RSA VS SL - 4th Match, ICC Cricket World Cup 2023

Righto! That marks an end to our first double-header day at the World Cup. Big game coming up tomorrow. Hosts India take on Australia in Chennai at 2 PM. Plenty of talks about weather and Shubman Gill's availability/non-availability. Let's hope it's cricket that gets us talking. We hope you had great fun following both the games today. We can't wait to bring you all the action from the much-awaited contest tomorrow. Cheers!!

A strong start for the South Africans, and their strength to tackle spin effectively could be one of the talking points for the rest of the tournament. They will face Australia next Thursday in Lucknow. As for Sri Lanka, they could take a lot of confidence after a bit of fight with the bat, but their bowling unit left a lot to be desired. Can they bounce back in their next game against Pakistan on Tuesday? we shall see...

Temba Bavuma | Proteas skipper: Happy. Wanted to win the game and that's exactly what we did. It was a clinical performance and give us good confidence going into the next game. It did seamed a bit under lights, but the ball was coming on nicely and you could see how they (the batters) were able to use the pace nicely. It was all about adjusting to the conditions and we thought it is going to be a bit variable in the second half. If we can take these learnings and we need to adapt whatever is in front of us. Next game I don't think (the pitch) is going to be too different. Quinton will be fine, didn't take the field (in the second innings), but I think he will be fine (for the next game).

Dasun Shanaka | Sri Lanka skipper: I expected high scoring game today with the kind of batting line-up South Africa have. We missed our lengths and the execution wasn't there. We should have kept them to somewhere around 370 and that would have been a bit manageable. We got some batters who were striking it really well, but there was too much to do. Missing those three bowlers (Chameera, Hasaranga and Theekshana) is huge, but that's the part of the game, we have to move on and it's an opportunity for others. We need to get our execution right in the next game.

Stats round-up by Shashikant Singh

South Africa vs Sri Lanka in ODI World Cup:
1992 WC - Lost
1999 WC - Won
2003 WC - Tied
2007 WC - Won
2015 WC - Won
2019 WC - Won
2023 WC - Won

Highest match aggregates in ODI World Cup
754 runs - SA vs SL, Delhi, 2023*
714 runs - AUS vs BAN, Nottingham, 2019
688 runs - AUS vs SL, Sydney, 2015
682 runs - ENG vs PAK, Nottingham, 2019
676 runs - IND vs ENG, Bengaluru, 2011

Most boundaries hit in an ODI World Cup match:
105 - South Africa vs Sri Lanka, Delhi, 2023*
93 - West Indies vs New Zealand, Wellington, 2015
89 - Australia vs South Africa, Basseterre, 2007
84 - Sri Lanka vs Kenya, Kandi, 1996

Aiden Markram | Player of the Match: Feels fantastic. The platform was laid beautifully by Quinny and Rassie. Gave us the freedom. Some days it comes off, some days it doesn't. Pretty clear with what's expected of me as a batter. Like every other team, we try to play a positive brand of cricket. Initially you want to get a feel for the wicket. Ultimately it's about backing your options. Happy with how it worked out. The wicket played really well. The ball was travelling. Feels good to be on the positive side of things. To start well was in the World Cup was important and something that we talked about.

22:20 local, 16:50 GMT: Well, you could argue the game was pretty much done in the first half as South Africa went onto record the highest score ever in the history of World Cup. As many as three batters got hundreds and one of them (Markram) notched up the quickest ODI 100 in World Cup cricket. If anything, Sri Lanka needed at least two batters from the top five to share the burden of compiling a big score and thus, garner hopes of winning. Make no mistake, they did get off to a flier thanks to Kusal Mendis' swashbuckling innings of 42-ball 76 that included 4 fours and 8 sixes. In fact, at the end of 12 overs, they were 107/2 but 2 quick wickets off successive overs derailed the chase completely and although Asalanka and Shanaka composed fifties, they only helped reduce the defeat margin. You could have so many clean strikes in your side, but the pressure of required rate often forces you to do silly things and despite signs of brilliance, Sri Lanka couldn't quite win the key moments for most parts of the game today. Presentations imminent, stick around...

Rabada to Pathirana, out Bowled!! Pathirana makes room and goes for a wild slog, Rabada slows the pace and hits the good length before knocking over the top of off. South Africa start their campaign with a massive 102 run over the 2011 WC finalists. Pathirana b Rabada 5(16) [4s-1]

Rabada to Pathirana, THATS OUT!! Bowled!!

Rabada to Pathirana, no run, good length nips in late with extra bounce outside off, Pathirana looks to steer on the off-side and gets beaten by the late inward movement

Rabada to Pathirana, no run, slower ball bouncer outside off, Pathirana looks to cut it over point and gets beaten on the top-edge

Rabada to Pathirana, no run, follows the backing away batter and nails the yorker on the stumps, Pathirana can only squeeze it back to the bowler

Rabada to Pathirana, no run, full on the stumps, Pathirana blocks it out to cover

Kagiso Rabada [7.0-0-50-1] is back into the attack

Gerald Coetzee to Madushanka, FOUR, too full around off at 140ks, Madushanka makes room and flays it up and over the leaping right hand of backward point

Gerald Coetzee to Madushanka, no run, full delivery angled into the pads, Madushanka looks to flick and gets a leading edge towards cover

Dilshan Madushanka, right handed bat, comes to the crease

Gerald Coetzee to Rajitha, out Caught by Markram!! Slower length delivery angled into the swinging zone for Rajitha, he swivels and mistimes the pull straight down the throat of Markram at deep mid-wicket. Rajitha c Markram b Gerald Coetzee 33(31) [4s-4 6s-1]

Gerald Coetzee to Rajitha, THATS OUT!! Caught!!

Gerald Coetzee to Pathirana, 1 run, full outside off at 139ks, Pathirana slices the drive to deep backward point