Lanka blown away by SA

JP Duminy took a hattrick as South Africa's bowlers set up a crushing nine-wicket World Cup quarterfinal win over Sri Lanka in Sydney on Wednesday.

Sri Lanka, who won the toss, were bowled out for just 133 on a good Sydney Cricket Ground pitch.

After South Africa's pacemen reduced Sri Lanka to four for two, leg-spinner Imran Tahir (four for 26 in 8.2 overs) and off-spinner Duminy (three for 29 in seven) made sure the islanders' innings never got out of first gear.

South Africa, so often labelled World Cup 'chokers', completed an emphatic win by finishing on 134 for one with 32 overs to spare.

Quinton de Kock, who had managed just 53 runs in six previous innings this World Cup, was 78 not out after hitting the winning boundary -- his 12th four -- off paceman Lasith Malinga. Faf du Plessis was unbeaten on 21.

Victory meant the Proteas had, after several heartbreaking reverses that started at the SCG with a rain-affected semifinal loss to England in 1992, finally won a knockout match at the World Cup.

They will face the winners of Saturday's match between New Zealand and West Indies in the semifinals on March 24.

But Kumar Sangakkara's record-breaking run of four successive ODI hundreds finally came to an end although the left-hander, who plans to continue in Test cricket, top-scored with 45.

Mahela Jayawardene, who has already bowed out of the five-day format, could only manage four on Wednesday.

Sangakkara and fellow left-hander Lahiru Thirimanne (41) put on 65 for the third wicket.

But otherwise there was little batting resistance on a good pitch, with Sri Lanka losing four wickets for two runs in nine balls as they slumped to 116 for eight.

South Africa's bowlers, often overshadowed by their more celebrated batsmen, dominated Sri Lanka from the start.

Kusal Perera, promoted to open the innings, fell for three when he edged Kyle Abbott and was brilliantly caught left-handed, by de Kock as the wicketkeeper dived in front of first slip.

Tillakaratne Dilshan was then out for a seven-ball duck, edging fast bowler Dale Steyn low to du Plessis at second slip.