• Aravinda de Silva was playing his 31st match in the World Cup. He has now played in most WC matches for Sri Lanka moving ahead of Arjuna Ranatunga who had played in 30 matches.
• Marvan Atapattu (124) became third Sri Lankan batsman to score a hundred in the World Cup after Aravinda de Silva (145 and 107 not out - both in 1996) and Sanath Jayasuriya (120 in 2003).
• The hundred was Atapattu’s second against the South Africans. His had made 123 not out at Benoni in December 2002. no other Sri Lankan other than Atapattu has scored a hundred against South Africa. Incidentally, the previous highest individual score for Sri Lanka against South Africa in the World Cup was the 68 by Roshan Mahanama at Wellington in 1992.
• Marvan Atapattu ,when on 3, completed his 3000 runs in day-night matches. He became only the second Sri Lankan batsman after Sanath Jayasuriya and eighth batsman overall to reach this landmark. At the end of this match, Atapattu has aggregated 3121 runs in 94 day-night matches.
• Atapattu’s innings included 18 fours –the most by a Sri Lankan batsman in a World Cup match. The previous record was of 15 fours by Sanath Jayasuriya in the match against New Zealand in this World Cup at Bloemfontein on February 10.
• Atapattu with 832 runs in 26 matches now has made most runs for Sri Lanka against South Africa. He went past the tally of 760 runs by Sanath Jayasuirya in 33 matches.
• The partnership of 152 runs between Atapattu and Aravinda deSilva was Sri Lanka’s best for the fourth wicket in the World Cup. The pair bettered the previous best of 105 runs between de Silva and Arjuna Ranatunga against Kenya at Kandy in 1996.
• The above partnership was also the best for the fourth wicket against South Africa in the World Cup. Australians Ricky Ponting and Steve Waugh had put on 126 at Leeds in 1999.
• The Atapattu-deSilva partnership of 152 runs was Sri Lanka’s all-time best partnership against South Africa for any wicket. The same pair had put on 140 for the third wicket at Benoni in December 2002. For the record, Sri Lanka’s previous best against South Africa for the fourth wicket was the 108 between Atapattu and Arjuna Ranatunga at Port Elizabeth in 1998.
• The catch of Tillkeratne was Mark Boucher’s 200th of his career as a keeper in 143 matches. He became the first South African and the only second keeper in ODIs after Australian Adam Gilchrist (225 catches in 152 matches).
• This game was the second to be tied in the World Cup. Australia and South Africa had tied their Birmingham World Cup encounter in 1999.

(Article: Copyright © 2003 Rajneesh Gupta)