Tag: South Africa

Cricket World Cup, New Zealand, South Africa

Cricket World Cup: New Zealand beat South Africa in thriller to final

New Zealand beat South Africa with a six off the penultimate ball to reach the World Cup final for the first time.

World Cup semi-final, Auckland
South Africa 281-5 (43 overs): Du Plessis 82, De Villiers 65*
New Zealand 299-6 (42.5 overs): Elliott 84*, McCullum 59, Anderson 58
New Zealand won by four wickets (Duckworth/Lewis method)

With five needed from two balls, Grant Elliott hit Dale Steyn into the stands to finish unbeaten on 84 and seal a four-wicket win in Auckland.

Elliott and Corey Anderson’s 58 had lifted the Black Caps from 149-4 in their chase of a rain-adjusted 298.

South Africa had earlier posted 281-5, with Faf du Plessis making 82, in a match reduced to 43 overs per side.

Captain AB de Villiers weighed in with an unbeaten 65 for South Africa and David Miller an 18-ball 49 in a target that was escalated by Duckworth-Lewis, but just within New Zealand’s reach.

It was a fourth unsuccessful World Cup semi-final for the Proteas to add to two defeats and the famous 1999 tie with Australia.

For New Zealand, a seventh last-four tie finally yielded a place in the final after six previous losses.

It was earned in a thrilling, fluctuating contest played out in front of a raucous and partisan crowd at Eden Park.

In scarcely believable drama that had echoes of Kane Williamson’s six to defeat Australia by one-wicket earlier in the tournament, South Africa-born Elliott smashed Steyn for six over long-on two balls after Daniel Vettori steered a four to the third-man boundary.

Elliott should have been caught from the final ball of the previous over, but his top-edged hook fell to the ground after a boundary collision by JP Duminy and sub fielder Farhaan Behardien.

That South Africa came so close was down to their third comeback of a game that both teams controlled at various points.

Read more at BBC Sport

Cricket World Cup, South Africa, Sri Lanka

Cricket World Cup: South Africa ease into semi-finals

South Africa cruised into the World Cup semi-finals with a one-sided thrashing of a sorry Sri Lanka in Sydney.

World Cup quarter-final, Sydney:
Sri Lanka 133 (37.2 overs): Sangakkara 45, Tahir 4-26
South Africa 134-1 (18 overs): De Kock 78*
South Africa won by nine wickets

Off-spinner JP Duminy took a hat-trick and leg-spinner Imran Tahir 4-26 as Sri Lanka were bowled out for 133.

The Proteas then eased to their target for the loss of only one wicket in 18 overs, with Quinton de Kock making an unbeaten 78.

They go on to a last-four meeting with New Zealand or West Indies in Auckland on Tuesday.

South Africa’s first knockout victory in 23 years of playing World Cup cricket takes them to a first semi-final since a famous defeat by Australia in 1999.

In reaching their target with 32 overs to spare, AB de Villiers’ side also completed the fastest successful run chase in a World Cup knockout match as Sri Lanka, finalists in the previous two World Cups, wilted.

Their lacklustre display was not befitting what turned out to be the final international match for Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara’s last ODI. The duo have scored 117 international centuries between them.

After the Proteas’ pace bowlers made early inroads, the spin pair of Duminy and Tahir took advantage of a succession of loose shots, while South Africa were excellent in the field throughout.

Sangakkara, on the back of four successive hundreds, made a painstaking 45 and Lahiru Thirimanne a counter-attacking 41, but no other batsman reached 20.

To cap South Africa’s day, wicketkeeper De Kock, who had managed only 53 runs in his six previous innings, returned to form with a string of cover drives.

Still, their victory was built on a brilliant bowling performance after losing the toss on an excellent pitch.

Read more at BBC Sport

Cricket World Cup, South Africa, UAE

Cricket World Cup: South Africa ease into quarter-finals

South Africa moved into the World Cup quarter-finals with a routine 146-run victory over United Arab Emirates.

World Cup Pool B, Wellington:
South Africa 341-6 (50 overs): De Villiers 99, Behardien 64; Naveed 3-63
UAE 195-9 (all out) (47.3 overs): Patil 57 not out; De Villiers 2-15
South Africa won by 146 runs

Proteas captain AB de Villiers top scored and was dismissed on 99 after useful contributions from Rilee Rossouw (43) and David Miller (49).

Farhaan Behardien blasted 64 off 31 balls to take South Africa to 341-6, a total UAE never looked like reaching.

Swapnil Patil scored an unbeaten 57 and Shaiman Anwar made 39 but UAE were bowled out for 195 in 47.3 overs.

The victory means South Africa, who have never reached a World Cup final, will finish second in Pool B and, barring shock results, will probably face Sri Lanka in the quarter-final in Sydney on 18 March.

South Africa dominated against a UAE side that has never beaten a Test-playing nation in a World Cup but who surprisingly opted to bowl first after winning the toss.

That decision backfired as South Africa made the eighth highest total of the tournament with De Villiers again leading the way.

He scored the fastest 150 in one-day cricket off 64 balls on his way to an unbeaten 162 against the West Indies earlier in the World Cup and hit six fours and four sixes in his 82 ball-knock on Thursday.

However, he missed out on his 21st ODI century when he sliced the ball to short third man Amjad Javed off Kamran Shazad’s bowling. De Villiers then showed his ability with the ball, taking 2-15 from three overs.

“It’s never just a given you are going to make the quarter-finals of the World Cup, we have a lot of people we are representing back home and we have a great opportunity,” said De Villiers.

“They made it difficult so I was very happy with the way we fought, which is what I want to see as a captain.”

The only disappointment for South Africa was another failure from opening batsman Quinton de Kock, who made an unconvincing 26 off 45 balls before being caught behind. He has only scored 53 runs in their six pool games.

In reply, UAE struggled to cope with the pace of the South African attack, as both Morne Morkel and Vernon Philander claimed two wickets each.

Read more at BBC Sport

Cricket World Cup, Pakistan, South Africa

Cricket World Cup: Pakistan beat South Africa in thriller

Pakistan’s pace bowlers stunned South Africa to earn a thrilling 29-run World Cup win in Auckland.

World Cup Pool B, Eden Park, Auckland:
Pakistan 222 (46.4): Misbah-ul-Haq 56; Steyn 3-30
South Africa 202 (33.3): De Villiers 77; Rahat Ali 3-40, Riaz 3-45, Irfan 3-52
Pakistan won by 29 runs (Duckworth/Lewis method)

Chasing 232 in Auckland, South Africa were well placed on 67-1, before Pakistan’s left-arm trio got to work.

Wahab Riaz, Rahat Ali and Mohammad Irfan dismissed the Proteas for 202, despite captain AB de Villiers’ 77.

Pakistan had earlier scraped to 222, with South Africa’s target adjusted after rain reduced the match to 47 overs per side.

The victory, a third in succession, means Pakistan will definitely reach the quarter-finals if they beat Ireland in their final Pool B game on 15 March.

Even if they lose in Adelaide, Misbah-ul-Haq’s side will have a chance of progressing on net run-rate depending on other results involving the Irish, who beat Zimbabwe in a thrilling game on Saturday, and West Indies.

For South Africa, a first opportunity to reach the last eight was missed, but their qualification will be assured with a win against the UAE on Thursday.

They arrived at Eden Park on the back of consecutive scores in excess of 400 but, like their earlier defeat by India, wilted when faced with the pressure of a run-chase.

De Villiers attempted a single-handed pursuit as the rest of his team failed to deal with the pace and bounce of the Pakistan attack.

Read more at BBC Sport

Cricket World Cup, India, South Africa

Cricket World Cup: India crush South Africa in Melbourne

Shikhar Dhawan hit a superb century as defending champions India maintained their unbeaten start to the World Cup with a 130-run win over South Africa.

World Cup Pool B, Melbourne Cricket Ground
India 307-7 (50 overs): Dhawan 137, Rahane 79
South Africa 177 all out(40.2 overs): Du Plessis 55, Ashwin 3-41
India won by 130 runs

India’s 307-7 was built around Dhawan’s 137, while Ajinkya Rahane made 79 off 60 balls and Virat Kohli 46.

South Africa were bowled out for 177 with 9.4 overs unused as Faf du Plessis’s departure for 55 sparked a collapse of seven wickets for 44 runs.

The defeat was South Africa’s heaviest in World Cup history.

India, who remain top of Pool B with two wins from two games, face the United Arab Emirates in Perth on Sunday, when victory will all but secure their place in the quarter-finals.

Fifth-placed South Africa play West Indies in Sydney on Friday, but the manner in which they subsided on a blameless surface cast doubts on their tag as one of the pre-tournament favourites.

Dhawan’s composed innings was typical of a measured rather than explosive batting display, and two key run-outs were reward for the pressure India created with an accomplished performance in the field.

Dropped on 53 by Hashim Amla and fortunate not to be run out for 55, left-hander Dhawan combined fluent drives with meaty pulls in a 146-ball innings which featured 16 fours and two sixes.

Having lost Rohit Sharma cheaply, he added 127 with captain Kohli for the second wicket and 125 in 16 thrilling overs with Rahane for the third.

Dhawan eventually fell to a top-edged pull off Wayne Parnell, whose treatment late in the innings left him nursing figures of 1-85 off nine overs.

No South Africa batsman came close to playing with the composure shown by Dhawan as India’s fielders maintained the pressure created by Mohammed Shami’s early removal of Quinton de Kock.

Mohit Sharma had Hashim Amla taken at long leg and Du Plessis drilled the first ball of his second spell to mid-off, either side of Mohit’s most important contribution, running out South Africa captain AB de Villiers for 30 with a magnificent flat throw from deep point.

Smart work from Umesh Yadav and MS Dhoni accounted for the dangerous David Miller, and Ravichandran Ashwin hastened South Africa’s collapse to finish with 3-41.

Read more at BBC Sport

Cricket World Cup, South Africa, Zimbabwe

Cricket World Cup: South Africa beat Zimbabwe after record stand

David Miller and JP Duminy made a record one-day international fifth-wicket stand of 256 as South Africa recovered to beat Zimbabwe in their World Cup opener in Hamilton.

World Cup Pool B, Hamilton:
South Africa 339-4 (50 overs): Miller 138*, Duminy 115*
Zimbabwe 277 (48.2 overs): H Masakadza 80, Chibhabha 64
South Africa won by 62 runs

After a shaky start, Miller (138 not out off 92 balls) and Duminy (115 not out from 100) came together at 83-4.

They blasted the Proteas to 339-4, including 111 off the last six overs, while Miller smashed 30 off the 48th.

Hamilton Masakadza (80) helped Zimbabwe to 277 in reply, losing by 62 runs.

South Africa – three-time beaten semi-finalists – were among the pre-tournament favourites, but were less than convincing here, despite winning their 27th consecutive ODI meeting with Zimbabwe.

Hammered 5-0 by Bangladesh in their last ODI series, Zimbabwe were facing the highest successful run chase in World Cup history.

Chamu Chibhabha (64) and Masakadza shared a century stand, with Masakadza reaching his fifty by hitting Dale Steyn for an audacious six over cover, until both holed out off leg-spinner Imran Tahir.

When Masakadza fell, Zimbabwe needed 149 from the final 17 overs, which proved beyond them, though tailender Solomon Mire entertained the crowd with a couple of huge sixes before falling to a superb full-length catch by Proteas skipper AB de Villiers.

“We really went for too much in the end,” said captain Elton Chigumbura. “We didn’t get the wickets we needed in the middle period and paid for it.”

Fresh from overwhelming West Indies at home, the tentative Proteas were four wickets down by the 21st over.

Zimbabwe may even have sensed an upset when De Villiers was acrobatically caught by Craig Ervine on the long-off boundary for 25.

Miller and Duminy rebuilt against Zimbabwe’s spinners, the former hitting nine sixes and taking seamer Mire for 30 off the 48th over with three fours and three sixes, one of which went out of the ground.

“I just needed to construct a partnership with someone, and JP was the man today,” said Miller. “It was tough up front and a bit slow initially, but it definitely eased up towards the end.”

Duminy took until the final over to reach three figures, the highest one-day international fifth-wicket stand – and the third highest World Cup partnership for any wicket – reasserted South Africa’s supremacy.

While Zimbabwe extended their record number of World Cup defeats to 38, this performance will show they are no pushovers under coach Dav Whatmore, and they must have aspirations of beating an out-of-sorts West Indies side to a quarter-final berth.

“We were in the game for a long time so it was a good sign for the games to come,” said Chigumbura.

Read more at BBC Sport

South Africa, Test Match, West Indies

Cricket: South Africa v West Indies: Hosts win series, Alviro Petersen retires

South Africa beat West Indies by eight wickets in Cape Town to win the third and final Test and take the series 2-0.

Third Test, Cape Town (day five):
South Africa 421 & 124-2 beat West Indies 329 & 215 by eight wickets

The home side began the final day on 9-1, needing a further 115 runs for victory, and Dean Elgar guided them to their target with 60 not out.

Having won the first Test and drawn the second, South Africa took the series to retain the number one Test ranking.

The two teams will play three Twenty20 games and five one-day internationals ahead of February’s one-day World Cup.

A West Indies collapse on the fourth day, when the tourists crashed from 182-3 to 215 all out, left South Africa requiring just 124 for victory.

It was slow going as the Proteas failed to score any runs off the first 44 balls of the day, and Faf du Plessis then fell for 14 just after the hour mark.

South Africa captain Hashim Amla made sure there were no more alarms though as he scored 38 not out to accompany Elgar to the end.

Meanwhile, Proteas opener Alviro Petersen, who was out for a duck in the second innings after scoring 42 in the first, announced his retirement from international cricket after the game.

Having made his international debut back in 2006, the right-hander, 34, appeared in 36 Tests, 21 one-day internationals and two Twenty20 internationals.

His highest Test score, 182, came against England at Headingley in 2012.

“I feel that at 34 it is time for me to move on with my career,” he said.

“I intend playing county and franchise cricket for the next three years and also concentrating on my foundation and my cricket school.”

Petersen has had spells in English county cricket with Somerset, Glamorgan and Essex, and his departure from the international scene opens up the chance for him to return to county cricket as a Kolpak player.

Kolpak contracts are signed by foreign players, using a loophole in European Union law to avoid counting against the quota of one overseas player per club.

Read more at BBC Sport

England, Rugby Union, South Africa

Rugby Union: England 28-31 South Africa

England fell to their fifth consecutive defeat as South Africa profited from another disappointing display.

Trailing by 14 points early in the second half, England responded with back-to-back tries from driving mauls for David Wilson and Ben Morgan.

But a burrowing try from Schalk Burger and 13 points from the boot of fly-half Pat Lambie made it 12 matches in a row since England last beat the Springboks.

Despite their stirring fightback, England only seldom exerted any control, errors from half-back pairing Danny Care and Owen Farrell costing them at pivotal moments.

With just 10 matches to go until the World Cup, England’s development as a team appears to have stalled, with the first serious questions being asked of the Stuart Lancaster regime.

Lambie opened the scoring with a straightforward penalty after Farrell’s ill-judged decision to run from deep put his side in trouble, and a more serious error then gifted the visitors a more significant score.

Care, winning his 50th cap, threw a slow, telegraphed pass after a stodgy series of attempted drives and centre Jan Serfontein intercepted to race away and under the posts from 60 metres.

Lambie’s conversion made it 10-0, and England were struggling – slow in thought, obvious in execution, Twickenham muted.

Read more at BBC Sport