Aussie Trait does the Safs in, again

South Africa8217;s batsmen were blown away by the raw pace of Tait and the accuracy of 37-year-old McGrath, who is only days from retirement.

The one-sided score would have been much worse if it had not been for a 60-run partnership between Herschelle Gibbs and Justin Kemp, who came together with the score on a humiliating 27-5. Gibbs made 39 and all-rounder Kemp was left on 49 not out while wickets tumbled around him.

McGrath did the initial damage by dismissing Jacques Kallis, Ashwell Prince and Mark Boucher. Prince and Boucher were out off successive deliveries.

The winners play Sri Lanka on Saturday in Barbados and, barring an unlikely batting collapse, that looks set to be Australia, seeking their third successive title.

Winning the toss and batting first, the South Africans tried to match Australia8217;s aggressive game and failed.

Nathan Bracken made the breakthrough with the third ball of his second over. South Africa captain Graeme Smith charged the left-arm paceman but missed the ball, which knocked over his off stump and South Africa were 7-1, with the captain scoring only two.

Kallis had just scored his first boundary when McGrath tore his off stump out of the ground with a yorker to send the Australian fielders into raptures with South Africa 12 for two in the sixth over. Kallis was seen as South Africa8217;s dangerman.

De Villiers looked dangerous until Tait was brought on in the eighth over. The right hander smacked his first ball for four but, reaching speeds of 93 miles per hour, Tait was too fast for the opener and he edged a drive to Adam Gilchrist behind the stumps for 15.

De Villiers had looked the most comfortable of the South African batsmen. At 26 for three, however, South Africa8217;s hopes of reaching the final were evaporating fast. They then seemed to disappear altogether when McGrath grabbed the two wickets in two balls.

McGrath had been top bowler of the World Cup until Tuesday, when Sri Lanka8217;s Muttiah Muralitharan edged past him with four wickets in the victory over New Zealand. McGrath soon corrected this with three of his own.

Prince had faced just four balls when he got an edge to a McGrath delivery and Gilchrist took another catch and then Boucher departed first ball, edging the ball to Matthew Hayden at first slip. The hat-trick ball missed its mark.

Gibbs and Kemp made the most of the less threatening bowling of Shane Watson and spinner Brad Hogg. Gibbs scored six fours in his 39 in 49 balls before he also fell to Tait, mistiming a drive and presenting Gilchrist with another easy catch.

Andrew Hall scored just three before he presented Gilchrist with his fourth catch of the match and South Africa was 93-7. Shaun Pollock had just cut Hogg for four when the spinner tricked him with the ball8217;s flight and induced him to return a simple catch to the bowler.

Kemp battled hard, taking the score past 100 and putting on 27 with fast bowler Andre Nel, clearly in pain after fracturing his finger while batting in the nets on Tuesday.

Nel eventually fell with the score on 130, trying to cut a wide ball from Tait but only succeeding in skying a catch to Michael Clarke at point.

Scoreboard

South Africa: Graeme Smith b Bracken 2, AB de Villiers c Gilchrist b Tait 15, Jacques Kallis b McGrath 5, Herschelle Gibbs c Gilchrist b Tait 39, Ashwell Prince c Gilchrist b McGrath 0, Mark Boucher c Hayden b McGrath 0, Justin Kemp not out 49, Andrew Hall c Gilchrist b Tait 3, Shaun Pollock c and b Hogg 5, Andre Nel c Clarke b Tait 8, Charl Langeveldt b Watson 6

Extras w13, lb4: 17; Total all out, 43.5 overs: 149

Fall of wickets: 1-7, 2-21, 3-26, 4-27, 5-27, 6-87, 7-93, 8-103, 9-130

Bowling: Nathan Bracken 7-2-15-1, Glenn McGrath 8-1-18-3, Shaun Tait 10-0-39-4, Shane Watson 8.5-0-49-1, Brad Hogg 10-2-24-1

8211;SIMON HAYDON