SA thrash WIndies in T20 World Cup statement win

Ahmedabad, Feb. 27: South Africa captain Aiden Markram led from the front with an unbeaten 82 as South Africa all but secured a T20 World Cup semi-final berth with a brutal nine-wicket thrashing of the West Indies in Ahmedabad on Thursday.

After the West Indies fought back from deep trouble at 83-7 to post 176-8, Markram and Quinton de Kock put on 95 for the first wicket to set the platform for a thumping victory.

South Africa raced to their target with 23 balls to spare, scoring 177-1. Ryan Rickleton was not out on 45 at the end.

They are the only unbeaten side in the tournament, having also dismantled pre-tournament favourite India by 76 runs in the Super Eights.

An India win against Zimbabwe in Chennai later Thursday will guarantee South Africa's progress to the last four.

It will also make India's clash against the West Indies in Kolkata on Sunday a winner-takes-all decider for the final semi-final berth.

Markram reached fifty off 27 balls and hit four sixes and seven fours.

De Kock scored 47 off 24 balls, with four sixes and Rickleton hit two sixes in his 28-ball knock in an utterly dominant display of batsmanship.

The West Indies has earlier needed a record eighth-wicket partnership by Romario Shepherd and Jason Holder to get to 176-8 afer an early collapse.

The pair came together with their team in deep trouble at 83-7 and put on 89, the highest eighth-wicket stand in the history of T20 internationals.

Shepherd was unbeaten on 52 off 37 balls with four sixes. Holder was run out off the penultimate ball of the innings for 49 off 31 balls with three maximums.

Both teams came into the match with a perfect five wins in the T20 World Cup so far.

South Africa have played four of their five matches in Ahmedabad and captain Aiden Markram had no hesitation in opting to bowl when he won the toss.

The West Indies took 17 off the first over, bowled by left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj.

Kagiso Rabada's introduction halted their charge as captain Shai Hope (16) edged his second ball to keeper Quinton de Kock.

Shimron Hetmyer was dropped at mid-on by Corbin Bosch off the next delivery, but lasted only two more when he miscued to midwicket where Maharaj snapped up the catch.

Lungi Ngidi got in the act in his first over when Brandon King on 21 edged to De Kock and two balls later Roston Chase chopped on.

From 29-0 after two overs, the West Indies had slumped to 43-4 after four.

Ngidi took 3-30 from his four overs, Rabada 2-2 and Bosch 2-31.

NZ knock sorry Sri Lanka out 

New Zealand knocked co-hosts Sri Lanka out of the T20 World Cup on Wednesday with a 61-run win in Colombo that boosted their semi-final hopes.

Sri Lanka needed an emphatic win to stay alive but instead exited with a whimper, limping to 107-8 chasing New Zealand's 168-7.

A win for New Zealand against England on Friday at the same R. Premadasa stadium would see them top the Super Eights group and qualify for the semi-finals along with Harry Brook's side.

A defeat would open the door for Pakistan, who would probably need a big win against Sri Lanka in Kandy on Saturday to sneak through on net run rate.

Sri Lanka were never in the chase as Matt Henry dismissed their leading batsman Pathum Nissanka with the first ball of the innings.

Henry also removed Chairth Asalanka with the first ball of his second over to leave Sri Lanka in trouble at 6-2.

Sri Lanka crawled to 20-2 at the end of the six-over power play, the lowest in the competition and Sri Lanka's second lowest ever in T20 internationals.

Part-time spinner Rachin Ravindra found turn to put the game beyond Sri Lanka with a career-best 4-27.

Ravindra had a charging Kusal Mendis stumped and then removed Pavan Rathnayake in similar fashion in the same over as the sellout crowd was stunned into silence.

"It is very embarrassing to disappoint the home crowd," said Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka.

"We started really well, but to be honest, the Santner-McConchie and that partnership, it was a good one, which took the game away from us."

New Zealand earlier recovered from a mini-collapse to reach 168-7.

"I think it was obviously a nice score there with the amount of spin on the ball. They squeezed us a lot," said New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner.

Sri Lanka were right in the game as New Zealand slumped from 84-3 to 84-6 in the space of six deliveries.

But an 84-run stand off just 47 deliveries for the seventh wicket between Cole McConchie and Santner enabled them to set a tricky target on a turning pitch.

Skipper Santner top scored with 47 off 26 balls with two fours and four sixes. New Zealand were struggling to read Maheesh Theekshana as the spinner claimed 3-9 in his first three overs.

New Zealand blasted 70 off the last four overs, including 21 off the final one from Theekshana. Pace bowler Dushmantha Chameera finished with 3-38. (AFP)