South Africa Outclasses Sri Lanka by Six Wickets in T20 World Cup 2024

South Africa kickstarted their T20 World Cup 2024 campaign in style, securing a convincing six-wicket victory over Sri Lanka at the newly built Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York.

The architects of this victory were Anrich Nortje and the South African bowling attack, who bowled out the Sri Lankan batting lineup for a paltry 77 runs.

Anrich Nortje was unplayable, registering a career-best bowling performance in a T20 World Cup. His figures of 4/7, surpassing his own previous record of 4/10 against Bangladesh in 2022, left the Sri Lankan batters bewildered.

Kagiso Rabada (2/21) and Keshav Maharaj (2/22) provided excellent support, leaving Sri Lanka reeling at 32/4 within the first nine overs.

Poor Batting Display from Sri Lanka

Sri Lankan captain Wanindu Hasaranga’s decision to bat first after winning the toss backfired spectacularly.

Openers Kusal Mendis (19) and Angelo Mathews (16) were the only Sri Lankan batters to reach double figures on the challenging picture of New York.

The introduction of Ottniel Baartman, making his World Cup debut, proved particularly fruitful for South Africa. He dismissed Pathum Nissanka with his very first ball, setting the tone for a Sri Lankan collapse.

South Africa’s chase wasn’t entirely smooth sailing either. Their top order found scoring difficult on the same pitch that troubled Sri Lanka. However, Quinton de Kock (20) provided a stable platform early on.

Later, the big-hitting Heinrich Klaasen (19*) stepped up with a crucial six and a four to calm South African nerves. With 26 balls to spare, South Africa secured victory, putting themselves in a strong position for the rest of the group stage.