumps from 93.80 to 140.22 in the last 10 overs of an ODI inning. He is also a handy bowler who can roll his arm around when the surfaces offer something to the seamers. In places like Wankhede and MCA stadium (Pune) where the pacers get a bit of purchase from the pitches, Shanaka can chip in a few overs. With conditions similar to back home in Sri Lankan Shanaka the player and captain would be looking to take this team deep in the tournament and take another step in Sri Lankan cricket’s resurgence.