Four years after they were eliminated from the last World Cup after a semifinal tie with Australia, the South Africans were again left cursing after putting themselves in with a good chance of beating Sri Lanka to claim a place in the Super Sixes.

``It's got to rank up there as possibly the most disappointing thing,'' South Africa captain Shaun Pollock said. ``Two ties in the last two World Cups and out of both of them. The players are gutted, I felt we deserved better on the day.''

South Africa's misfortune allowed New Zealand to progress, the Kiwis joining Sri Lanka, Kenya, Australia and India in the Super Sixes. The last place will be decided today when Zimbabwe play Pakistan in Group A, with those two sides and England in contention to advance.

``We are pleased we are through but we wanted to win that game,'' Sri Lanka captain Sanath Jayasuriya said. ``The boys played really well.''

Chasing 269 for victory, Pollock and Mark Boucher added 63 for the sixth wicket to take their side to 212 for six. Pollock was brilliantly run-out by Muttiah Muralitharan, but Lance Klusener and Boucher edged the hosts to 229 for six when persistent rain forced the players off.

Confusion reigned as officials sought the Duckworth/Lewis sheets and it soon emerged that the match would end in a tie if the players were unable to return.

Boucher had struck Muralitharan for six to reach 45 not out and he then failed to score from the last ball of the 45th over, which became the final delivery of the match. A single would have brought South Africa victory and a place in the next round.

The umpires returned to the arena around 35 minutes later and asked the ground-staff to remove the covers but within moments the heavens opened up again and the officials left the field for the last time.

BATTING INSPIRATION
Marvan Atapattu was Sri Lanka's batting inspiration with a sparkling 124, the opener sharing a fourth-wicket partnership of 152 with Aravinda de Silva that laid the foundations for an imposing total of 268 for nine.

It could have been higher, but South Africa dismissed both batsmen in quick succession before taking a flurry of late wickets to peg the Sri Lankans back.

South Africa openers Graeme Smith and Herschelle Gibbs shared a fluent partnership of 65 before Smith, on 35, pulled a de Silva long-hop straight to deep midwicket.

Gary Kirsten and Jacques Kallis fell cheaply and when Gibbs was bowled by Muralitharan for 73 the hosts were in trouble at 149 for four.

But Pollock and his vice-captain Boucher led the recovery with a sensible run-a-ball partnership that had put the South Africans in position to push for victory when the rain came down.

South Africa were also knocked out of the 1992 World Cup in unfortunate circumstances when a rain delay left them in an impossible situation in their semifinal against England.

No host country has ever won the cricket World Cup.

SRI LANKA

M.Atapattu c sub. b Hall 124

S.Jayasuriya run-out 16

H.Tillekeratne c Boucher b Kallis 14

M.Jayawardene c Boucher b Hall 1

A.de Silva c Smith b Ntini 73

R.Arnold b Pollock 8

K.Sangakkara c Pollock b Kallis 6

C.Vaas run-out 3

M.Muralitharan b Kallis 4

D.Fernando not out 1

Extras: (lb-2, w-11, nb-2) 18

Total: (for nine wickets, 50 overs) 268

Fall of wicket: 1-37, 2-77, 3-90, 4-242, 5-243, 6-258, 7-261, 8-266, 9-268.

Bowling: Pollock 10-1-48-1 (w-2, nb-1), Ntini 10-0-49-1 (w-3, nb-2), Zondeki 6-0-35-0 (w-3), Kallis 10-0-41-3 (w-1), Hall 10-0-62-2 (w-1, nb-2), Klusener 4-0-31-0-(w-1, nb-1).

SOUTH AFRICA

G.Smith c Gunaratne b de Silva 35

H.Gibbs b Muralitharan 73

G.Kirsten b de Silva 8

J.Kallis b Jayasuriya 16

B.Dippenaar b Jayasuriya 8

M.Boucher not out 45

S.Pollock run-out 25

L.Klusener not out 1

Extras: (lb-4, w-12, nb-2) 18

Total: (for six wickets, 45 overs) 229

Fall of wicket: 1-65, 2-91, 3-124, 4-149, 5-149, 6-212.