South Africa rolled Sri Lanka for their lowest T20 international score of 77 en route to a six-wicket win as the T20 World Cup hit New York for the first time.
Proteas paceman Anrich Nortje took 4-7 from four overs on Long Island as a slow-scoring Sri Lanka were bundled out in precisely 19 overs after surprisingly electing to bat on a drop-in pitch.
South Africa slipped to 23-2 in five overs of their reply on the extremely tricky surface and should have been 23-3 but Sri Lanka wicketkeeper Kusal Mendis – who earlier top-scored for his men with 19 – dropped Tristan Stubbs on nought.
Aiden Markram’s Proteas reached their target with 22 balls to spare in a firework-free chase – Heinrich Klaasen (19no off 22) and David Miller (6no), who struck the winning boundary, the unbeaten batters.
Sri Lanka – T20 world champions a decade ago – struggled with the bat amid some admittedly excellent bowling, ambling to 24-1 at the end of the powerplay and then plummeting to 46-6 after 12 overs.
Their slump included losing three wickets for one run, with South Africa spinner Keshav Maharaj (2-22) striking twice in as many balls in the ninth over to remove Sri Lanka skipper Wanindu Hasaranga and Sadeera Samarawickrama for ducks.
Seamer Ottniel Baartman recorded figures of 1-9 from his four overs in Nassau, including 20 dot balls, as the run-rate was kept more akin to an old-style Test match as opposed to a modern-day T20 encounter.
South Africa have plenty of big hitters but they, too, found it tough to score with Markram’s glorious lofted cover-drive for six one of only two boundaries they managed in the first seven overs.
Quinton de Kock (20 off 27) hauled Angelo Mathews into the stands over deep square leg in the eighth over before he was third man out in the 11th, lobbing a simple catch back to leg-spinner Hasaranga.
When Stubbs (13 off 28) was caught sharply by Charith Asalanka at cover off Hasraranga in the 13th over, South Africa were four down with 20 runs still required but Klaasen and Miller steered their team home.
South Africa’s David Miller and Heinrich Klaasen steered their side to victory on Long Island
South Africa are yet to reach a World Cup final in either the 50-over or 20-over formats with seven semi-final exits across the two tournaments earning the Proteas an unwanted ‘chokers’ tag.
Sri Lanka and South Africa are joined in Group D of this competition by Nepal, Bangladesh and Netherlands, with Nepal and Netherlands to play each other in Dallas on Tuesday (4.30pm start).
What’s next?
South Africa face Netherlands in New York on Saturday June 8 (3.30pm) with Sri Lanka playing Bangladesh earlier the same day in Dallas (1.30am).
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Eoin Morgan, Nasser Hussain and Urooj Mumtaz join Ian Ward to discuss their dream T20 World Cup XI.
Defending champions England open up against Scotland in Barbados on Tuesday (3.30pm first ball) with Ireland playing 2007 winners India in New York on Wednesday (also 3.30pm).
Watch every match from the Men’s T20 World Cup live on Sky Sports between now and 29.
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