PROVIDENCE, March 29: Tension was not all that smouldered in the South Africa dressing room during the final moments of their thrilling one-wicket World Cup win over Sri Lanka – the players were reduced to nervy cigarette smoking.

“That was a pretty stressful last five overs,” captain Graeme Smith told a news conference after his team scraped to the Super Eights victory on Wednesday with 10 balls to spare.

“I caught a few of the boys having a cigarette or two in the dressing room.”

Sri Lankan fast bowler Lasith Malinga caused the South Africans' anxiety when he became the first player to take four wickets with consecutive deliveries in an international match.

Malinga's raid saw the South Africans, who needed 210 runs to win, crash from 206 for five to 207 for nine in the space of 10 deliveries in the second-stage game.

“He just ran in and gave it his all and sometimes that happens,” Smith said of Malinga's effort.

“He bowled a superb spell to take four wickets in four balls and he certainly made me age a bit.”

South Africa's last pair of Robin Peterson and Charl Langeveldt saw their team home, with Peterson edging a drive off Malinga for four to score the winning runs.

Peterson celebrated by smashing down the stumps with his bat as he reached the other end of the pitch.

“I don't think Robbie remembers what he was doing, he was so excited,” Smith said. “It was all in the spirit of the game, the excitement of the moment.

“There were a few laughs in the dressing room when we saw the replay. I think he thought he ran over the stumps.”—Reuters