Sri Lanka's Lasith Malinga (left) appeals successfully for the wicket of South Africa's Jacques Kallis during their World Cup Super Eights match in Georgetown yesterday. The wicket completed the hat-trick for the Sri Lankan who ended up taking four wickets in four balls in a losing effort. - Reuters

GEORGETOWN, Guyana (Reuters):

SRI LANKA'S Lasith Malinga almost halted South Africa's victory charge by becoming the first player in international cricket to take four wickets in four balls in a World Cup Super Eights match yesterday.

South Africa looked to be heading towards a comfortable win in the 45th over until fast bowler Malinga removed Shaun Pollock, Andre Hall, Jacques Kallis and Makhaya Ntini with successive deliveries to set up a dramatic finish.

With the world's top ranked team chasing 210 for victory, Malinga's late burst frayed South African nerves as they found themselves still needing three runs for victory with just a wicket in hand.

A relieved Robin Peterson made sure South Africa avoided any further hiccups by edging a drive past slip to bring up the winning runs with 10 balls to spare.

Malinga took four for 54 from 9.2 overs, with South Africa finishing on 212 for nine.

Sri Lanka had been dismissed for 209 in 49.3 overs after they won the toss and chose to bat.

The drama began in the 45th over when Malinga yorked Pollock for 13.

With his next delivery, the last of the over, Malinga bowled Hall without scoring.

After left-arm seamer Chaminda Vaas had frustrated the South Africans in the next over with his accurate deliveries, Malinga came back in the 47th to mete out more punishment.

He began by having South Africa's lynchpin batsman, Kallis, caught behind by wicketkeeper Kumar Sangakkara for 86.

He then bowled Ntini for nought to reduce South Africa to 207 for nine.

Victory seemed unlikely

With Sri Lanka closing in on what had seemed like an unlikely victory just 15 minutes earlier, South Africa's last pair of Peterson (four not out) and Charl Langeveldt (one not out) steered their team home.

Peterson celebrated by smashing down the stumps with his bat as he reached the other end of the pitch.

A diving run out by Herschelle Gibbs epitomised South Africa's clinical bowling and fielding performance earlier in the day as fast bowler Langeveldt secured a career best return of five for 39.

Gibbs conjured his moment of magic in the 25th over when he swooped on the ball from backward point and dived into the stumps with Chamara Silva (nine) well short of the crease.

The dismissal was reminiscent of Jonty Rhodes' dive in the 1992 World Cup to run out Pakistan's Inzamam-ul-Haq. Rhodes is now South Africa's fielding coach.

The aggressive Sri Lankan batsmen struggled against South Africa's disciplined bowling and Gibbs's effort reduced them to 98 for five in the 25th over.

A sixth-wicket stand of 97 between Tillakaratne Dilshan and Russel Arnold salvaged the innings.

Dilshan scored 58 before he slashed a drive off fast bowler Ntini to third man, where Justin Kemp took a well judged catch.

Arnold's innings of 50 ended when he played an ill-judged sweep to Langeveldt and skied a catch to wicketkeeper Mark Boucher.

The match was the first to be played at Providence Stadium, where the pitch offered consistent bounce and the outfield was reasonably fast despite recent rain.