David Miller came to the party when South Africa desperately needed him as the left-hander’s exhilarating late-order act helped keep Sri Lanka at bay in Sharjah on Saturday in the T20 World Cup 2021.
The 32-year-old kept the Proteas intact in the tournament with a fantastic end-overs assault when the all-important Super 12 encounter was running away from his side.
Walking into bat with his team needing a further 47 off 30 balls in their chase of the 143-run target on a dry surface, he blasted a magnificent 23* off 13 balls, including two sixes in the final over against pacer Lahiru Kumara to tilt the scales in his team’s favour.
Kumara horribly missed his yorkers at the end and gave Miller just the right length to get underneath and swing his bat towards mid-wicket. It says something of the track and Kumar’s poor bowling that the only time he bowled into-the-pitch, he had Miller in trouble. But that was when South Africa required 2 off 3 balls, with the game nearly done.
Miller’s partner Kagiso Rabada hit the winning run, finding an edge that flew to the boundary. Rabada (13*) also hit Kumara’s pace partner Dushmantha Chameera for a crucial six in the previous over to make the equation easier for his team.
Sri Lanka were firm favourites heading into the last five overs but still ended up losing. Their spinners Wanindu Hasaranga (3/20) and Maheesh Theekshana (0/31) tightened up the screws quite well and outside of the death. Even Chameera bowled superbly, getting openers Quinton de Kock (12) and Reeza Hendricks (11).
Hasaranga picked up a hat-trick, getting Aiden Markram (19) out at the end of the 15th over and then dismissing Temba Bavuma (46), Dwaine Pretorius (0) on successive balls at the start of the 17th over.
But ultimately, their poor death bowling and an indifferent batting performance came back to haunt Sri Lanka, who were out for 142 despite enjoying the better of the surface and the conditions to bat in.
Pathum Nissanka was the star with the bat as he hit a magnificent 72 off 58 deliveries, but only one other Sri Lankan batter – Charith Asalanka (21) – could reach the 20-run mark.
Pacer Anrich Nortje (2/27), Tabraiz Shamsi (3/17) and Pretorius (3/17) shared eight wickets between them in the first half.
Brief scores
Sri Lanka 142/10 in 20 overs (Nissanka 72; Shamsi 3/17, Pretorius 3/17) lost to South Africa 146/6 in 19.5 overs (Bavuma 46, Miller 23*; Hasaranga 3/20) by 4 wickets
