Cricket World Cup, Super 8: South Africa defy Malinga heroics to win

This game is memorable for two things: it made my predictions look stupid, and an extraordinary feat of bowling from Lasith Malinga, taking four wickets in four balls.

Sri Lanka, much to my surprise, won the toss and decided to bat.  How Jayawardene must wish he read this blog.  The Sri Lankans had one of those funny innings were no-one looked to be struggling particularly and yet no-one managed to get hold of it either; evidenced by the fact that six of their top seven bats managed to reach double figures without kicking on.  Jonty Rhodes will no doubt have been at home admiring Herschelle Gibbs' spectacular run out of Silva as a carbon copy of his in 1992.  Sri Lanka eventually reached the largely inadequate total of 209 all out.

South Africa had a slightly shaky start, losing AB de Villiers for an easter egg in Vaas' very impressive opening spell.  But any hope was extinguished by a steady 94 run partnership between Kallis and Smith, only for it to be reignited by Malinga the Slinger at the death. 

Malinga had a very poor opening spell, going for nearly 9 runs per over as he struggled for accuracy.  However, as is the nature with bowlers of his type, in his second spell he accounted for Kallis, Pollock, Hall and Ntini in consecutive balls to give Sri Lanka a glimmer of hope.  A glimmer is all that it proved to be, as Peterson and Langeveldt hacked enough runs to see SA home on 212-9.
[lee calvert]