South Africa captain Graeme Smith scored a career-best 141 in an ultimately futile run chase as England won by 22 runs to eliminate the hosts from the Champions Trophy on Sunday.
Smith hit 16 boundaries in his 134-ball stay, but he was cramping badly toward the end and had to rely on attempted boundaries to score when his England counterpart Andrew Strauss denied him a runner.
“The umpires were not comfortable with letting him have a runner and I felt that a batsman who has made a hundred is always going to be tired, so I was not prepared to let him have one either,” Strauss said.
Smith’s innings gave South Africa a chance of reaching its victory target of 324, but once he was out the host were unable to press on.
“We lost wickets at key times, and lost our way a bit,” said Smith. “We just needed a partnership late in the innings, and when it didn’t come, chasing 320 was just too difficult for us.”
Smith’s previous highest was 134 not out against India in Kolkata in 2005.
“It’s hugely disappointing,” said Smith. “Sport is about giving your all, and I was just hoping someone could stay with me. But there is no point in making excuses.”
The partnerships were broken by some clever bowling at important times, particularly by James Anderson who finished with 3-42.
“James has been superb over the last 18 months,” said Strauss, “even when the ball has not been swinging, because he has found the kind of line and length and variation, which makes him very difficult to get away.”
Owais Shah narrowly missed his second one-day international century, but his 98 off 89 balls helped England post an intimidating 323-8.
He was especially destructive against South Africa’s spinners as he shared in a speedy third-wicket partnership of 163 with Paul Collingwood, which took just 26 overs and one ball.
He hit five fours and six sixes as South Africa’s bowlers battled to find a line and length, which would contain him.
Collingwood made 82 off 94 balls to continue his good run of form in the tournament, and the pair was only separated when Shah was caught by wicketkeeper Mark Boucher off the bowling of Johan Botha.
Collingwood went five overs later, dragging on a wide ball from left-arm paceman Wayne Parnell.
But his departure was the signal for Eoin Morgan to cut loose, and he raced to the fastest half-century of the tournament when he reached his 50 off 26 balls.
“Shah was great, Collingwood superb, and they laid the platform for Morgan to show what he can do in the Powerplay overs at the end,” said Strauss.
Morgan was eventually caught by Smith off the bowling of Dale Steyn for 67 off 34 balls, which included four fours and five sixes.
Parnell remains the tournament’s top wicket-taker, finishing with three in the match, but at the cost of 60 runs for his 10 overs.
Off-spinner Botha got among the wickets at the end of the innings and took 2-56 off nine overs.
“We conceded more than 300 runs in two of our three games, and chasing over 300 is always tough,” said Smith.
“South Africa had to take the risks,” agreed Strauss, “and we were able to take advantage.”
South Africa’s defeat keeps Sri Lanka in the tournament for now, and a victory for England over New Zealand in the remaining group B match will put Sri Lanka in the semifinals.
