Stats - Nortje and Baartman hack into the dot matrix
Records tumbled as Sri Lanka and South Africa played out 127 scoreless balls between them
Sampath Bandarupalli
03-Jun-2024
Ottneil Baartman sent down 20 dot balls, the joint-most by any bowler in a Men's T20 World Cup game • Getty Images
77 - Sri Lanka's total against South Africa in their Men's T20 World Cup 2024 clash in New York is their lowest in men's T20Is. Their previous lowest was 82 all out against India in 2016 in Vishakhapatnam.
It is also the lowest total by any team against South Africa in men's T20Is. The previous lowest was Afghanistan's 80 all out during the 2010 T20 World Cup.
7 - Runs conceded by Anrich Nortje on Monday, the fewest by a bowler completing their four-over quota in the Men's T20 World Cup. The previous fewest was eight runs, by three bowlers - Ajantha Mendis (vs Zimbabwe in 2012), Mahmudullah (vs Afghanistan in 2014) and Wanindu Hasaranga (vs UAE in 2022).
Nortje also conceded the fewest runs by a South Africa bowler in their four overs in a men's T20I.
3 - Hauls of four or more wickets for Nortje in T20 World Cups, the joint-most by any bowler at the tournament, alongside Saeed Ajmal and Shakib Al Hasan.
4 for 7 - Nortje's figures are the best for South Africa at the Men's T20 World Cup, bettering his own record of 4 for 10 against Bangladesh in 2022.
Nortje's figures are also the best by any bowler against Sri Lanka in the men's T20 World Cup and the third-best in all men's T20Is against them.
20 - Dot balls bowled by Ottniel Baartman, the joint-most by a bowler in a Men's T20 World Cup game. Kemar Roach bowled 20 dot balls against Ireland in 2010, while Ajantha Mendis did the same during his six-wicket haul against Zimbabwe in 2012. Baartman's 20 dots are also the most for South Africa in a men's T20I.
1 - Nortje and Baartman became the first pair to concede less than ten runs apiece in an innings at the Men's T20 World Cup (while bowling their full quota of four overs).
11 - T20 World Cup matches played by Nortje, taking at least one in each. It is now the longest wicket-taking spree for any bowler in the Men's T20 World Cup. Nortje bettered Ashish Nehra, who has taken at least one wicket in all ten T20 World Cup matches.
4.42 - The scoring rate in this South Africa vs Sri Lanka match was the lowest for a Men's T20 World Cup game (min: 150 balls). None of the previous 252 T20 World Cup matches lasting 25-plus overs finished with a run rate below five an over.
127 - Dot balls played out on Monday were the most for a Men's T20 World Cup match. The previous highest was 123 dots in the 2007 game between South Africa and India, and by Oman and Namibia during last night's tie.
Sri Lanka's batters played out 72 of the 127 dots, the joint-most by a team in a Men's T20 World Cup game, alongside Afghanistan against England in 2012.
Sampath Bandarupalli is a statistician at ESPNcricinfo