Hansie's unstoppables, England put to the sword - and South Africa haven't peaked yet (23 May 1999)

23 May 1999

Hansie's unstoppables. England put to the sword - and South Africa haven't peaked yet.

COLIN BRYDEN from The Oval.

WHO, then, will stop the South African juggernaut if Hansie Cronjé's team hits top form? Jacques Kallis and Allan Donald bowled South Africa to a third successive World Cup victory yesterday as England crumbled under a fast-bowling onslaught.

The margin of victory was a massive 122 runs. Yet, as with their two previous wins, South Africa gave their supporters cause for alarm before storming through. There have been three big wins, yet there remains room for improvement.

In their first two matches, the batting at the start was shaky. Yesterday it began brilliantly but wobbled in the middle. Over lunch, Englishmen were daring to express the hope that South Africa's 225 for seven would not be enough.

As England captain Alec Stewart said: "I'll take a target of around 220 at the Oval any day." Stewart was out first ball; Nasser Hussain went two overs later.

England had no answer to South Africa's pace attack. Having lost only three wickets in two matches, they failed in the face of sustained pressure.

Kallis took wickets in both his first two overs in an opening spell of two for 20. Donald was magnificent when he took over from the new-ball bowlers. Donald had figures of three for 14 in his first six overs. When he rested, the match was as good as over. The back-up bowling from Shaun Pollock and Steve Elworthy was immaculate, while Lance Klusener, after yet another valuable unbeaten innings, picked up a wicket in his third over with the aid of a catch that only Jonty Rhodes could make look easy.

Robert Croft sliced Klusener high to backward point. At full stretch, a leaping Rhodes tipped the ball up with his left hand, turned in midair and held the ball with both hands as he came to earth.

South Africa are now the only unbeaten team in Group A. They have a low-key match against Kenya, away from the World Cup mainstream in Amsterdam, on Wednesday, before playing Zimbabwe in Chelmsford on Saturday.

Having prevailed through the opening three matches against potent opposition, South Africa are set to win the group, but they will need to beat Zimbabwe. A defeat might let their northern neighbours through to the Super Six and would mean the loss of two valuable points in the next phase.

From a motivational point of view, the situation could hardly be better. The big wins have been achieved but the players know they can do better. There will be a lowering of the temperature and a regrouping during the excursion to Holland, followed by a match South Africa should win as they gear up for the Super Six. If they hit their peak at the right time they will be awfully difficult to stop.

After the alarms of the early overs against India and Sri Lanka, the thousands of South African supporters breathed easily as Herschelle Gibbs and Gary Kirsten put on 111 for the first wicket. After that, only Klusener shone, making 48 not out off 40 balls, the third successive innings in which he has scored at better than a run a ball and remained unbeaten. In a fashion which has become his trademark he clubbed a huge six off Mark Ealham in the final over of the innings.

Gibbs reached an impressive fifty off 64 balls before being tied down by splendidly accurate swing bowling by Mark Ealham and the left-armed Alan Mullally. After Mullally, by international standards a clumsy fielder, had finished his overs he left the field with a sore neck and was replaced by Knight, an outstanding man in the cover region. It did not seem in the spirit of the agreement at the captain's meeting that substitutions would only be made in case of genuine injuries.

Knight held a routine catch off Rhodes and then made a stunning save when Klusener cracked Fraser powerfully.

Klusener batted with the certainty of a man in form. He saw off Flintoff with 12 in an over, including fours to midwicket and point. In the last over, he hit Ealham savagely into the members' seating beyond long-on.

After so good a start, it did not seem enough to be the launchpad for another victory, but Kallis, after a horrid wide far down the legside, produced a beauty to trap Stewart lbw with the last ball of his first over.

Hussain was adjudged caught down the legside at the end of the allrounder's next over. Hick and Thorpe were never wholly convincing. Thorpe was beaten by Donald's pace when the fast bowler entered the attack, but Hick seemed to be overcoming a shaky start when he hooked and coverdrove Kallis for successive fours.

When Hick survived a confident lbw appeal by Donald it might have become his day, but Gibbs anticipated superbly at midwicket as Hick pulled powerfully against Elworthy. England's big gun had been silenced.

With Donald bowling at lightning pace, the much-heralded young Flintoff was out of his depth and presented a simple catch to Rhodes at backward point. The options were running out for England and Donald struck again when Ealham edged a low catch to a diving Cullinan at first slip.