South Africa too strong in the wet

  

South Africa have splashed past Sri Lanka by five wickets in a cold, rain-interrupted World Cup warm-up game in Christchurch.

The unofficial fixture at Hagley Oval between two of the tournament heavyweights was disrupted several times, prompting numerous updates of over and target tallies using Duckworth-Lewis calculations.

Sri Lanka scored an impressive 7-279 off 44.4 overs but South Africa were awarded victory with their 5-188 off 24.3 overs, having reached their adjusted target off 188 with three allotted balls to spare.

Openers Quinton de Kock (66 off 55 balls) and Hashim Amla (46 off 40) laid the foundation for a successful chase, coasting at nearly eight runs an over.

A handful of teammates then contributed short cameos at better than a run-a-ball.

Experienced Sri Lanka pace bowler Lasith Malinga made a solid return after nearly five months of recovery from ankle surgery.

He took 1-33 from 4.3 overs, including the scalp of Faf du Plessis for 19, to display his fitness ahead of the World Cup opener against New Zealand at the same venue on Saturday.

Earlier, captain Angelo Mathews (58) also returned from injury in style with the bat, supporting an aggressive century to opener Tillakaratne Dilshan, whose 100 came off 83 balls.

Seamer Kyle Abbott was the best of the Proteas bowlers, taking 3-37 off 6.4 overs.

In nearby Lincoln, World Cup co-hosts New Zealand and Zimbabwe weren’t as lucky in their match, rain forcing play to be abandoned before a ball was bowled.

The weather was more agreeable across the Tasman however, with England making light work of the West Indies at the SCG.

South Africa play another warm-up game at Hagley Oval on Wednesday, against New Zealand, while Sri Lanka face Zimbabwe in Lincoln on the same day.

Pakistan beat Bangladesh

Sohaib Maqsood has scored an unbeaten 93 from 90 deliveries to guide Pakistan to a three-wicket win over Bangladesh with 11 balls to spare in a World Cup warm-up match in Blacktown.

Mohammad Irfan took 5-52 to restrict Bangladesh to 246 on Monday, with Mahmudullah (83) and Tamim Iqbal (81) sharing a 168-run third-wicket stand before the last four wickets fell for just 15 runs.

Pakistan overcame the loss of two early wickets to reach 7-247 in 48.1 overs, with Maqsood belting nine boundaries and two sixes and sharing important partnerships with Haris Sohail (39), Umar Akmal (39) and Shahid Afridi, who scored 24 from 20 balls near the end at the Blacktown Olympic Park Oval.

Pakistan, the 1992 champion, opens its World Cup campaign on Sunday against arch-rival and defending champion India.