ICC World Twenty20: South Africa go home with some pride

South Africa’s Hashim Amla celebrates his half century against Sri Lanka in their World T20 Super 10 Group 1 match in New Delhi on Monday. The Proteas won by eight wickets. (Photo: AFP)

South Africa redeemed some pride from yet another failed shot at an international tournament title, carving out an eight-wicket win over Sri Lanka in their final Group 1 Super 10 league game of the ICC World Twenty20 at the Kotla here on Monday.

With the calm hand of Hashim Amla (56 not out, 52 b) at the wheel, the Proteas, for many one of the pre-tournament favourites chased down Sri Lanka’s meagre 120, riding on the bearded stylist’s half-century to get across the line in 17.4 overs.

Playing perfect counterpoint to Amla’s anchor was AB de Villiers who after a string of disappointments was unbeaten on a brisk 20 (12b), who fittingly knocked off the winning runs with his second six.

In between opener Quinton de Kock (9) and skipper Faf du Plessis (30, 36b) played their part in keeping the chase on the rails to leave the South Africans wondering what it would need from them to break the hoodoo of a world title despite their fine performances in other forms of competition.

Earlier, a dispirited performance by the 2014 champions marked their last outing with the bat. Asked to take first strike, Sri Lanka managed a measly 120 in 19.3 overs.

Tillakaratne Dilshan was the only batsman to get a total of consequence, scoring a steady 36 off 40 deliveries with four boundaries and a six. Just two other batsmen reached the 20s as the South Africans kept things tidy with the ball and in the field. It had all looked very different at the start. Openers Dilshan and Dinesh Chandimal got off to a flyer, pounding the pace of Dale Steyn to all parts of the ground. In under five overs they had raced to 45 before du Plessis opted to take the slow route.

Left-arm spinner Aaron Phangiso has had a quiet tournament, but in this final fling, he was to turn it around with two wickets in two balls. He first bowled Chandimal (21, 20b) with a flatter delivery that did not spin — after being hit for two boundaries — and off the sixth ball of the over, turned one hard past the outstretched bat of the luckless Lahiru Thirimane.

Having realised that spin was the way to go, du Plessis pressed the rest of his armoury into action, and kept reaping the reward. If the first two wickets had fallen at 45, the next three would go down in the space of just 10 runs as none of the batsmen other than Dilshan looked even remotely interested in an extended stay at the crease.

Dilshan and Malinda Siriwardana (14, 10b) started to author a turnaround till the latter ran himself out in reckless fashion.

Scoreboard Sri Lanka: L. Chandimal b Phangiso 21, T. Dilshan lbw b Behardien 36, H. Thirimanne b Phangiso 0, T. Siriwardana run out 15, D. Jayasuriya c du Plessis b Behardien 1, C. Kapugedera b Imran Tahir 4, N. Perera c Behardien b Steyn 8, M. Shanaka (not out) 20, H. Herath c de Kock b Abbott 2, J. Vandersay b Abbott 3, R. Lakmal run out 0. Extras: (b 4, lb 2, w 2, nb 2) 10. Total: (in 19.3 overs) 120. FoW: 1-45, 2-45, 3-75, 4-78, 5-85, 6-85, 7-96, 8-109, 9-120, 10-120 Bowling: Steyn 4-0-33-1 (1w), Abbott 3.3-0-14-2 (1nb, 1w), Phangiso 4-0-26-2, Imran Tahir 4-0-18-1 (1nb), Wiese 1-0-8-0, Behardien 3-0-15-2

South Africa: H. Amla (not out) 55, Q. de Kock run out 9, F. du Plessis lbw b Lakmal 31, A.B. de Villiers (not out) 20. Extras: (lb 2, w 4) 6. Total: (for 2 wkts, in 17.4 overs) 122 FoW: 1-15, 2-75 Bowling: Jayasuriya 1-0-9-0, Lakmal 3.4-0-28-1 (3w), Herath 4-0-21-0, Vendersay 4-0-25-0, Shanaka 2-0-17-0 (1w), Perera 2-0-15-0, Siriwardana 1-0-5-0