Asghar Afghan announces retirement from international cricket midway through T20 World Cup

T20 World Cup | SA vs SL: David Miller overshadows Wanindu Hasaranga's hat-trick to take Proteas home

It took South Africa’s David Miller just two deliveries to change the complexion of the game between the Proteas and Sri Lanka when the left-hander unveiled his calibre and smacked a couple of maximums on the trot in the final over of Lahiru Kumara. Needing 15 in the last over, Miller and Kagiso Rabada completed the task on the penultimate delivery of the match to steal a win by 4 wickets in Sharjah. South Africa didn’t really start off the chase in a steady manner and kept losing wickets at regular intervals but it was captain Temba Bavuma who held the fort at the other side. The Proteas were 49/3 when Bavuma was joined by Aiden Markram at the crease and the two batters chipped in with a partnership of 47 runs for the fourth wicket. But what unleashed next simply pushed the South African side on the backfoot. Sri Lanka spinner Wanindu Hasaranga cleaned up Markram for 19 off 20 at the end of the 15th over. The right-arm bowler then returned back in the 18th over to dismantle the middle and lower middle-order as he first removed Bavuma for a run-a-ball 46 after he was caught in the deep by Nissanka and then completed the hat trick after scalping the wicket of Dwaine Pretorious on the very next delivery. Hasaranga became the second bowler after Curtis Campher to pick up a hat trick in this T20 World Cup. But just when everyone thought that the job was done, Miller showed up in his true class and helped his side pull a rabbit out of the hat. While Miller eventually remained unbeaten at 23 off 13, Rabada chipped in with 13* off 7 during the course. Hasaranga was the pick of the bowlers for Sri Lanka after he returned with figures of 3/20 in 4 overs. Earlier, in the day, the Sri Lankan batting unit didn’t really get in the groove as they lost wickets at regular intervals and it was the lone warrior Pathum Nissanka who held his nerves and went on to score 72 off 58 during the course. But he fell short of partners at the other end as the Lankan lions were bundled out for 142 in 20 overs. Tabraiz Shamsi and Pretorious picked up three wickets each while Nortje scalped a couple for the side. South Africa captain Temba Bavuma lauded Miller for his knock and taking the team over the line. “It's hard to keep everything at the back of my mind, and we had a job to do. We took it deep and it was a good thing that we managed to get over the line. David hasn't done that for us in a while, and it's great that he came good at the right time,” he said in the post-match presentation. Sri Lanka will now play England in Sharjah on Monday while South Africa will be up against Bangladesh on Tuesday in Abu Dhabi.

T20 World Cup | Chris Woakes-led England bowling attack squeeze life out of Australia in Dubai

England carried on with their dominant performance with the ball against arch-rivals England and left them reeling at 21-4 at the start of the seven-over mark. Chris Woakes started the slide with the wicket of David Warner and followed it up with a big wicket of Glenn Maxwell. In between his two overs, Woakes also plucked a one-handed catch to send Steve Smith back to the pavilion off the bowling of Chris Jordan. Staying aware of the challenge of bowling Moeen Ali in the powerplay, which has been Eoin Morgan’s tactic this tournament, he flipped the spin bowling duty to Adil Rashid. He started off decently and came back to pick up the dangerman Marcus Stoinis after flummoxing him with a googly. England fielded an unchanged side in the game while Australia made a brave call of bolstering their spin-bowling department at the expense of Mitchell Marsh, who was favourite to occupy the number three position in the tournament. At the end of the 12th over, half the Australian team was back in the pavilion with Liam Livingstone removing Matthew Wade at the team score of 51-5. Now they are left with only the duo of skipper Aaron Finch and Ashton Agar if they have to post a decent and fighting total on a fresh looking pitch at the Dubai International Stadium. No count that Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins can use the long handle too, but the conditions in Dubai are trying.

T20 World Cup | SA vs SL: David Miller snatches Twitter limelight from hat-trick man Wanindu Hasaranga

No one batsman has hit more sixes for South Africa in T20 internationals than David Miller and he did just that with immense ease and just when his side required it the most and took them over the line against Sri Lanka. South Africa needed 15 runs off the last over and Miller despatched two sixes out of the Sharjah cricket ground and finished Sri Lanka’s fight that was fuelled by a hat-trick from Wanindu Hasaranaga. The leg spinner was on the top of his game and picked Aiden Markram, Temba Bavuma and Dwaine Pretorious on his three consecutive balls and broke the backbone of Proteas batting lineup.

T20 World Cup | SA vs SL: Wanindu Hasaranga picks hat-trick to bring Sri Lanka on top

Sri Lanka’s Wanindu Hasaranga created history against South Africa after he became the second bowler to pick up a hat trick in this on-going T20 World Cup. The spinner had first dismissed Aiden Markram on the last ball of the 15th over and then returned to remove Temba Bavuma and Dwaine Pretorius on consecutive balls to achieve the feat. More to follow...