Proteas thump SL in Group D opener

South Africa beat Sri Lanka by a comfortable six-wicket margin in the teams' opening Group D match of the T20 World Cup in New York yesterday.

Proteas fast bowler Anrich Nortje took a remarkable four wickets for just seven runs as Sri Lanka were bowled out for just 77 -- their lowest T20 total.

But South Africa lost early wickets as they too struggled to time the ball before the big-hitting Heinrich Klaasen (19 not out) saw them to victory with 22 balls to spare. Quinton de Kock scored a team-high 20.

Nortje's figures, from his maximum four overs, were the best by a South African at a T20 World Cup, surpassing his own 4-10 against Bangladesh in Sydney two years ago.

By contrast Sri Lanka's score was their lowest total in all T20 cricket.

Kagiso Rabada (2-21) and left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj, who took two wickets in two balls on his way to 2-22, also struck after Sri Lanka captain Wanindu Hasaranga won the toss.

Opener Kusal Mendis (19) and veteran all-rounder Angelo Mathews (16) were the only batsmen to pass 15.

Sri Lanka were bowled out with five balls to spare when last man Nuwan Thushara was run out for one of four ducks in the innings.

Fast bowler Ottneil Baartman, making his World Cup debut, started the collapse when, with his first ball, he had Pathum Nissanka caught in the deep before Nortje dismissed Kamindu Mendis in similar fashion.

Maharaj then struck twice in the ninth over as both Hasaranga, stumped by Quinton de Kock and Sadeera Samarawickrama, clean bowled by a quicker delivery, fell for nought to leave Sri Lanka 32-4 before Charith Asalanka survived the hat-trick ball.

Nortje, in the first match at a Long Island ground built specially for this tournament, returned to dismiss Mathews in his last over.