Duminy leads SA into quarters

KOLKATA, India (CMC):

JP Duminy missed out on his third one-day international (ODI) century when he fell agonisingly for 99, but South Africa easily brushed aside Ireland by 131 runs to become the first side from Group B to reach the quarter-finals of the World Cup.

The classy left-hander struck six fours and a six off 103 balls to anchor South Africa to 272 for seven off their 50 overs, after losing the toss and being sent in at Eden Gardens yesterday.

Ireland failed to recapture the form that saw them shock England and crumbled to 141 all out from 33.2 overs, with fast bowler Morne Morkel (3-33) and left-arm spinner Robin Peterson (3-32) finishing with three wickets apiece.

There was no devastating start for South Africa who lost openers Hashim Amla (18) and captain Graeme Smith (7) cheaply, as they stumbled to 117 for five in the 27th over.

Duminy then put together 87 for the sixth wicket with Colin Ingram, whose 46 off 43 balls was decorated with seven fours, and another 65 for the seventh wicket with Johan Botha (21 not out).

Chasing three figures in the final over of the innings, Duminy essayed a big shot off the fourth ball from pacer John Mooney, but only succeeded in skying a catch to Kevin O'Brien at midwicket.

Ireland were quickly reduced to 51 for four in the 12th over in their run chase, a position from which they never recovered.

SOUTH AFRICA

H Amla c Dockrell b Rankin 18G Smith run out 7+M van Wyk b Dockrell 42J Kallis run out 19JP Duminy c K. O'Brien b Mooney 99F. du Plessis c Johnston b Stirling 11C Ingram b Johnston 46J Botha not out 21R Peterson not out 0Extras (b2, lb3, w4) 9TOTAL (7 wkts, 50 overs) 272

Did not bat: M. Morkel, D. Steyn

Fall of wickets: 1-24 (Amla, 4.4 overs), 2-52 (Smith, 9.4), 3-84 (van Wyk, 15.5), 4-95 (Kallis, 20.3), 5-117 (du Plessis, 26.3), 6-204 (Ingram, 39.4), 7-269 (Duminy, 49.4)

Bowling: Rankin 10-0-59-1, Johnston 10-0-76-1, Mooney 8-0-36-1, Dockrell 10-0-37-1, Stirling 10-0-45-1, Cusack 2-0-14-0.

IRELAND

W Porterfield c Smith b Morkel 6P Stirling c Kallis b Morkel 10E Joyce lbw b Botha 12+N O'Brien c wkp van Wyk b Kallis 10G Wilson lbw b Peterson 31K O'Brien c Amla b Peterson 19A Cusack c Smith b Peterson 7J Mooney c wkp van Wyk b Kallis 14T Johnston c wkp van Wyk b Duminy 12G Dockrell c wkp van Wyk b Morkel 16B Rankin not out 0Extras (w4) 4TOTAL (all out, 33.2 overs) 141

Fall of wickets: 1-8 (Porterfield, 2 overs), 2-19 (Stirling, 3.3), 3-35 (N O'Brien, 8.5), 4-51 (Joyce, 11.5), 5-92 (K O'Brien, 21.3), 6-92 (Wilson, 21.5), 7-107 (Cusack, 25.5), 8-123 (Johnston, 29.5), 9-137 (Mooney, 32.4), 10-141 (Dockrell, 33.2)

Bowling: Steyn 4-1-13-0, Morkel 5.2-0-33-3, Kallis 6-1-20-2, Botha 8-0-32-1, Peterson 8-0-32-3, Duminy 2-0-11-1

Result: South Africa won by 131 runs.

Points: South Africa 2, Ireland 0.

Man-of-the-Match: JP Duminy.

Toss: Ireland.

Umpires: K Dharmasena, B Doctrove;

TV: S Taufel.