South Africa win after Sri Lanka dismissed for 77

ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024, Group D, New York

Sri Lanka 77 (19.1 overs): Nortje 4-7, Rabada 2-21, Maharaj 2-22

South Africa 80-4 (16.2 overs): De Kock 20 (27); Hasaranga 2-22

South Africa won by six wickets

Scorecard

South Africa began their T20 World Cup run pinch a six-wicket triumph complete Sri Lanka arsenic concerns complete nan drop-in pitches came to nan fore successful New York.

Sri Lanka were bowled retired for conscionable 77 – their lowest T20 full – arsenic conscionable 3 of their batters made double figures, pinch Kusal Mendis’ 30-ball 19 their apical score.

Anrich Nortje took career-best T20 figures of 4-7 for South Africa while Kagiso Rabada and Keshav Maharaj picked up 2 wickets apiece.

Faced pinch a specified debased total, South Africa’s batters attempted to play sensibly connected a tricky aboveground arsenic they eked their measurement to nan target pinch 22 balls to spare.

Quinton de Kock deed 1 bound arsenic he apical scored pinch 20 while nan usually explosive Tristan Stubbs (13 from 28 balls) curbed his attacking instincts.

Wanindu Hasaranga concisely raised Sri Lanka’s hopes pinch nan wickets of some South Africa batters arsenic he claimed 2-22.

Heinrich Klaasen, who vanished 19 not out, sewage nan Proteas complete nan statement alongside David Miller, who deed nan winning runs to decorativeness unbeaten connected six.

The jewel successful nan crown for nan International Cricket Council (ICC)’s American dream for this World Cup is nan Nassau County International Cricket Stadium.

There is nary uncertainty nan sparkling crushed group successful nan tranquil surrounds of leafy Eisenhower Park, named aft nan 34th US president, is an eye-catching construction. Albeit a impermanent one.

To person pulled everything together successful a short timeframe for nan tourney is simply a commendable accomplishment arsenic nan ICC takes steps to popularise nan crippled successful nan United States.

A crowd of 12,562 watched a historical first World Cup crippled successful New York and, contempt nan aggravated information presence, fans – astir of whom were from nan Sri Lanka diaspora – reported fewer issues gaining entry.

Rarely were those supporters roused to their feet by what they saw successful nan middle, though, successful what was a spectacle lacking nan benignant of dazzling strokeplay that could prick nan liking of immoderate imaginable converts to nan game.

The mostly ponderous quality of nan title has inevitably placed scrutiny connected nan drop-in pitches being utilized for nan 8 fixtures being played here.

They were grown successful Australia and brought complete by vessel to Florida earlier being transported by motortruck and bedded successful by Adelaide Oval groundperson Damian Hough and his team.

Hough said he had “no fears” astir them successful beforehand of nan tourney and was hoping for accelerated and bouncy pitches, but this 1 was two-paced.

ICC officials were besides bragging astir nan size of nan crushed earlier nan tournament, but batters could not make nan powerfulness to clear nan ropes. Pulling nan boundaries successful mightiness assistance matters.

Angelo Mathews deed 2 sixes but he was 1 of 5 Sri Lanka batters who perished caught successful nan deep. South Africa matched Sri Lanka’s full of 3 maximums.

By comparison location were 21 sixes successful nan opener betwixt nan USA and Canada successful Dallas, wherever location is simply a earthy turf transportation prepared connected site.

There was besides inconsistent bounce pinch Mathews, trundling successful astatine nan property of 37 and bowling mid-70mph, getting 1 to climb disconnected nan transportation and deed Aiden Markram successful his groin.

A fewer overs later, Nuwan Thushara and Dasun Shanaka saw deliveries skid done low. The slow outfield was not conducive to scoring either. That’s not to return distant from nan bowlers – Nortje’s power of magnitude was impressive.

It’s still early days for cricket’s New York fairytale, but pinch India against Pakistan present connected Sunday, nan interest is nan biggest crippled successful world cricket mightiness beryllium affected by a mediocre pitch.