Returning from a back injury, Anrich Norjte scripted South Africa’s six-wicket win against Sri Lanka in their 2024 T20 World Cup opener with a career-best 4 for 7 on a tricky New York pitch. Nortje, alongside Keshav Maharaj, ran through the Sri Lankan middle-order, leaving them 40/5 at the halfway mark – their lowest ever in men’s T20Is. A brief counterattack ensued but South African pacers shut it out timely to bundle out Sri Lanka for 77, their lowest T20I total. South Africa themselves stuttered in the chase, but with no scoreboard pressure to speak of, they got home with 3.4 overs to spare.
Where was the match won: Middle overs
South Africa also had to earn every run. They scored only one more than Sri Lanka in the nine-over phase, but it’s the wickets column that made the difference. Sri Lanka lost six of them in a heap, as Nortje and Maharaj wreaked havoc, while South Africa lost just two for their 45 runs that helped them inch closer to the win.
Sri Lanka
Pacers dictate proceedings early
PowerPlay: 24/1 (RR: 4, 4s: 2)
With his fuller lengths, Marco Jansen caused quite a trouble with the new ball, especially for Pathum Nissanka. The opener was eventually done in by the extra bounce as Ottneil Baartman – picked ahead of Gerald Coetzee – struck off his very first delivery. Baartman managed to trouble Kusal Mendis too in his following over but with the early conditions favouring the seamers, Sri Lanka overall struggled to put the ball away, managing only a paltry 24 from their powerplay.
Nortje, Maharaj destroy middle-order
Middle overs: 44/6 (RR: 4.89, 6s: 3)
Nortje added to the pressure his fellow pacers created by having Kamindu Mendis caught at square leg in a wicket-maiden first over. Maharaj, who started with a six-run over, then struck twice in as many balls to break the back of Sri Lanka’s middle order. Skipper Wanindu Hasaranga, who promoted himself at no. 4, bagged a two-ball duck, trying to swing across the line and getting completely beaten in flight. Sadeera Samarawickrama, meanwhile, tried to cut a ball that wasn’t even too short or wide, to see it rattle the furniture. Mendis, who has trudged along to the halfway mark marking 19 off 29, perished taking on Nortje’s short ball as he miscued his pull to Tristan Stubbs at deep square leg. In the pacer’s next, Charith Asalanka flicked a half-volley straight to deep square leg as Sri Lanka slipped to 45/6. Angelo Mathews and Dasun Shanaka launched a brief counterattack, but Rabada returned to clean up the latter on 9.
SL bowled out cheaply
Death overs: 9/3 (RR: 2.15, 4s:1)
Their innings in doldrums already, Sri Lanka were dealt the final blow when Nortje returned at death for his final over and got rid of an aggressive Mathews with another short ball. Rabada wrapped up his four-over quota with a wicket-maiden, removing Matheesha Pathirana for his second wicket whereas a run-out on the first ball of the final over had Sri Lanka wrapped up for their lowest ever T20I total.
South Africa
Struggling de Kock holds the fort
PowerPlay: 27/2 (RR: 4.5,4s/6s: 1/1)
The chase wasn’t as straightforward as the scorecard will reflect. South Africa were made to work hard for their runs, and it didn’t help that they lost two early wickets in the PowerPlay. Nuwan Thushara struck in his opening over, in a much-needed breakthrough for Sri Lanka, when he got Reeza Hendricks poking at a seaming-away delivery only to be caught behind. Aiden Markram’s classy cover-drive for six was probably the shot of the game, but Dasun Shanaka cut short his stay with an angled-in ball that seamed away late to take the leading edge to slips. Struggling to shift gears all along, Quinton de Kock though held one end up as South Africa fared only marginally better than their opponents.
Hasaranga’s two in vain
Middle overs: 45/2 (RR: 5, 4s/6s:1/2)
Tristan Stubbs had a LBW scare first ball, was dropped on the fourth and in general had a tough time in the middle, like de Kock. But together the two put on 28 runs – the game’s best partnership for context – to help South Africa chip away at the small target. Again, they were only slightly better off than their opponents in the phase but the pair’s grind in the middle ensured against a collapse, unlike Sri Lanka. Hasaranga did give them something to cheer about – the wicket of both the ‘set’ batters in succeeding overs – almost as soon as he came on. De Kock chipped one back to the bowler and Stubbs’ attacking shot was well intercepted and caught by Asalanka. Heinrich Klaasen, however, ended any hopes Sri Lanka would have harboured of a late comeback with a six and four off the spinner to all but seal the game.
Miller finishes off in style
Death overs: 8/0 (RR: 6; 4s: 1)
Well, in a game where the boundaries were few and far between, Miller skipping down the track to Hasaranga for the winning runs – with 22 balls to spare – would definitely make the (very short) highlights reel.
Brief scores: Sri Lanka 77 all out in 19.1 overs (Anrich Nortje 4-7, Kekshav Maharaj 2-22) lost to South Africa 80/4 in 16.2 overs (Quinton de Kock 20; Wanindu Hasaranga 2-22) by 6 wickets
