Cardiff: After rain played spoilsport to South Africa and West Indies match and reduced it to 31 overs, the Proteas managed to tie their last league match against the Windies and reached the semifinals of ICC Champions Trophy here on Friday. South Africa moved ahead with three points on the basis of their net run rate which was higher than the West Indies.
Keiron Pollard played an ordinary shot which was caught at the third-man and thereafter the rain played spoilsport to the laready reduced match and finally according to Duckworth-Lewis System the match was declared as a tie.
West Indies took a decent start while chasing a stiff total of 231 runs in just 31 overs. Chris Gayle wasn’t timing the ball as beautifully as he would like to but did manage to score some quick boundaries. But Johnson Charles was undone by Dale Steyn who was playing his first match of the tournament after the injury.
West Indies kept losing wickets at regular intervals, first of Chris Gayle, which was followed by Daren Bravo and Devon Smith. Chris Morris and Ryan McLaren were looking in good shape as they were testing the Windies with their variation in pace. Gayle contributed 36 runs whereas Smith played a crucial knock of 30 runs in this do or die match. Marlon Samuels brought Caribbean back into the match with his 48 runs off 38 balls which was studded with six fours and two sixes.
Pollard complimented Samuels quite well but got out a crucial time. He scored 28 off 23 balls, including five boundaries. His dismissal changed the whole equation and allowed South Africa to tie this contest and share a point. Match was declared as a tie as Windies
scored 190 runs off 26.1 overs that they played.
Earlier, South African openers made an impressive start as Colin Ingram and Hashim Amla added 80 runs for the first wicket. Amla was dismissed by Samuels but SA innings was stabilized by AB De Villiers.
De Villiers and Ingram added 44 runs for the second wicket in just 5.2 overs which gave their innings a much needed thrust. Ingram departed after scoring crucial 73 runs which tilted the scale in favour of the Proteas. But West Indian skipper Dwayne Bravo managed to dismiss JP Duminy. Soon De Villiers was undone by Ravi Rampaul when he was on 37
runs.
Faf du Plessis and David Miller walked into the middle to give finishing touches. Plessis scored three fours and one six whereas Miller managed to smack three sixes and one four. Du Plessis got run out after scoring 35 runs.
Miller was dismissed by West Indies captain when he was looking good at 38. Proteas ended up on a high note as they managed to get to 230 runs in the 31 overs.