South Africa confirmed that they are the team to beat at the World Twenty20 with another convincing performance against West Indies at the Oval yesterday that effectively cemented their place in the semi-finals. Victors by 20 runs, their superiority was as plain as it had been against England two days earlier with bat, ball and in the field. They will take some stopping. Perhaps only Sri Lanka can manage it.
Put in to bat, South Africa posted 183 for seven - the third highest first-innings score of the tournament against pukka opposition - and it might have been 20 more had their hitting skills not failed them somewhat in the last fifth of their innings.
Lendl Simmons kept alive West Indian hopes with some audacious strokeplay but his side were never quite up with the hunt and when he fell for 77 from 50 balls the challenge fizzled out, their minds no doubt weary from playing twice inside 24 hours.
The result was a good one for England as they chase their fanciful dream of a first global tournament win. With South Africa winning by such a good margin, England can now afford to lose narrowly to India at Lord's today and still have realistic aspirations of going through with South Africa on net run rate if, in the final round of matches, they beat West Indies well and South Africa beat India convincingly. Had West Indies won, England would have had to beat India today.
Despite the decisive outcome, this was an entertaining encounter between two teams whose hostile fast bowling had given them the upper hand in their opening games. Left-arm quick Wayne Parnell, who took three for 14 against England, again struck early gold here by removing Andre Fletcher and Chris Gayle with his first seven balls and returned at the end to pick up two more wickets to finish with the exceptional figures of four for 13. Already established as a star of the tournament, he was well supported by Dale Steyn, with two for 30.
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For West Indies, Fidel Edwards could not summon up the fire with which he had greeted India the previous evening but he and Jerome Taylor were instrumental in restricting South Africa so well at the death when only 32 runs came in the last four overs. Taylor claimed three wickets, Edwards one and 11 balls were not scored off.
This is where England have missed out. With more dedication and greater fitness, Andrew Flintoff and Steve Harmison could have given them this cutting edge in this tournament; instead they have been working their way back to form and fitness in an enthralling championship duel at the Riverside that at least lifts English optimism for the Ashes. Flintoff, in his first first-class appearance since February, took six wickets in the game and Harmison nine.
If West Indies were slow out of the blocks, they had a ready-made excuse in their late night at Lord's on Friday. Dwayne Bravo, the hero with a fifty and four wickets against India, misfielded carelessly in the third over but then quickly made amends with a stunning diving stop in the covers.
In truth, South Africa's old guard of Jacques Kallis, Graeme Smith and Herschelle Gibbs were just too good during the first 15 overs. The first three wickets put on 54, 51 and 31 which was the perfect platform for a really huge score but perhaps this was the one area where South Africa fell down, hitting out with complacency at the end knowing they had wickets in hand. Gibbs in particular played well for his 55 from 35 balls.
South Africa's score was big but not uncatchable and Gayle attributed his side's defeat to the failure to get the innings off to a good start. Fletcher was bowled, beaten for pace, while Gayle himself drove carelessly to cover. But then, albeit briefly, West Indies threatened. Simmons, reverse sweeping the spinners repeatedly, was impossible to set a field to and with Bravo picking up on his mood from the night before, 50 runs came between the fifth and eighth overs.
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But Bravo then narrowly failed to clear the man at long off and Simmons found himself fighting a lone hand.
As expected, the Oval is proving the best venue for runscoring, with an average first-innings total in matches not involving minnows of 179, compared with 160.5 at Trent Bridge and 143.7 at Lord's. Spin is also a key ingredient but as Parnell demonstrated, pace remains king.
South Africa v West Indies
(The Oval, West Indies won toss): South Africa (2pts) beat West Indies (0) by 20 runs
South Africa
J H Kallis c Pollard b Simmons 45
*G C Smith c Fletcher b Benn 31
H H Gibbs c Taylor b Pollard 55
A B de Villiers c Gayle b Taylor 17
J A Morkel b Taylor 10
†M V Boucher not out 17
J P Duminy c Sarwan b Edwards 0
R E van der Merwe c Ramdin b Taylor 1
J Botha not out 4
Extras (lb 1, w 2) 3
Total (7 wkts, 20 overs) 183
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Did not bat: D W Steyn and W D Parnell
Fall: 1-54, 2-105, 3-136, 4-155, 5-159, 6-163, 7-166
Bowling: Taylor 4-0-30-3; Edwards 4-0-34-1; Bravo 2-0-24-0; Benn 4-0-36-1; Pollard 3-0-29-1; Gayle 1-0-7-0; Simmons 2-0-22-1
West Indies
*C H Gayle c Botha b Parnell 5
A D S Fletcher b Parnell 0
L M P Simmons c De Villiers b Van der Merwe 77
D J Bravo c Steyn b Van der Merwe 19
S Chanderpaul c and b Duminy 8
R R Sarwan c Botha b Steyn 8
K A Pollard c Smith b Parnell 6
†D Ramdin b Steyn 8
J E Taylor b Parnell 0
S J Benn not out 13
F H Edwards not out 2
Extras (b 1, lb 9, w 6, nb 1) 17
Total (9 wkts, 20 overs) 163
Fall: 1-4, 2-13, 3-70, 4-91, 5-133, 6-133, 7-142, 8-143, 9-159
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Bowling: Steyn 4-0-30-2; Parnell 4-0-13-4; Kallis 2-0-23-0; Morkel 2-0-21-0; Botha 2-0-20-0; Van der Merwe 4-0-30-2; Duminy 2-0-16-1
Umpires: Aleem Dar (Pak) and M R Benson
- PAKISTAN SOAR ON GUL'S WINGS
Umar Gul recorded the best figures ever in a 20-over international as Pakistan thrashed New Zealand at The Oval.
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The Black Caps were blitzed for just 99 and the six-wicket victory was comprehensive enough to put Pakistan in a strong position to qualify for the semi-finals of the World Twenty20.
They got home in just 13.1 overs after teenage debutant Shahzaid Hasan launched them towards their target with an eye-catching 35.
Paceman Gul's incredible five for six capped a superb bowling display from Pakistan in what was a must-win Super Eights contest.
Younis Khan's men now have a net run rate only marginally inferior to that of the Kiwis, and with minnows Ireland left to play are in the box seat for qualification from Group F.
New Zealand, meanwhile, face Sri Lanka in their final match knowing even victory might not be enough to progress.