NEW DELHI: South Africa’s dominant 233-run victory over Sri Lanka at Kingsmead propelled them to second place in the WTC standings, strengthening their case for a place in the final next year.
Marco Jansen’s record-breaking 10-wicket match haul, including a stunning 7 wickets for 42 runs in the second innings, played a pivotal role in dismantling Sri Lanka’s batting lineup.
Despite a modest first-inning score of 191 all out, South Africa bounced back with an outstanding second-innings performance, with Temba Bavuma (113) and Tristan Stubbs (122) breaking records and putting on a 249-run partnership for the fourth wicket.
With a declaration at 366/5, they set Sri Lanka a daunting target of 516, which the visitors could not chase, bowled out for 282.
South Africa’s victory has moved them into second place on the WTC points table, surpassing Australia, and their upcoming fixtures against Sri Lanka and Pakistan will be crucial in their bid to qualify for the WTC final.
Here is a look at the updated WTC Points Table:
| Pos | Team | M | W | L | T | D | N/R | PT | PCT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | India | 15 | 9 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 110 | 61.11% |
| 2 | South Africa | 9 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 64 | 59.26% |
| 3 | Australia | 13 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 90 | 57.69% |
| 4 | New Zealand | 11 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 72 | 54.55% |
| 5 | Sri Lanka | 10 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 60 | 50.00% |
| 6 | England | 19 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 93 | 40.79% |
| 7 | Pakistan | 10 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 40 | 33.33% |
| 8 | West Indies | 10 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 32 | 26.67% |
| 9 | Bangladesh | 11 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 25.00% |
Here is a detailed look at how the WTC Final qualifying scenarios look at the moment:
- South Africa: With their 2-0 series win over Bangladesh and a commanding 233-run victory against Sri Lanka, South Africa have overtaken Australia and moved to second place in the WTC standings with 59.26 PCT, just behind India. If they maintain their strong form in their upcoming game against Sri Lanka and the series against Pakistan, they could earn a spot in the WTC final at Lord’s.
- India: Leading the points table with 61.11 PCT, India are in a strong position to qualify for the WTC final. However, a defeat in Australia could change the scenario at any moment. The ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia will be pivotal, with India needing to maintain or extend their lead to ensure a top-two finish.
- Australia: Sitting in third place, Australia are under pressure to perform in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Their qualification chances depend on their results against India. If Australia win the series and gain enough points, they can push for a place in the final. It is still not out of their hands as four matches are yet to be played on their home soil.
- Sri Lanka: After their defeat to South Africa, Sri Lanka have slipped from third to fifth in the WTC standings. They will need to secure strong results in their upcoming home series against Australia to stay in contention for the final. Nevertheless, they will need to focus on the second Test against South Africa first.
Hence, with teams jostling for WTC Final spots, every match carries immense stakes in this thrilling race to Lord’s.
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