Kallis keeps his cool

Man of the Match Jacques Kallis shared two vital partnerships, first with Smith and then with Prince, to see his team to victory with 21 balls to spare.

Jacques Kallis survived two chances to score his 61st one-day international half-century and steer South Africa to a seven-wicket win over Ireland in its World Cup Super Eight match at Providence Stadium in Guyana.

Three rain interruptions reduced the game to 35 overs-a-side in between which the South African bowlers, led by Shaun Pollock, Andrew Hall and Charl Langeveldt, limited Ireland to 152 for eight.

Man of the Match Kallis (66 not out) then shared two vital partnerships, first with captain Graeme Smith (41) and then with Ashwell Prince (47 not out), to see his team to victory with 21 balls to spare.

South Africa needed to score 160 to win from its 35 overs on the Duckworth-Lewis system.

Kallis and Smith put the team on the path to victory with a run-a-ball second wicket stand of 70 after the lanky seamer Boyd Rankin had raised Irish hopes by capturing the wicket of opener A. B. De Villiers with the third ball of the innings.

The pair regained the initiative for the Proteas, bringing up its 50-run partnership off just 48 balls and took the score to 71 in the 13th over before Smith's 45-ball innings ended.

The South African captain hit six fours before his opposite number Trent Johnston took a brilliant return catch to end his innings.

The 6ft 7in Rankin struck again when he had Herschelle Gibbs (six) caught at midwicket by Andrew White with the score on 85. But Kallis found a reliable partner in Prince and together they took the team to victory, adding 80 for the unbroken fourth wicket.

Rankin missed a caught and bowled chance when Kallis was on 40 and five runs later Johnston missed a difficult effort at short fine leg from Kyle McCallan's off-spin.

The pair brought up the South African 100 in the 21st over and soon after Kallis reached his 50 from 61 balls. It included eight fours. It was Kallis' second consecutive half-century following his top-score of 86 in his team's thrilling one-wicket win over Sri Lanka. Prince faced 47 balls and struck three fours in his innings, ending the match with a six over long on.

Ireland, put in to bat, lost wickets regularly, failing to put together a partnership of substance. Pollock bowled a miserly seven overs, claiming two for 17, while Langeveldt picked up three for 41 and Andrew Hall two for 37 as the South African bowlers exploited the overcast conditions.

Jeremy Bray was trapped lbw by Pollock in the third over and the same bowler had Porterfield (14) caught by Kallis as Ireland lost its first two wickets for 31 in the 13th over.

Morgan (28) and O'Brien (25) added 32 for the third wicket before Morgan's 50-ball innings ended when he was caught by Prince off Hall's bowling with the score on 63. Morgan struck four fours.

Langeveldt then removed O'Brien to reduce Ireland to 77 for four in the 23rd over. Andre Botha (14) and White shared Ireland's best partnership, adding 49 for the fifth wicket before both fell in quick succession.

White hit a run-a-ball 30 before he was caught by Gibbs off Smith with the score on 116 and Botha went three runs later, caught by De Villiers off Hall. Langeveldt then dismissed Kyle McCallan (three) and Paul Mooney with successive deliveries as Ireland plunged to 124 for eight in the 32nd over. But Johnston (13) and Dave Langford-Smith (17) added 28 off the last 20 balls to see Ireland to its final score.

THE SCORES

Super Eight: Ireland v South Africa. South Africa won by seven wickets (D/L method).

Ireland: J. Bray lbw b Pollock 0; S. Porterfield c Kallis b Pollock 14; G. Morgan c Prince b Hall 28; N. J. O'Brien c Gibbs b Langeveldt 25; A. White c Gibbs b Smith 30; A. Botha c De Villiers b Hall 14; D. Johnston (not out) 13; K. McCallan c Boucher b Langeveldt 3; K. Mooney c Boucher b Langeveldt 0; D. Langford-Smith (not out) 17; Extras (b-1, lb-3, w-4) 8. Total (for eight wkts., in 35 overs) 152.

Fall of wkts: 1-0, 2-31, 3-63, 4-77, 5-116, 6-119, 7-124, 8-124.

South Africa bowling: Pollock 7-2-17-2; Ntini 7-2-14-0; Langeveldt 7-0-41-3; Hall 7-0-37-2; Kemp 3-0-14-0; Kallis 3-0-20-0; Smith 1-0-5-1.

South Africa: A. 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 (w-1, nb-4) 5. Total (for three wkts., in 31.3 overs) 165.

Fall of wkts: 1-1, 2-71, 3-85.

Ireland bowling: Rankin 7-1-26-2; Langford-Smith 5-0-31-0; Mooney 3.3-0-40-0; Johnston 3-0-15-1; Botha 6-0-18-0; McCallan 5-0-27-0; White 2-0-8-0.

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