South Africa's Herschelle Gibbs (left) and Ireland's Niall O'Brien meet at the wicket after a run-out attempt in yesterday's Super Eight game in Guyana. - Photo by DellmarGEORGETOWN, Guyana (AP):
SOUTH AFRICA swept aside Ireland in a World Cup Super Eights match yesterday, passing the underdog's rain-affected target of 160 with seven wickets and 21 balls to spare.
The victory keeps South Africa on track for a place in the semi-finals but leaves tournament outsiders Ireland with, as expected, two Super Eights defeats and virtually no prospect of going any further. Ireland, however, have been thrilled to reach the last eight for the first time.
Jacques Kallis top-scored with 66 not out. But Ireland, who scored 152 for eight in 35 overs, dropped him twice, first when he was on 40 when Boyd Rankin spilled him off his own bowling with the score on 94. A wicket then would have given Ireland the merest hint of a way back into the game.
61 ODI half century
Three overs later, Kallis top-edged an attempted sweep but captain Trent Johnston, running in, misjudged the ball's flight. A few minutes later, Kallis reached his 50 off 61 balls, his 61st one-day international half century.
Ashwell Prince joined Kallis in an unbroken partnership of 80 to finish off the match. Ireland fought to the end and the match finished in near darkness as South Africa weren't given an easy ride.
Although South Africa won a crucial toss, Ireland's bowlers at first offered up mediocre half volleys and friendly short balls to Kallis and skipper Graeme Smith after A.B. de Villiers was dismissed from just the third ball.
De Villiers cut Rankin's delivery to gully where William Porterfield juggled the ball twice before clinging on to it.
Hopes dented
Irish hopes of another upset to go with their shock group victory over Pakistan were dented as Smith and Kallis added 71 runs for the second wicket. The captain smashed 41 before he fell to the catch of the World Cup so far with the score on 71.
Smith smashed a full toss from Ireland captain Trent Johnston straight back at the bowler, who grasped the ball one-handed, low to his right, to dismiss his opposite number. Herschelle Gibbs fell cheaply, reaching six before he played a lazy shot to Andrew White at midwicket from Rankin's bowling. That made it 85 for three in the 17th over but it was Ireland's last success.
Ireland innings
| J. Bray lbw Pollock | 0 |
| W. Porterfield c Kallis b Pollock | 14 |
| E. Morgan c Prince b Hall | 28 |
| N. O'Brien c Gibbs b Langeveldt | 25 |
| A. White c Gibbs b Smith | 30 |
| A. Botha c de Villiers b Hall | 14 |
| T. Johnston not out | 13 |
| K. McCallan c Boucher b Langeveldt | 3 |
| P. Mooney c Boucher b Langeveldt | 0 |
| D. Langford-Smith not out | 17 |
| Extras: (3lb 1b, 4w) | 8 |
TOTAL: (for eight wkts - 35 overs) 152 Fall: 1-0, 2-31, 3-63, 4-77, 5-116, 6-119, 7-124, 8-124 Bowling: Shaun Pollock 7-2-17-2, Makhaya Ntini 7-1-16-0 (2w), Charl Langeveldt 7-0-41-3 (2w), Andrew Hall 7-0-37-2, Justin Kemp 3-0-14-0, Jacques Kallis 3-0-20-0, Graeme Smith 1-0-5-1.
South Africa innings A.B. de Villiers c Porterfield b Rankin | 0 |
| G. Smith c&b Johnston | 41 |
| J. Kallis not out | 66 |
| H. Gibbs c White b Rankin | 6 |
| A. Prince not out | 47 |
| Extras (4nb 1w) | 5 |
| TOTAL (for three wkts - 31.3 overs) | 165 |
Fall: 1-1, 2-71, 3-85 Bowling: Boyd Rankin 7-1-26-2 (1nb, 1w), David Langford-Smith 5-0-31-0, Trent Johnston 3-0-15-1, Paul Mooney 3.3-0-40-0 (3nb), Andre Botha 6-0-18-0, Kyle McCallan 5-0-28-0, Andrew White 2-0-8-0 Result: South Africa won by seven wickets. South Africa target adjusted to 160 under Duckworth/Lewis method. STANDINGS
| P | W | T | L | NR | Pts |
| Australia | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| New Zealand | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Sri Lanka | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| South Africa | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| England | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| West Indies | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 |
| Ireland | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Bangladesh | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
