The last time South Africa played a match at Sydney Cricket Ground, AB de Villiers was simply unstoppable as he raced to the fastest 150 in One Day Internationals – a 162 not out which came in just 66 balls against the West Indies.
– Interview: Jason Gillespie tips Australia to go all the way at #CWC15
– #CWC15: Where to watch the quarter-finals in the UAE
– #360win: PREDICT #CWC15 semi-finalists & win a 55″ LG Ultra HDTV
He may not be able to repeat that feat against the Sri Lankans today as Angelo Mathews says he has plans in place to not only keep the Proteas skipper quiet but also ward off the threat of their Dale Steyn-led pace attack.
“We all know that de Villiers is a destructive player and Steyn is a very good bowler, so we have plans against them. We look to execute them well, and if we do that, we can tie them down and be attacking on the field,” the Sri Lankan captain said without revealing the exact tactics.
Quarter Finals start today. Can’t wait for this one. Sri Lanka have a genuine chance. Can Sanga step up again? #toughask
— Scott Styris (@scottbstyris) March 18, 2015
The Sri Lankan skipper was of the opinion that South African teams choking in the later stages of the tournament was a thing of the past and it wasn’t something they can rely upon.
“I think both teams will be nervous,” he added. “We all know the South Africans are a very hard team to beat, especially in this tournament. I don’t really bother about statistics. It’s just that we have to play better on that day. We have to go out there and perform well to beat the South Africans.”
His counterpart de Villiers said he did not care about the match being billed as a showdown between himself and the record-breaking Kumar Sangakkara, who will be aiming for a fifth consecutive century in the match, as long as South Africa win the match, but Mathews felt his side needed another big effort from the superstar who is retiring from ODIs after the World Cup.
“They’re both absolute legends of the modern game,” said Mathews. “We’ve seen Kumar hitting four centuries in a row, and I hope and pray he gets the fifth one tomorrow.
“Kumar is one of the hardest workers I’ve ever seen. He’s the first one to get into the nets and the last to get out of it.
“Also, AB has done pretty well. We all know he’s a destructive player. When he gets going, it’s really hard to stop him. So, we will look to attack him early on so we can try to get his wicket and push them back.”
Sri Lanka are likely to miss the services of key left-arm spinner Rangana Herath, who needed four stitches in the finger of his left hand after he tried to stop a Jos Buttler shot during Sri Lanka’s nine-wicket win over England in Wellington on March 1.
