Easy win for South Africa

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (AP):

Albie Morkel's strong batting in the closing overs powered New Zealand to a total of 170-4 yesterday, which proved good enough for a comfortable victory by 13 runs over New Zealand in the World Twenty20 Super Eights.

Morkel hit five sixes in scoring 40 off 18 balls as South Africa scored 73 from their last 6.3 overs after captain Graeme Smith chose to bat on winning the toss.

Morkel, elder of the two brothers in the team, joined AB de Villiers with the innings at the crossroads after Herschelle Gibbs was out midway through the 14th over at 97-3.

He wasted no time taking the New Zealand bowling apart on a true pitch in bright, sunny weather.

While De Villiers ticked over the scoring, mainly in well-judged singles, Morkel kept hitting the ball over the boundary.

He was run out in the final over by alert wicketkeeper Gareth Hopkins after dominating a partnership of 72 off 6.2 overs with De Villiers, who ended unbeaten on 47 from 39 balls with two sixes and a four his main scoring shots.

Jacques Kallis hit two sixes and a four in 31 off 26 balls and Gibbs had the same boundary count in 30 off 24 balls. But both did not extend their innings, Kallis falling to Tim Southee's spectacular diving boundary catch at third man.

New Zealand were immediately set back when they batted as Brendan McCullum was brilliantly caught by Gibbs at extra-cover off Charl Langeveldt off the fifth ball of the innings.

Pietersen leads way

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (AP):

Kevin Pietersen's commanding, unbeaten 70 off 52 balls led England past Pakistan by six wickets with three balls remaining in the first World Twenty20 Super Eights match at Kensington Oval yesterday.

Better hands in the field also proved the difference for England, who scored 148-4 to chase down Pakistan's 147-9 off 20 overs.

Pietersen hit two sixes and seven fours, and his match-winning single formalised the outcome that was more comfortable than it appeared.

Michael Lumb and Craig Kieswetter laid the foundation for Pietersen with an opening partnership of 44 off 5.4 overs. Both made 25 but Saeed Ajmal dropped Kieswetter twice and the left-handed Lumb once within the first five overs. Pakistan also put down two more catches.

Once Lumb was stumped off Ajmal's off spin and Kieswetter caught at long off from Abdul Razzaq, Pietersen was the dominant batsman. He shared a third-wicket partnership of 60 with captain Paul Collingwood, who made 16 before falling to Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi.

In contrast to Pakistan, England's sharpness in the field kept Pakistan in check throughout its innings.

Pietersen held a breathtaking catch on the midwicket boundary, a few metres in front of disbelieving spectators in the Greenidge and Haynes Stand, to dismiss the threatening Umar Akmal for 30.

Left-handed opener Salman Butt top-scored for Pakistan with 34 off 26 balls.