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 late last night.
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 late last night.
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.
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 tomorrow.
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.
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 Paul 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).u00a0
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Brief Scores
England 323 for 8 in 50 overs
(O Shah 98, P Collingwood 82, E Morgan 67; W Parnell 3-60, J Botha 2-56) beat
South Africa 301 for 9 in 50 overs
(G Smith 141, AB de Villiers 36; J Anderson 3-42, S Broad 3-67)
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