DURBAN, South Africa, 4 March 2003 — Hosts South Africa were eliminated from the World Cup when their final Group B match against Sri Lanka ended in a tie after rain stop played with five overs remaining at Kingsmead yesterday.
Under the Duckworth-Lewis method, the scores were level and when play was finally called-off the match was declared a tie and both sides shared two points each.
That meant Sri Lanka, with 18 points, Kenya and New Zealand, with 16 each, qualified from Group B leaving South Africa, on 14, to once again curse the jinx that has struck them in the past.
It was an uncanny repeat of the 1999 tournament when South Africa’s semifinal against Australia in Birmingham ended in a tie and Australia went through because they had been higher on the Super Six log table. This time, though, South Africa’s downfall came in the first round. It was a major humiliation for the host nation, who started the tournament as second favorites behind defending champions Australia. South Africa, needing to win to reach the Super Six, were 229 for six after 45 overs in reply to Sri Lanka’s 268 for nine when rain, which had been falling for more than 10 minutes, drove the players off the field.
Sri Lanka went to the top of Group B with 18 points, two ahead of Kenya, who play the West Indies in their last match at Kimberley today, and New Zealand. South Africa finished with 14 points. Kenya will finish top if they beat the West Indies and second if they lose because New Zealand forfeited their scheduled match against them. Earlier, Sri Lankan opening batsman Marvan Atapattu hit a flawless century as he and veteran Aravinda de Silva caned the South African bowling attack. Atapattu (124) and De Silva (73) shared a 152-run fourth wicket stand as Sri Lanka took advantage of winning the toss on an excellent batting pitch.
South Africa dropped veteran fast bowler Allan Donald but the gamble did not pay off as Monde Zondeki, 20, his replacement, conceded 35 runs off six overs.
Zondeki was not alone in being expensive, however, as Atapattu and De Silva gave a display of classic batting.
South Africa were required to achieve the highest target reached in day-night matches at Kingsmead, one more than Australia chased successfully against South Africa last season. Atapattu was in majestic form almost from the start, driving South African captain Shaun Pollock for three fours in the third over of the innings. He went to his ninth One-Day International century off 112 balls and scored his 124 off 128 balls with 18 fours.
De Silva, 37, started slowly before unleashing some powerful shots, including pulled sixes off Makhaya Ntini and Andrew Hall. He also hit six fours in a 78-ball innings.
South Africa made a fast start as Herschelle Gibbs (73) and Graeme Smith (35) put on 69 for the first wicket before Smith was out in the 12th over when Aravinda de Silva bowled the first over of spin in the match. Smith pulled a short ball to deep midwicket.
Sri Lanka seemed in control when Gibbs was bowled by Muttiah Muralitharan after an 88-ball innings which included seven fours and a six, and Boeta Dippenaar was leg before to the next delivery, sent down by skipper Sanath Jayasuriya. South Africa were 149 for five in the 30th over but Pollock and Mark Boucher put on 63 to bring their side back into the match.
Rain started falling when Pollock was waiting for television umpire Peter Willey to rule him run out. It was a heavy downpour when Muralitharan bowled the 45th over, sending down a wide which went to the boundary for four extra runs. Boucher slogged him over midwicket for six off the fifth ball of the over before umpires Steve Bucknor and Srinivas Venkataraghavan decided no further play was possible.
