Rediff.com« Back to articlePrint this article

South Africa whip hapless Scotland

Last updated on: June 07, 2009 23:41 IST

- Scorecard

AB de Villiers hit six sixes and five boundaries in an unbeaten 79 as South Africa trounced Scotland by 130 runs in their opening match of the ICC World Twenty20 at the Oval on Sunday.

Chasing the fifth-best total in the shortest format of the game after South Africa amassed 211 for five, Scotland were all out for 81, the seventh lowest total in Twenty20 internationals and second worst in the Twenty20 World Cup following Kenya's 73 against New Zealand in Durban two years ago.

Jacques Kallis scored 48, while Graeme Smith made 38 and

Albie Morkel 24 in 11 balls as South Africa put up their highest T20 total.

Scotland never looked like chasing it down, slumping to 13-4 before being bowled out in the 16th over. Only Kyle Coetzer (42) and Majid Haq (15) could get into double figures.

Morkel took 2-15, while off-spinners Johan Botha and Roelof van der Merwe each took 2-17 and Dale Steyn 2-21.

South Africa plays New Zealand at Lord's on Tuesday.

Scotland are eliminated from the tournament.

Scotland captain Gavin Hamilton won the toss, but his decision to field looked rash as Kallis hit five fours in a single over.

The Scots didn't help themselves with some erratic fielding. Kallis was dropped on 43 when he chipped a ball from Glenn Rogers to Hamilton, who initially took the catch but then lost control of the ball as he hit the ground.

Haq briefly halted the South African charge when he removed both openers in the space of three balls in the 10th over.

Kallis dragged a delivery on to his stumps to make it 87-1.

Smith was out attempting to sweep -- the ball looped into the air and was easily taken by wicketkeeper Colin Smith.

Herschelle Gibbs was stumped for 16 off Ryan Watson, making it 125-3 in the 15th over, but De Villiers and Morkel reignited the innings with a 50-run partnership from only 19 balls.

The pair hit 22 from the 17th over before Morkel was caught by Coetzer off Gordon Drummond for 24 in the 18th over.

De Villiers reached his 50 from 25 balls.

In the final over, Coetzer produced a diving catch to remove Mark Boucher for 2, but De Villiers responded with two successive sixes.

Scotland made a disastrous start to its reply. Watson was bowled by Steyn for 4 and Hamilton was caught by JP Duminy off Wayne Parnell for 5 inside two overs.

South Africa then took two wickets in a many balls. Navdeep Poonia was run out for 0 and Steyn then bowled Colin Smith.

Neil McCallum scored 8 before he was bowled by Botha, who then trapped Jan Stander lbw for 2.

At 41-6, Scotland was in danger of posting a lower total than the Twenty20 international record of 67 scored by Kenya against Ireland last year.

But Coetzer hit 42 before he was caught and bowled by Van der Meuwe, who then bowled Majid Haq with his next ball.

Gordon Drummond was bowled by Morkel for 1 and the victory was completed when Morkel bowled Callum MacLeod.

© Copyright 2024 PTI. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of PTI content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent.