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World Cup Classics: Sri Lanka's Lasith Malinga takes four wickets in four balls against South Africa

Four runs to win, five wickets in hand – what could go wrong? Well, plenty can when Lasith Malinga has the ball in his hand as South Africa found out in Guyana.

The Sri Lankan paceman produced a devastating spell of fast bowling to become the first bowler to take four wickets in as many balls, almost completely derailing South Africa’s fast-sinking chase in the process.

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Needing 210 runs to win, the Proteas were cruising at 160-2 as skipper Graeme Smith (59) and Herschelle Gibbs (31) shared 94-run and 65-run stands with Jacques Kallis (86) respectively.

Thereafter, though, only Shaun Pollock made double figures as Muttiah Muralitharan (3-34) and Sanath Jayasuriya tied up the middle order.

The spinners set the stage for Malinga’s masterclass of death bowling. First he produced a slower delivery to rearrange Pollock's stumps before Andrew Hall spooned a full ball to cover to go for a first-ball duck.

Kallis ensured he got on strike for the hat-trick ball but his bold drive only succeeded in providing wicketkeeper Sangakkara with a low catch. When Makhaya Ntini was castled by another yorker the impossible suddenly looked on.

Chaminda Vaas bowled the 47th over with South Africa needing two to win, sending down a maiden to Charl Langeveldt, before Robin Peterson edged the winning runs off Malinga past slip to seal an extraordinary three-wicket victory.

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In the chaos, Langeveldt’s fine return of 5-39 that helped bowl Sri Lanka out for 209 was rather overshadowed.

It took a 97-run stand for the sixth wicket between Tillakaratne Dilshan (58) and Russel Arnold (50) for Sri Lanka to put a decent target on the board – and thanks to Malinga, it proved almost enough.

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