February 28, 2003	Friday	Zul Hijjah 26, 1423

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EAST LONDON, Feb 27: Unimpressive South Africa ground out an 118-run victory over Canada in their World Cup Group ‘B’ match on Thursday, keeping alive their hopes of qualifying for the Super Six stage.

But the tournament hosts, who have to beat Sri Lanka in their final group game to have a chance of advancing to the next stage, dropped five catches as Canada, chasing 255 to win, finished on 136 for five after 50 overs.

Left-handed opener Ishwar Maraj, dropped four times, anchored Canada’s reply with an unbeaten 53 off 155 balls.

He became only the eighth man to carry his bat through the full quota of overs in a World Cup innings, while his fifty, which included six fours in 148 balls, was the third achieved by a Canadian at this tournament.

Earlier, Boeta Dippenaar rode his luck to rescue South Africa as Canada embarrassed the World Cup hosts with a determined bowling performance.

Dippenaar made 80 as South Africa struggled to 254 for eight from their 50 overs after being put in. Opener Graeme Smith also contributed a half-century.

South Africa, though, made the worst possible start, crashing to 23 for three as debutant medium-pacer Ashish Patel picked up two early wickets.

Patel conceded just one run in his second over and then struck in his third, when he had Herschelle Gibbs caught.

Patel’s 39-year-old strike partner Davis Joseph picked up the wicket of Gary Kirsten for a duck six balls later.

Things got worse in the next over when Patel got rid of Jacques Kallis (one).

It could have been even more humiliating, Dippenaar dropped at slip by captain Joe Harris with the score on 40.

The miss proved costly as Dippenaar and Smith then put on 109 for the fourth wicket.

Scoreboard

SOUTH AFRICA:

G.C. Smith b Davison 63

H.H. Gibbs c Bagai b Patel 8

G. Kirsten c Bagai b Joseph 0

J.H. Kallis c Ifill b Patel 1

H.H. Dippenaar c Seebaran b de Groot 80

M.V. Boucher b de Groot 21

S.M. Pollock c Bagai b Joseph 32

A.J. Hall not out 22

M. Ntini b Patel 14

M. Zondeki not out 1

EXTRAS (LB-3, W-8, NB-1) 12

TOTAL (for eight wkts, 50 overs) 254

FALL OF WKTS: 1-19, 2-22, 3-23, 4-132, 5-174, 6-197, 7-227, 8-249.

DID NOT BAT: A.A. Donald.

BOWLING: Joseph 9-1-42-2 (3w); Patel 7-0-41-3 (3w); Ifill 7-0-35-0 (1nb, 1w); Davison 10-1-45-1 (1w); Seebaran 10-0-43-0; de Groot 7-0-45-2.

CANADA:

I. Maraj not out 53

J.M. Davison c Zondeki b Ntini 1

D. Chumney c Smith b Pollock 2

I.S. Billcliff b Zondeki 9

N.A. de Groot c Boucher b Hall 16

J.V. Harris c Boucher b Ntini 15

A. Bagai not out 28

EXTRAS (LB-6, W-4, NB-2) 12

TOTAL (for five wkts, 50 overs) 136

FALL OF WKTS: 1-2, 2-8, 3-28, 4-58, 5-84.

DID NOT BAT: N. Ifill, D. Joseph, B.B. Seebaran, A. Patel.

BOWLING: Pollock 8-5-13-1; Ntini 10-2-19-2; Donald 10-2-27-0 (1w); Zondeki 9-1-24-1; Hall 7-1-26-1 (2nb, 2w); Kallis 5-1-11-0 (1w); Smith 1-0-10-0.

RESULT: South Africa won by 118 runs.

UMPIRES: K.C. Barbour (Zimbabwe) and D.J. Harper (Australia).

TV UMPIRE: Aleem Dar (Pakistan).

MATCH REFEREE: Wasim Raja (Pakistan).

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Boeta Dippenaar. —Reuters