South Africa vs. Sri Lanka: Live Stream Info, Key Players and Prediction

Sri Lanka take on South Africa in the first quarter-final of the Cricket World Cup in a fascinating clash that could prove the tightest match of the round.

Both sides put in a number of impressive performances during the Pool stage, with South Africa hitting over 400 runs on two occasions, while Sri Lanka unleashed the player of the tournament, Kumar Sangakkara, to devastating effect.

Sangakkara hit a record four centuries in a row to half the gap in ratings points between himself and South Africa's AB de Villiers at the top of the ODI batting charts, per ICC-Cricket.com. Meanwhile, De Villiers' 417 runs have shown just why he's at the top.

However, it's possible the pair could cancel each other out on Wednesday, so the game could be decided on how the bowlers fare.

Here's the information you need on how to catch the game and a look at which players will be worth watching.

Date: Wednesday, March 18

Time: 2:30 p.m. local, 3:30 a.m. GMT

TV Info: Sky Sports 2

Live Stream: Sky Go

Players to Watch

Lasith Malinga

Lasith Malinga has been Sri Lanka's most effective bowler so far, having taken 11 wickets in the group stage.

His wicket total is made all the more remarkable due to the fact he only returned from ankle surgery in September, and went 0-for-84 in the opener against New Zealand.

Since then, Malinga has bowled confidently and taken his wickets at an average of 28.27, claiming an impressive 2-for-59 against a rampant Australia side, according to Andrew Fidel Fernando of ESPN Cricinfo.

Malinga's team-mate Mahela Jayawardene praised his return to form. Per the above report, he said: 

"

Lasith's put in a lot of effort over the last three or four weeks to get into rhythm. You have to give him a lot of credit, having had an operation on his ankle. He hasn't bowled for four months, and it takes a lot for a guy to come back for a big tournament.

...

I think the Australia game and the England game before that, his finishing has been pretty good, his movement has been good, the variations have come good. When that happens the rest of the bowling unit picks themselves up around Lasith. When Lasith's a bit down, everyone else is a bit down as well, so the last few games have been good. 

"

The 31-year-old's explosive bowling makes him stand out from his peers:

The mercurial bowler's yorkers make him the big threat to any batsman, but he's also had success in varying his deliveries, per Andrew Fidel Fernando of ESPN Cricinfo.

As Jayawardene mentioned, Sri Lanka's bowling unit is very much dependent on Malinga's current form, just as it famously was in 2007 when Malinga took four wickets in four balls against current opponents South Africa:

Though that feat may have been some time ago, it will live long in the memory and you can bet the Proteas haven't forgotten either.

Imran Tahir

Imran Tahir has had an equally impressive World Cup having also managed to take 11 wickets so far.

Five of his 11 came in the thrashing of West Indies, in which Tahir conceded just 45 runs during his spell.

Ross Setford/Associated Press

Tahir could prove especially useful if he finds himself bowling against Jayawardene, against whom he has been particularly effective:

In what's sure to be a tight match between two good sides, these narrow margins can all make the difference.

As noted by B/R's own Antoinette Muller, Tahir is well-suited to one-day cricket, with his variation of delivery proving particularly effective. The 35-year-old often makes use of three deliveries in particular—the leg-break, the googly and the flipper.

Whereas in Test cricket Tahir's impatience causes him to leak runs, in one-day cricket his varied delivery often leads to success as batsmen succumb to the pressure of scoring big. Of his first 50 ODI wickets—Tahir now sits on 66—28 were catches, highlighting how he draws mistakes from his opposition.

Indeed, cricket writer Peter Miller predicted that the leg-spinner could be key to South Africa's campaign:

South Africa are notorious for their reputation for bottling it in World Cups, having never won a knockout match.

However, with the quality that pervades their team through the likes of Tahir, De Villiers and Dale Steyn, the Proteas can finally put paid to their reputation and secure a place in the semi-finals.

It will be a hard-fought affair, but with all the focus on the batsmen, South Africa's bowling can make the difference.

Prediction: South Africa win