A clinical performance from South Africa saw them beat Sri Lanka by 32 runs in a rain-curtailed Group C match of the Twenty20 World Cup at Hambantota on Saturday.

Heavy rain reduced the contest to seven overs a side and South Africa, put in to bat first, ran up an impressive total of 78 for four wickets.

Skipper AB de Villiers played a great hand to score 30 off just 13 balls and JP Duminy provided the finishing touches with a four and a six off the last two deliveries of the innings.

The hosts felt they had the game under control when they picked up both South Africa openers within the first three overs with 27 runs on the board but de Villiers turned the game around with a cameo that included two sixes and one four.

The total proved a steep ask for Sri Lanka and their chase was made even more difficult when flamboyant opener Tillakaratne Dilshan was run out without facing a ball.

The South African bowlers bowled a tight line, and helped by some sharp fielding, restricted Sri Lanka to 46 for five wickets as none of the hosts' batsmen were able to get a start.

Paceman Dale Steyn was the pick of the bowlers with two wickets for 10 runs off his two overs while his pace colleague Morne Morkel also stifled the scoring, conceding just nine runs off his two overs.

Dilshan Munaweera and Kumar Sangakkara top-scored with 13 runs each as the Sri Lankan batsmen could hit only four boundaries off their seven overs.

Both teams have qualified to play in the Super Eight stage of the tournament.