Sri Lanka suffered a humiliating 6-wicket defeat at the hands of South Africa at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, New York on Monday. Electing to bat first, the decision backfired as Bangladesh were bowled out for 77 runs. South Africa chased down the total with 22 balls to spare. 77 is Sri Lanka’s lowest total in the T20 World Cup, and this is the first time the Proteas have won their opening T20 World Cup fixture.
Sri Lanka got off to a shaky start as they kept losing wickets regularly. With no partnership building up, they were ultimately bundled out for 77 runs in 19.1 overs. Kusal Mendis top-scored with 19 runs to his name, while Mathews (16) and Kamindu Mendis (11) were the other two batters to cross the double-digit figure for the Sri Lankan side.
Nortje shone with the ball for the Proteas, finishing with an impressive spell of 4/7 in his 4-over quota. Rabada (2/21) and Keshav Maharaj (2/22) were other positives for men in yellow and green with the ball.
Chasing a paltry total didn’t look easy on this tricky pitch. South Africa lost Reeza Hendricks (4) and Aiden Markram (12) inside the first five overs. However, the small contributions from Quinton de Kock (20) and Heinrich Klaasen (19*) helped the Proteas cross the winning line without any further hiccups. 
Key Moments of the Game:
Ottneil Baartman strikes on his first T20 World Cup ball
The right-arm pacer had a dream debut, extracting the wicket of Pathum Nissanka on his first T20 World Cup ball. He was also the architect who initiated the Sri Lankan collapse. Marco Jansen and Rabada operated with the new ball, and the pair kept things tight as their pace and bounce were too hot to handle. That frustrated the Lankans and in return, it helped Baartman with the wicket. Baartman ended his spell with 1/9, including a maiden over.
Anrich Nortje returns in form – Breaks Sri Lanka’s Backbone
The right-arm pacer was grappling with his form since his comeback from a back injury, which was a major concern for the Proteas. The 30-year-old also had a poor outing with the ball in the recently concluded IPL. However, Nortje regained his rhythm against Sri Lanka, scalping 4 wickets for just 7 runs. Markram deployed Nortje after the powerplay and he proved too hot for the Sri Lankan batters. It is pertinent to mention that Nortje’s 4/7 is the best bowling figure for South Africa in men’s T20 World Cups.
Early setbacks for South Africa: Two wickets fall within five overs
In pursuit of a paltry 77 runs, the Proteas didn’t get the start they wanted as Reeza Hendricks and Aiden Markram departed cheaply, falling prey to Thushara and Shanaka, respectively. The Proteas were 23/2 in the fifth over, but Quinton de Kock and Tristan Stubbs formed a brief partnership to steady the ship.
Hasaranga grabs two wickets in quick succession
The Sri Lankan skipper introduced himself in the 11th over of the innings and removed the set-batter de Kock in his first over. The captain later extracted Tristan Stubbs (13) in his second over to put some pressure on the Proteas.
Klaasen’s Klass seals the game for the Proteas
The pitch was not easy to bat on, and after Stubbs’ wicket, a few more wickets could have put South Africa in a tight spot. However, Klaasen played sensibly on the tricky surface and helped his side cross the winning line with 20 balls to spare. In the process, he hammered Hasaranga for a six and a four on two consecutive balls in the 15th over.
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This defeat for Sri Lanka has dented their net run rate (-1.048), and they need to stage a solid comeback in their next game. Another loss from here could push them to the brink of elimination from the tournament in the group stage itself. They will face their arch-rivals, Bangladesh, at Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas on Friday (Local time), June 7. The Parimatch odds for Sri Lanka in this fixture are 1.60x.
On the other hand, South Africa will face the Netherlands at Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York on Saturday, June 8. The Parimatch odds for South Africa in this fixture are 1.90x.
