Part-time spinner J P Duminy claimed a hat-trick and leg-spinner Imran Tahir bagged four wickets as South Africa outplayed Sri Lanka by nine wickets to enter the semi-finals of the ICC World Cup, at the Sydney Cricket Ground, on Wednesday.
Leg-spinner Tahir (4-26) ran through the Sri Lankan middle order while Duminy took three for 29 as South Africa sent the Lankans packing for 133 in 37.2 overs in the first quarter-finals.
South Africa came out to complete the batting job in 18 overs and register their first-ever victory in the knockout stage in the 50-over showpiece event.
It was the Proteas' first victory in a knock-out World Cup match and the shortest knock-out match in the history of the World Cup. They now play the winners of Saturday’s quarter-final between New Zealand and the West Indies in next Tuesday’s semi-final in Auckland.
Opener Quinton de Kock bounced back to form with a blazing innings of 78 from 57 balls and Faf de Plessis (21 not out) stitched an unbeaten 94-run partnership to get the target with all of 32 overs to spare.
Duminy, who registered South Africa's first World Cup hat-trick, dismissed Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews with the final ball of his eighth over and returned to send back Nuwan Kulasekara and Tharindu Kaushal with the first two deliveries of his next to achieve the milestone.
Check out the images from the first quarter-final match:
Sri Lanka, who won the toss and decided to bat first, made one change to the side from their last match with leg-spinner Seekkuge Prasanna replaced by off-spinner Tharindu Kaushal.
The Sri Lankans also made a switch in their batting order with Kusal Perera moving up to open with Tillakaratne Dilshan, while Lahiru Thirimanne dropped down to number six.
Batsman Faf du Plessis, who missed South Africa's final group match against United Arab Emirates with a lower back problem, returned to the Proteas top order.
All-rounder Farhaan Behardien was dropped to keep Rilee Rossouw in the side, while Kyle Abbott replaced Vernon Philander in the pace attack.
Abott struck early for South Africa with the wicket of Perera, who looked to defend but got an edge which a diving wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock took at the second attempt, in the second over of the innings.
Steyn also got an early wicket as he got Tillakaratne Dilshan caught at second slip by Faf du Plessis for a duck with the first ball of his third over to leave Sri Lanka reeling on six for two after five overs.
The in-form Sangakkara, who hit four successive centuries coming into this match, struggled to get going and got off the mark with a single from the 16th ball he faced. His first boundary came from the 43rd delivery he faced when he swept leg-spinner Imran Tahir over the fielder at square leg to take his score to 10, in the 16th over.
Tahir made it worse for Sri Lanka with two wickets early in his spell.
Left-hander Thirimanne (41) was deceived by the bounce and popped it up for Tahir to take a two-handed return catch above his head.
Veteran Mahela Jayawardene survived a big appeal for leg before wicket against Tahir. South Africa requested for a review but it was wasted as technology showed the ball hit the batsman outside the off-stump.
However, the leg-spinner got his man in the very next over as Jayawardene (4) chipped ball straight to Faf du Plessis at short midwicket.
Duminy dismissed Sri Lanka skipper Angelo Mathews (19) with the final ball of the 33rd over and returned to send back Nuwan Kulasekara (1) and ODI debutant Tharindu Kaushal (0) with the first two deliveries of the 35th to complete South Africa's first ever hat-trick in the World Cup.
The ninth World Cup hat-trick left the 1996 champions reeling at 116-8 after the loss four wickets for just two runs in three overs.
In what could turn out to be his final innings in One-Day Internationals, Sangakkara scored a measured 45 from 95 balls but was forced to throw off the shackles as the wickets tumbled around him and holed out to deep third man off paceman Morne Morkel.
A heavy shower appeared out of the blue as if to mourn what looks like being the final one-day innings of one of the game's great batsmen and the players came off the pitch for a 23-minute rain break.
It only delayed the inevitable, however, and Lasith Malinga (3) was the last man to depart, hammering the ball to David Miller at cover off South Africa's other main spin threat Imran Tahir as Sri Lanka collapsed for a paltry 133 in 37.2 overs.
Hashim Amla (16) departed early when he was caught on the thirdman fence off Lasith Malinga, in the seventh over. But de Kock and du Plessis put on an unbeaten stand of 94 runs for the second wicket as South Africa cruised to an easy victory, in the 18th over of the innings.
De Kock, who struggled for runs in the World Cup, finally found some form as he smashed 78 from 57 balls, hitting 12 fours, while du Plessis quietly collected 21 from 31 balls.
It was a sad end to the World Cup careers of two Sri Lankan and world legends -- Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara.
This was Sangakkara's final ODI match. He has already announced that he will retire from Test cricket later this year when Sri Lanka hosts India in a three-match series, starting in August.
This also turned out to be the final international game for former skipper Jayawardene, who hasalready quit Test cricket.
"The challenge has been to evolve for such a long period - the cricket has improved drastically from when I started. Probably I'll wake up a bit late tomorrow for a change. I will miss it, but you know the time is right for you to leave," he said after the match.
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