England as great as swept in to the semi-finals of the World Twenty20 for the first time with an additional overwhelming opening in Bridgetown last night. If they had been glorious opposite Pakistan dual days earlier, they were even better here as South Africa were dejected as majority by Englands autarchic self-confidence as anything else.
Kevin Pietersen began the earthy and mental attack with as shining an innings as he has played. If Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel had left to the police claiming they had been mugged, Pietersen positively would have been convicted of mount in assault. His 30-ball half-century, and Englands devastating make use of the power-play overs, from that they scored 65 compared with South Africas 34, were in between the majority differences in between the sides.
Mathematically, England can still be pushed in to third place should they lose to New Zealand tomorrow and South Africa kick Pakistan, but after winning by 39 runs their net run-rate is so full of health that disaster is roughly impossible. South Africa right away see majority exposed should there be a treble tie on points.
Englands evident regard is that Pietersen will miss the New Zealand diversion as he will be at home for the bieing born of his initial child. All being well, he will lapse in time for the semi-finals, that take place on Thursday and Friday. Ravi Bopara is approaching to deputise.
England crop up to have eventually strew the inhibitions that crippled their one-day cricket for so long. They have additionally blended in to a side well balanced in batting and bowling. Fielding dual spinners here valid a intelligent decision Graeme Swann and Michael Yardy common five wickets and it was one that South Africa would have been correct to mirror, generally as Craig Kieswetters unsure technique opposite turn transient a consummate examination.
Even Ryan Sidebottom combined dual overwhelming catches to 3 wickets. When that happens, you know surprising things are afoot. Continue personification similar to this and England can win this tournament, generally as Sri Lanka will right away be but Muttiah Muralitharan.
Pietersen batted similar to a man vigilant on inflicting assault on opponents who had left him painful from the Test array progressing in the winter. There had been many inquests in to what went wrong with his diversion there. His own reason now is that he was not means to certitude his remade Achilles tendon. He trusts it now. After a year of misery, he has completed the same state of beauty he was in when he initial played for England, when he knows no fear.
Brought to the double in the initial over by the loss of Michael Lumb, trapped lbw by Johan Botha, South Africas usually spinner, Pietersen threw punches like a heavyweight fighter at Steyn and Morkel.
He explained thereafter that carrying played this span so mostly of late, England knew they bowled length and could thus be second- guessed. And, boy, did Pietersen and Craig Kieswetter second-guess them.
Steyns 4 overs cost 13, 16, twelve and 9, whilst Morkel fared usually somewhat better, going for 12, 12, 6 and 10. Pietersens low mark was indifferent exclusively for these two, all of his eight fours and one 6 entrance off them. The 6 off Steyn was deposited onto the roof tiles of a high stand. In all, he strike them for 42 from eighteen balls.
Audaciously though Pietersen and Kieswetter played during a mount of 94 in 63 balls, South Africa were a extraordinary bag of nerves. Perhaps the actuality they had lost eight of their eleven prior limited-overs meetings with England weighed on their minds.
If their disappointment was lighted by Pietersen ripping in to Steyn, it was compounded by Kieswetter being held off a Morkel no-ball and Pietersen then circumference invitingly to the right of wicketkeeper Mark Boucher, who unsuccessful to move. Later, Kieswetter was similarly bafflingly forsaken in the low by JP Duminy off Botha. Once the fields forsaken behind Englands scoring was checked, quite opposite Botha, who took dual for fifteen from 4 overs.
With wickets in hand, England were means to go tough at the bowling, but maybe they went as well hard, nobody proof able of staying by to the end.
South Africas doubt shortly putrescent their batting. Jacques Kallis miscued to mid-off. Herschelle Gibbs paddled the initial round of turn in the innings into the hands of back block leg. Then Graeme Smith skied a high catch off Swann. South Africa were never in the track after that and the some-more of a formality the outcome became, the improved England played.
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