Neil in the SA coffin; favourites take a tumble

Chelmsford, May 29: Having shocked India, Zimbabwe today scored a sensational win over hot favourites South Africa, beating them convincingly by a 48-run margin, to win a Super Six berth.

Zimbabwe shot out their formidable opponents for 185 with 2.4 overs to spare to brilliantly defend their fighting 233 for six made in 50 overs after electing to bat first.

Zimbabwe’s first ever win over their African neighbours came after a brilliant display by all-rounder Neil Johnson who hit up a strokeful 76 and then returned with the ball to claim three top order wickets to trigger the Proteas’ collapse.

Johnson ironically trained in South Africa, played for that country’s A team but failed to make it to the senior grade.

The tournament favourites battled till the end with Lance Klusener (52 not out) waging a lone battle after nine players were already back in the pavilion.

Klusener smashed three fours and lofted two sixes in his 57-ball knock to finish the league stage with an astonishing average of 112; he isyet to get out in this World Cup.

Zimbabwe did their homework well and caught the erring South Africans on the wrong foot in a match which was of academic interest to the losers.

Zimbabwe skipper Alistair Campbell won the toss and elected to bat and his openers got away to a swift start. They scored 12 runs with three boundaries off the first eight balls before reaching 65 in the 14th over when Grant Flower was out for 19.

Johnson raced to his half-century, belting his 10th boundary to reach 51 off 57 balls.

But his progress was slowed and he picked up singles and twos until the 39th over when South African paceman Allan Donald snared two wickets within five balls.

Zimbabwe was scoring steadily at 170 for two until Donald had Johnson caught in the outfield by Shaun Pollock and then trapped Campbell leg-before-wicket four balls later to restrict his African rivals to 175 for four.

In doing so, Donald became the ninth bowler to collect 200 wickets in One-day international cricket. Andy Flower added29, including a straight driven six off Donald and three fours, before he was run out attempting a second run in the 42nd over. At his departure, Zimbabwe was 186 for five.

Guy Whittall and Stuart Carlisle combined for the sixth wicket Whittall bringing up the 200 in the 45th over by driving Klusener for a six. Donald struck again in the 47th over to break up a promising stand when Whittall mistimed a drive and gave Cullinan a regulation catch.

to Cullinan at mid-off. Carlisle and Heath Streak were unbeaten on 18 and nine respectively. Donald was the best of South Africa’s bowlers, claiming three for 41 off 10 overs.

Earlier, Johnson, who scored a half-century and took four wickets in Zimbabwe’s opening win against Kenya, combined well with Grant Flower to see out new ball bowlers Pollock and Jacques Kallis.

But Grant Flower lasted only one over after the first change before he got a thick edge off a Steve Elworthy delivery.

Lance Klusener, the leading strike bowler in the tournament, broke a66-run partnership for the second wicket in the 31st over.

Goodwin scored 34 runs off 45 balls, including five boundaries, before he mistimed an attempted pull shot and lobbed the ball to Gary Kirsten at mid-on.

Zimbabwe has never beaten South Africa in head-to-heads, losing six of the previous seven games.

Group A: Zimbabwe vs South Africa

Zimbabwe innings (50 overs maximum) R B 4/6

NC Johnson c Pollock b Donald 76 117 10/0

GW Flower c Cullinan b Elworthy 19 43 3/0

MW Goodwin c Kirsten b Klusener 34 45 5/0

A Flower run out (Pollock/Boucher) 29 35 3/1

ADR Campbell lbw b Donald 0 1 0/0

GJ Whittall c Cullinan b Donald 20 31 0/1

SV Carlisle not out 18 19 1/0

HH Streak not out q 9 13 1/0

Extras (b1, lb15, w8, nb4) 28

Total (6 wickets, 50 overs) 233

DNB: AR Whittall, AG Huckle, HK Olonga. Fall of wickets: 1-65 (GW Flower, 13.4 ov), 2-131 (Goodwin, 30.4 ov), 3-170 (Johnson, 38.1 ov), 4-175 (Campbell, 38.4 ov), 5-186 (AFlower, 41.3 ov), 6-214 (GJ Whittall, 46.4 ov).

Bowling: Pollock 10-1-39-0 (2nb); Kallis 6-0-36-0 (1nb, 2w); Donald 10-1-41-3 (1w); Elworthy 6-0-32-1 (1w); Klusener 9-0-36-1 (1nb, 1w); Cronje 9-0-33-0 (2w).

South Africa (target: 234 in 50 overs) R B 4/6

G Kirsten c AR Whittall b Johnson 0 1 0/0

HH Gibbs run out (Huckle/A Flower) 9 21 0/0

MV Boucher lbw b Streak 8 23 1/0

JH Kallis c A Flower b Johnson 0 4 0/0

DJ Cullinan c & b AR Whittall 29 67 3/0

WJ Cronje b Johnson 4 6 1/0

JN Rhodes lbw b Streak 5 5 1/0

SM Pollock c Olonga b AR Whittall 52 81 4/0

L Klusener not out 52 58 3/2

S Elworthy c AR Whittall b Streak 1 6 0/0

AA Donald c Streak b Olonga 7 18 0/0

Extras (b2, lb2, w8, nb6) 18

Total (all out, 47.2 overs) 185

Fall of wickets: 1-0 (Kirsten, 0.1 ov), 2-24 (Gibbs, 6.4 ov), 3-25 (Boucher, 7.3 ov), 4-25 (Kallis, 8.2 ov), 5-34 (Cronje, 10.1 ov), 6-40 (Rhodes, 11.4 ov), 7-106 (Cullinan, 29.2 ov), 8-149(Pollock, 41.2 ov), 9-150 (Elworthy, 42.2 ov), 10-185 (Donald, 47.2 ov).

Bowling: Johnson 8-1-27-3 (3nb, 3w); Streak 9-1-35-3 (1nb, 4w); GJ Whittall 4-0-20-0 (1w); Olonga 4.2-0-16-1 (2nb); Huckle 10-1-35-0; AR Whittall 10-0-41-2; GW Flower 2-0-7-0.

Man of the match: Neil Johnson