‘Not ideal’: New York pitch under fire after low-scoring World Cup clash

Sri Lanka were blown away for a record-low 77 and South Africa won their Twenty20 World Cup opener by six wickets today.

South Africa overcame their own hiccups on the two-paced pitch to cross the finish line at 80-4 with 3.4 overs to spare at the purpose-built Nassau County Stadium on Long Island. Former South African skipper Faf du Plessis described the pitch as “spicy” while former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan said it was “not an ideal” pitch for T20.

South Africa’s best bowling performance in tournament history included pace bowler Anrich Nortje’s career-best 4-7 in four overs, pacer Kagiso Rabada’s 2-21, spinner Keshav Maharaj’s 2-22, and fast bowler Ottneil Baartman’s 1-9 in his second T20.

Opener Kusal Mendis top-scored for Sri Lanka with a 30-ball 19, one of only three scores in double figures.

The Sri Lankans were dismissed in 19.1 overs for the 13th-lowest score in T20 World Cup history.

Skipper Wanindu Hasaranga took 2-22 but South Africa’s Heinrich Klaasen kept a calm head to finish off proceedings for the Proteas with an unbeaten 19.

“We did well to restrict them to a low score,” man-of-the-match Nortje said. “It was an up-and-down wicket, so it was important to get early wickets. These drop-in pitches are tough to bowl on.”

Tougher to bat on.

Sri Lanka opted to bat first and misread the variable bounce.

Baartman had Pathum Nissanka caught behind for 3. Nortje removed Kamindu Mendis, caught at square leg on 11. Hasaranga was surprisingly promoted to number four but was stumped for a two-ball duck. Next ball, Maharaj bowled Sadeera Samarawickrama for a golden duck.

When Kusal Mendis mistimed Nortje to fine leg, Sri Lanka were 40-5 after 10 overs.

Nortje also dismissed Charith Asalanka (9) and Angelo Mathews (16), the only batter with a strike rate of 100.

Sri Lanka lost their last four wickets for nine runs across 27 deliveries.

In hindsight, on a pitch that didn’t allow for the usual big T20 hits, Sri Lanka would have been competitive with a total of 100.

“To be honest this was a 120-run wicket, especially with our bowlers,” Hasaranga said. “We went with our strength, bowling, and that’s why we batted first.

“We have three more games and we want to do much better, especially with our batting.”

South Africa made a poor start in front of the crowd of 12,562, losing opener Reeza Hendricks on 4 in the second over.

Quinton de Kock scored 20 runs off 27 balls to hold one end, before returning a catch to Hasaranga in the 11th over.

In between, Aiden Markram was caught at slip for 12 and, in the same fifth over, Dasun Shanaka should have had Tristan Stubbs before he scored but Kusal Mendis dropped the edge behind.

Stubbs eventually went for 13 off 28, and Klaasen and David Miller coasted South Africa home with a shared 22 off 21 balls.

At only 4.2 runs per over, the match featured the lowest run-rate in a T20 World Cup.

India play Ireland at the ground next on Wednesday.