Pietersen sets up emphatic victory
England completed a clinical 39-run win over South Africa at the Kensington Oval to get one foot in the semi-finals
England completed a clinical 39-run win over South Africa at the Kensington Oval to get one foot in the semi-finals
So there we go, that's the end of that. I've been Andrew Miller, Liam Brickhill has been on bulletin duty, and join us again on Monday, for the KP-less contest against New Zealand in St Lucia.
Unsurprisingly, Kevin Pietersen is named as Man of the Match, but it's the last we're going to see of him for a few days. His wife Jessica is going into labour, and he's legging it back to Blighty for a few days ahead of the semi-final.
"I'm flying in the next 24 hours, and if there are no complications, I'll come back in a day before the semi," said Pietersen. "It's my first child, so it's a hell of an exciting time for me. I'll be dashing across the Atlantic, and hopefully dashing back."
"They were far better than us today," admits Graeme Smith. "We fought back well, but our first ten overs were poor. Consistency has been our problem of late in the shorter form of the game."
"When you see the lads going out to bat with that kind of intent, it's really exciting. Our line-up has got a lot of potential," says Paul Collingwood.
A huge victory for England, in every sense. The margin of victory puts them in pole position in terms of net run-rate, and now they square up to New Zealand with one foot in the semi-finals. South Africa, meanwhile, have one or two worries. A win against Pakistan should suffice to carry them through, but they'll need to lift their game something chronic.
England's victory was built on a sensational innings from Kevin Pietersen, whose 33-ball 53 contained some of the most sumptuous strokes of the tournament to date. None of South Africa's batsmen came close to matching his prowess, while England's extra spin option proved invaluable in mixing up the pace when their turn came to field.
M Morkel b Sidebottom 1 (4m 2b 0x4 0x6) SR: 50.00
Do, re, me, so, fa, la, te, dooooohh
J Botha c & b Sidebottom 12 (21m 12b 0x4 1x6) SR: 100.00
South Africa's stuttering one-day form hit another low point with their comprehensive 39-run defeat against England
Kevin Pietersen's timing was at its best on and off the field in Barbados
Kevin Pietersen will miss England's final Super Eights fixture against New Zealand on Monday, as he returns to the UK to attend the birth of his first child
England completed a clinical 39-run win over South Africa at the Kensington Oval to get one foot in the semi-finals
Group A | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Team | M | W | L | PT | NRR |
AUS | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 1.525 |
PAK | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -0.325 |
BAN | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | -1.2 |
Group B | |||||
Team | M | W | L | PT | NRR |
NZ | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0.428 |
SL | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0.355 |
ZIM | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | -1.595 |
Group C | |||||
Team | M | W | L | PT | NRR |
IND | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 1.495 |
SA | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1.125 |
AFG | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | -2.446 |
Group D | |||||
Team | M | W | L | PT | NRR |
WI | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 2.78 |
ENG | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | -0.452 |
IRE | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | -3.5 |
Group E | |||||
Team | M | W | L | PT | NRR |
ENG | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 0.962 |
PAK | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0.041 |
NZ | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | -0.373 |
SA | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | -0.617 |
Group F | |||||
Team | M | W | L | PT | NRR |
AUS | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 2.733 |
SL | 3 | 2 | 1 | 4 | -0.333 |
WI | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | -1.281 |
IND | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | -1.117 |