South Africa vs Sri Lanka 40th Match (D/N), ICC World Cup 2003 at Durban, Mar 3 2003

South Africa vs Sri Lanka 40th Match (D/N), ICC World Cup 2003 at Durban, Mar 3, 2003. South Africa was knocked out of the World Cup in the cruelest of circumstances as rain intervened to leave their final Group B match against Sri Lanka ending in a tie under the Duckworth-Lewis scoring method. Four years after they were eliminated from the last World Cup after a semi-final tie with Australia, the South Africans were again left cursing after putting themselves in with a good chance of beating Sri Lanka to claim a place in the Super Sixes. Chasing 269 for victory, South Africa captain Shaun Pollock and Mark Boucher added 63 for the sixth wicket to take their side to 212 for six. Pollock was brilliantly run out by Muttiah Muralitharan, but Lance Klusener and Boucher edged the hosts to 229 for six when persistent rain forced the players off.

Confusion reigned as officials sought the Duckworth-Lewis sheets and it soon emerged that the match would end in a tie if the players were unable to return. Boucher had struck Muralitharan for six to reach 45 not out and he then failed to score from the last ball of the 45th over, which became the final delivery of the match. A single would have brought South Africa victory and a place in the next round.

The umpires returned to the pitch around 35 minutes later and asked the ground staff to remove the covers but within moments the heavens opened again and the officials left the field for the last time. Marvan Atapattu had been Sri Lanka's batting inspiration with a superb 124, the opener sharing a fourth-wicket partnership of 152 with Aravinda de Silva that laid the foundations for an imposing total of 268 for nine.

It could have been higher, but South Africa dismissed both batsmen in quick succession before taking a flurry of late wickets to peg the Sri Lankans back. South Africa openers Graeme Smith and Herschelle Gibbs shared a fluent partnership of 65 before Smith, on 35, pulled a de Silva long-hop straight to deep mid-wicket. Gary Kirsten and Jacques Kallis fell cheaply and when Gibbs was bowled by Muralitharan for 73 the hosts were in trouble at 149 for four. But Pollock and his vice-captain Boucher led the recovery with a sensible run-a-ball partnership that had put the South Africans in position to push for victory when the rain came down. South Africa was also knocked out of the 1992 World Cup in unfortunate circumstances when a rain delay left them in an impossible situation in their semi-final against England.

40th Match (D/N), ICC World Cup at Durban, Mar 3, 2003.
Sri Lanka 268/9
South Africa
(45/45 overs, target 230)
229/6
Match tied (D/L method)

The scorecard at Cricinfo - https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/8...

Content - https://www.theguardian.com/sport/200...

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