Proteas overcome Lanka in an epic

New Delhi: Chasing a small target of 210 runs, South Africa trembled badly but somehow managed to survive an exceptional spell from fast bowler Lasith Malinga, who took four wickets in fours balls and finally win a nail-biting thriller by one-wicket in a Super Eights match at Guyana.

South Africa, who had earlier restricted Sri Lanka to 209, and were hardly having any problems as they placed themselves comfortably at 206 for 5 in 45th over, needing just another four runs to win the match but then Malinga turned the wheels around and suddenly came off in devastating style as the Proteas lost four wickets for just one run.

Finally, it was Charl Langeveldt's five-wicket haul and Jacques Kallis's 86 that stood tall for the South Africans and took the game away from the islanders but the scare that Malinga created had shaken one and all in the South African dressing room.

Lankans showed that they are no easy opponents as they always kept the pressure on the Proteas even while defending a small total as they kept on taking the wickets at regular intervals, although Kallis managed to keep one side of the wicket.

And had Sri Lankans scored a few more runs, the result could well have been something else.

South Africans were placed comfortably at 206/5 when Malinga suddenly turned everything around as he claimed the wicket of Pollock to start with. A slower ball on the stumps, Pollock just does not pick it, plays inside the line of the ball and loses his leg stump.

Then he gave another speared-in yorker this time to Hall, who just about managed to dig it out, but he can't keep the ball down as it popped up into the air for the man at cover to catch easily.

Now on a hat-trick chance, Malinga was not going to give it up for anything on earth, and this time a full, furious, outside off stump ball found Kallis going for a square-drive but the ball took an edge of his bat and ended in the gloves of the wicketkeeper.

Suddenly, Proteas were eight down for 207 runs yet needing just three runs to win. But Malinga was all determined and he made it four out of four.

A screaming yorker from the man and Ntini drives, bat comes inside the line and ball crashes into the off stump in 46.2 overs.

Hence, it was up to the last wicket to do it for the South Africans, which finally the Proteas managed to keep the nerves and do it by one wicket in 48.2 overs.

Earlier, South Africa lost an early wicket in the form of opener AB de Villiers for a duck off Chaminda Vaas's bowling in the first over itself. But Skipper Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis steadied the innings and then Gibbs along with Kallis made sure that they don't let the good start slip away from their hands.

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