South Africa needed four runs with five wickets standing when Lasith Malinga began dismantling a match they had almost finished. Within four consecutive deliveries from the Sri Lankan fast bowler, their remaining batting resources shrank to Robin Peterson and Charl Langeveldt.
The target barely moved. Everything else changed.
South Africa eventually reached 212/9 to beat Sri Lanka by one wicket with ten balls remaining. Malinga’s extraordinary intervention made the finish unforgettable, but Langeveldt’s earlier five-wicket haul explains why the eventual winners had so little left to chase.
That collision between sustained control and sudden destruction earns this encounter its place as Match 21 in A Celebration of 5000 ODIs.
TL;DR
- South Africa chased Sri Lanka’s 209, finishing on 212/9 in 48.2 overs.
- Malinga became the first bowler to take four wickets in four consecutive balls in international cricket.
- Jacques Kallis scored 86, building the foundation for South Africa’s escape.
- Langeveldt took 5/39 and shared Player of the Match with Malinga.
- Peterson’s edged boundary finally settled a chase that had appeared comfortable.
Match Information
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Match | South Africa vs Sri Lanka, 26th match, 2007 World Cup |
| Stage | Super Eights |
| Date | March 28, 2007 |
| Venue | Providence Stadium, Guyana |
| Toss | Sri Lanka elected to bat |
| Sri Lanka | 209 all out, 49.3 overs |
| South Africa | 212/9, 48.2 overs |
| Result | South Africa won by one wicket, ten balls remaining |
| Joint Players of the Match | Charl Langeveldt and Lasith Malinga |
| Leading batters | Jacques Kallis 86; Tillakaratne Dilshan 58 |
| Leading bowlers | Langeveldt 5/39; Malinga 4/54 |
| Tournament impact | South Africa secured two Super Eights points |
Charl Langeveldt Creates the Winning Opportunity
Before Malinga threatened to steal the afternoon, Langeveldt had shaped it.
His opening spell contributed two wickets as Sri Lanka fell to 98/5. Later, he returned to take three wickets in five deliveries, finishing with 5/39 from ten overs.
That second intervention prevented Sri Lanka from converting a substantial recovery into a strong closing total. South Africa’s eventual difficulty should not diminish the quality of the bowling that restricted their target to 210.
The shared award recognized both spells. Malinga produced the historic sequence; Langeveldt supplied the winning side’s most influential bowling performance.
Tillakaratne Dilshan and Russel Arnold Rescue Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka’s sixth-wicket partnership added 97 after the top order left the innings vulnerable.
Dilshan’s 58 from 76 balls gave the recovery substance. Arnold helped him rebuild without exposing the bowlers too early, taking Sri Lanka from 98/5 to 195 before Makhaya Ntini dismissed Dilshan.
The final five wickets then fell for 14 runs.
Sri Lanka had solved the immediate problem of survival but could not sustain the recovery through the closing overs. Those missing late runs became painfully significant when South Africa’s final pair needed only a small scoring opportunity to escape.
Jacques Kallis Makes 210 Look Manageable
Chaminda Vaas bowled AB de Villiers in the opening over, giving Sri Lanka an immediate opening.
Kallis closed it through partnerships of 95 with Graeme Smith and 65 with Herschelle Gibbs. His 86 from 110 deliveries allowed South Africa to advance without requiring a frantic finish.
The innings demonstrated the practical value of an anchor in a modest chase. Kallis preserved wickets and steadily reduced the requirement, leaving his team with considerable protection against a late setback.
Malinga then inflicted several setbacks before South Africa could absorb the first.
Lasith Malinga Turns Four Runs Into a Crisis
Malinga’s four wickets came across two overs, with Vaas bowling between them.
| Sequence | Batter | Dismissal |
|---|---|---|
| First wicket | Shaun Pollock | Bowled |
| Second wicket | Andrew Hall | Caught at cover |
| Third wicket | Jacques Kallis | Caught behind |
| Fourth wicket | Makhaya Ntini | Bowled |
The ICC’s archive of Malinga’s four-in-four spell preserves the abrupt transformation.
His threat came from the combination of a low release point, changes of pace and deliveries attacking the stumps. Batters arriving with almost nothing required still had to judge each ball correctly. Three of the four dismissed players had no opportunity to settle between facing Malinga and losing their wickets.
South Africa moved from 206/5 to 207/9. A single from Vaas’ intervening over was their only progress during the collapse.
The sequence echoed the sudden reversals in Warne’s 1996 semifinal rescue, although Sri Lanka had even less room to recover from an imperfect delivery.
Robin Peterson Finds the Boundary That Ends the Panic
Peterson and Langeveldt inherited a simple equation with almost no protection: three runs needed, one wicket remaining.
Malinga continued threatening the stumps, while the final pair concentrated on surviving long enough to find a scoring chance. Peterson eventually edged him beyond the slips for four.
It was an uncomfortable finish to a chase built on sound batting. Yet survival had its own value, just as it had during Bichel and Bevan’s escape against England.
South Africa’s last pair completed the task their established batters had left unfinished.
Why Match 21 Belongs in the Collection
South Africa’s World Cup history already included the 1999 semifinal tie and Lara’s three-run victory at Newlands. Guyana threatened another painful addition.
Both teams eventually reached the semifinals. Sri Lanka progressed to the final, while Australia eliminated South Africa, as the ICC’s 2007 tournament overview records.
Within our 5000 ODIs collection and broader cricket coverage, this match illustrates how quickly wickets can outweigh an apparently settled run equation.
Malinga needed four deliveries to make history. South Africa needed their final partnership to ensure history did not also become defeat.