England stormed into the Champions Trophy semi-finals with a 22-run victory over South Africa who crashed out of the tournament despite captain Graeme Smith’s brave century here on Sunday.
Smith hit a career-best 141 for his eighth one-day hundred but his team were still restricted to 301-9 while chasing a 324-run target.
The defeat also eliminated the hosts, who needed 313 to stay ahead of Sri Lanka on net run-rate.
“It’s hugely disappointing. I think it’s about giving your all, unfortunately we fell 22 runs short,” said Smith.
“Two of the games, we have given away over 300 runs. It’s difficult to chase that much regularly. You have to give credit to the way England batted. Anything around 300 we would have cruised in, but 324 was a step too far.”
England have won both of their games in the four-team Group B, while South Africa and Sri Lanka finished their league engagements with one win apiece in three matches.
New Zealand, who have one win in two matches, will take on England in the last group match on Tuesday.
England owed their highest one-day total against South Africa to man-of-the-match Owais Shah and Eoin Morgan, who gave a superb exhibition of power-hitting. Shah smashed 98 off 89 balls, while Morgan cracked a 34-ball 67.
“The way Paul Collingwood and Owais played the spinners was crucial, setting the platform for Morgan at the end. James Anderson (3-42) has been exceptional,” said England captain Andrew Strauss.
South Africa went for their shots early in their innings in a bid to achieve a stiff target, with Smith and Herschelle Gibbs putting on 42 in seven overs.
Smith, dropped on 82 by Shah at long-on off seamer Collingwood, sustained his team’s hopes with a gutsy knock. He reached his century when he cut Collingwood for his 10th four.
Smith, refused a runner after suffering from cramp later in his innings, put on 78 for the third wicket with AB de Villiers (36) and 64 for the next with Jean-Paul Duminy (24).
But the asking-rate kept climbing as the hosts needed 94 to win in the closing 10 overs. It was all over when Smith fell in the 47th over after hitting 16 fours in his 134-ball knock.
Shah was earlier in the limelight, putting England on course for a big total with a gem of an innings containing six sixes and five fours. He added a record 163 for the third wicket with Collingwood (82).
England’s previous best for the third wicket against South Africa in one-day internationals was 114 between Marcus Trescothick and Anthony McGrath in Manchester in 2003.
“I’d love to bat on this pitch everyday. It was a beautiful wicket to bat on,” said Shah.
The stage was set for the final onslaught after the Shah-Collingwood stand, with England plundering 92 in their last 10 overs.
Like Shah, stand-in wicket-keeper Morgan also flayed the South African attack as he hit five sixes and four boundaries in his second successive half-century.
England began aggressively after winning the toss as Strauss (25) and Joe Denly (21) added 48 for the opening wicket before falling in the space of three overs.
But South Africa’s joy was short-lived as Shah and in-form Collingwood kept gathering runs.
Colin N
Guest
Hmmmm, I've never thought it to be a captain's decision to allow a runner on, I thought it was the umpire's decision. Anyway, Strauss was very sporting in letting a Sri Lankan player back in, after he was accidently impeded by the England bowlers, in what was a suicidal run anyway. Also, a runner is for someone who is injured, Graeme Smith had cramp, so therefore he wasn't injured. The better team won, in any case.
funmaster
Guest
No excuses, the poms choked us pretty good. Its a case of never-has-beens for the proteas. We have a damn good all round team, but wer not showstoppers so it seems. :-(
Strauss disgusts me!
Guest
Strauss is disgusting. It's a sign of desperate man. I now support 2 teams - SA and anyone playing against England! I hope they get smashed!
Robin
Guest
Yes SA choked, and that comes from an SA supporter. They lacked the attack when needed most. Anyway Autralia had to deal with the Straus catch which he claimed in the Ashes, that all happened in a split second, and was not half as disgusting as Strauss's decision, not once but probably 5 times to not allow Graeme Smith a runner, even when Smith was down on the ground in pain. If winning means this much to you Andrew Strauss, I am no longer letting my kids watch England play cricket, and probably more of a reason why a gentleman like Flintoff does not want to play next to you. If this is your decision making and sportsman like behavior on the filed, I would hate to see you of the field. You are meant to be a role model as captain, and I used to have all the respect in the world for you, but 2009, you have shown your true face. I would not say an absolute cheat, probably worse. Amazing, the SA supporters would have been behind you all the way for the rest of the tournament, and already we have seen people disposog of their tickets. How do you sleep at night? Other than that, umpiring consistancy - is there such a thing. Last night without TV replays - live we could see the high wides not called, two or three bouncers and over. ICC - catch a wake up, for the sake of the game.
Jameswm
Guest
SA do it again. Amazing. And not the first time they've bombed out at a tournament they're hosting, either.