South Africa beat USA to keep Super League dream alive

South Africa 277-8 (50 overs, C.Kieswetter 80, D.Elgar 79); USA 115 (29.l overs, Das Neves 5-29). South Africa won by 162 runs.

South Africa kept alive their hopes of reaching the Super League quarter-finals by hammering the USA on Tuesday.

The Proteas made 277-8 and then bowled out the tournament newcomers for 115 in only 29.1 overs.

It means that if they beat the West Indies on Friday and have a decent net run-rate they have every chance of taking their place among the top eight sides left in the tournament.

South Africa owed their win to a combination of excellent batting by captain Dean Elgar and wicketkeeper Craig Kieswetter and fine bowling from Richard Das Neves and Craig Alexander.

Elgar (79) and Kieswetter (80) added 153 for the sixth wicket to rescue the side from a perilous 101-5 with both players taking the attack to the USA attack in impressive fashion.

Then the pace of Alexander (3-26) wrecked the USA top order and he found himself on a hat-trick in the first over of the innings before das Neves (5-29) mopped up the lower order.

The impressive margin of victory does disguise the fact South Africa were in early trouble when they batted.

The USA's opening bowler Nisarg Patel dismissed openers Brett Thompson (10) and Pieter Daneel (24) then Mrunal Patel chipped in with the wickets of Grant Makoena (29) and Richard Levi (19).

And when Romano Ramoo was run out for just a single run the alarm bells must have been ringing in South Africa's dressing room.

But at that point Elgar and Kieswetter came together and their response to the crisis was to attack. And they did so to impressive effect to take the game away from the Associate side.

Elgar's runs came from only 72 balls with seven fours while Kieswetter's contribution was even quicker. His innings spanned only 65 deliveries and included six fours and three sixes, one of them landing on the pavilion roof.

Nisarg Patel was the pick of the USA attack with 2-26 while Mrunal Patel captured 2-34. The other wicket-takers were the off-spinners Hemant Punoo (1-62) and Abhimanyu Rajp (1-51) as well as leg-spinner Anil Deopersaud (1-44) but that trio suffered under the South African batting onslaught.

When the USA batted they were in immediate trouble thanks to Alexander. He bowled Sumon Bari first ball and then removed Akeem Dodson in identical fashion one ball later and although USA captain Punoo survived the hat-trick ball, Alexander trapped him leg before wicket, also for a duck, in his next over.

At that point the USA were 1-3 and facing humiliation but a counter-attack from Dunae Nathaniel averted total capitulation.

He made 41 from 38 balls with four fours and three sixes before becoming one of Das Neves' victims.

Edgar said afterwards that Alexander's form was a major plus point for his side.

"Craig is a big confidence bowler and if he has that confidence he bowls well.

"Before this tour he was not at his best but now he seems to up there and it is good to have him back.

"We did not just lose against Australia, we were annihilated, and that meant we lost a lot of confidence but this win is good to help get it back.

"But we are not reading too much into this and it is the match against the West Indies on Friday that really counts for us now."

USA coach Larry Gomes said the way Edgar and Kieswetter batted and Alexander bowled were good lessons for his players.

"I thought we had a good session to get them to 101-5 but credit to their batsmen. Their running between the wickets showed our guys how to do it and they capitalized on our inexperience.

"I do not think our boys will have seen an opening bowler (like Alexander) with that sort of pace and they were not used to that, or his good line and length as he had good control.

"Our game on Thursday (against Australia) is another tough assignment but the key now is to give the boys as much rest as possible as they are amateurs and not accustomed to playing three matches in four days.

"Hopefully they will come back refreshed, rejuvenated and put on a good show then. That is all I can ask in our first time at the World Cup," he added.

The two teams are part of Group B. Only two of the four sides in that group can progress to the Super League