England beat hosts South Africa by 22 runs to knock the world’s No. 1 one-day side and the tournament hosts out of the Champions Trophy on Sunday.
Owais Shah, Paul Collingwood and Eoin Morgan all blazed half-centuries as England piled up 323 for eight, their highest ever total against South Africa.
South Africa, despite captain Graeme Smith’s career-best 141, could only manage 301 for nine in reply.
Shah and Collingwood inflicted enormous damage on a home attack that could not stick to a length as they plundered 163 runs off 162 balls in a record third-wicket stand for England against South Africa.
Shah went over the boundary six times in his 98 off 89 balls, while Collingwood showed wonderful placement and composure in cruising to 82 off 94 deliveries.
Morgan finished the innings in style as he took advantage of woeful bowling at the death to wallop four fours and five sixes in his 67 off 34 balls.
Wayne Parnell, South Africa’s youngest bowler, was their best, taking three for 60 in 10 overs.
South Africa were unable to compile a telling partnership despite Smith’s fine innings and they went into the last 10 overs needing 94 runs to win with six wickets in hand.
Big-hitter Albie Morkel hit a six and a four off successive deliveries in his 17 off 14 balls, but, with debate raging as to whether England captain Andrew Strauss should allow a limping Smith a runner, Morkel ran himself out attempting a bye to stand-in wicketkeeper Morgan.
Strauss’ decision to call on off-spinner Graeme Swann to bowl three overs in the closing stages paid off as he conceded just 10 runs and bowled J.P. Duminy for 24.
James Anderson finished with three for 42 as South Africa slid to defeat and England, crushed 6-1 by Australia at home earlier this month, reached the semi-finals.
A.B. de Villiers (36) and Herschelle Gibbs (22) made promising starts, but failed to master the conditions or England’s attack.
■N ZEALAND V SRI LANKA
REUTERS, JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA
New Zealand resurrected their Champions Trophy campaign when they beat Sri Lanka by 38 runs in their Group B match at the Wanderers on Sunday.
After losing their first match against South Africa by five wickets, New Zealand can now qualify for the semi-finals if they beat England in their final group game today.
Half-centuries from Jesse Ryder and Martin Guptill helped New Zealand plunder 315 for seven from their 50 overs.
The Black Caps’ total eclipsed their previous highest score against Sri Lanka in one-day internationals of 304 for five set in Auckland in the 1982-1983 season.
In reply, Sri Lanka could muster only 277 all out in 46.4 overs, thanks mainly to 77 from Mahela Jayawardene and an undefeated maiden one-day half-century from Nuwan Kulasekara.
After being put into bat by Sri Lanka, the left-handed Ryder gave his team a perfect start as he pummeled his way to 74 runs off 58 deliveries before edging a delivery from Kulasekara through to wicketkeeper Kumar Sangakkara.
The 25-year-old’s third one-day half-century was made all the more remarkable by the fact that he strained his left abductor muscle just seven balls into his innings. Forced to bat with a runner, Ryder shared in a first-wicket partnership with Brendon McCullum (46) that produced 125 runs at a run-a-ball.
Ryder’s departure signaled the start of a batting collapse from the Black Caps as they lost four wickets for 15 runs, before Guptill and Daniel Vettori (48) steadied the innings with a sixth-wicket stand of 69 runs.
Guptill made his way to 66 before being bowled by fast bowler Lasith Malinga as New Zealand smashed 61 runs off the last five overs of their innings.
Forty-year-old left-arm spinner Sanath Jayasuriya was Sri Lanka’s most successful bowler as he captured three for 39 off 10 overs.
Sri Lanka made a lively start in chasing New Zealand’s total thanks to 41 runs off 31 balls from opening batsman Tillakaratne Dilshan to help Sri Lanka to 66 without loss.
They then lost three quick wickets, however, to slip to 85 for three in the 13th over.
They never recovered from the setback, with only a spirited seventh-wicket stand of 78 runs off 68 balls between Jayawardene and Kulasekara providing any resistance.
Jayawardene was eventually bowled by left-arm spinner Vettori, while Kulasekara remained unbeaten on 57 runs off 56 deliveries.
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