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COLOMBO, Sept 20: South Africa stormed into the Champions Trophy semifinals Friday after opener Herschelle Gibbs smashed his eighth one-day hundred to power his side to a massive 176-run victory over Kenya.
Gibbs struck 116 from 125 balls, 70 of the runs in boundaries, as South Africa amassed 316 for five, the highest in the tournament to date.
The South Africans then bowled out Kenya for 140 with 3.1 overs to spare, topping pool 3 with their second win. They now play the first semi-final on Wednesday against the winners of Sunday’s deciding pool 2 clash between India and England.
Kenyan skipper Steve Tikolo resisted gallantly, hitting 11 fours to top-score with 69 for his 12th one-day 50 after making 93 during the loss to West Indies in the previous game.
Dale Benkenstein returned stunning figures of three for five from 3.5 overs and spinner Justin Ontong 3-30 from 10 as South Africa’s second-string bowlers were allowed to take over.
The victory was built around a 159-run opening stand between Gibbs and Graeme Smith, the powerful left-hander hitting a 77-ball 69 after being dropped on 31 and 66.
Kenya nursed feeble early hopes as tight bowling and fielding restricted the pair to 38 in the first 10 overs.
But Gibbs then tore into the attack, pulling and driving new-ball bowlers Martin Suji and Thomas Odoyo for a flurry of fours to step up the momentum.
The 28-year-old dominated the slow bowlers, hoisting leg-spinner Collins Obuya over mid-wicket and out of the stadium for his first six before reaching his century with his 12th four. In all, he hit 13 fours and three sixes.
Gibbs looked set to surpass his one-day best score of 125 as he hit off-spinner Jimmy Kamande for six, four and six off successive balls but was caught behind off the next delivery.
Smith completed his third one-day 50 and hit six fours before being stumped by wicketkeeper David Obuya, who finished with four victims, including three stumpings.
Jacques Kallis dominated the final overs to reach his 38th one-day 50 with a 53-ball 60, containing five fours and a six.
When Kenya batted they soon found themselves at five for two and once Tikolo was removed, they swiftly subsided.
SOUTH AFRICA
G.Smith st D.Obuya b Odumbe 69
H.Gibbs c D.Obuya b Kamande 116
J.Kallis st D.Obuya b Tikolo 60
H.Dippenaar st D.Obuya b C.Obuya 31
D.Benkenstein c M.Suji b C.Obuya 7
L.Klusener not out 18
J.Ontong not out 4
EXTRAS (b-4 lb-1 nb-4 w-2) 11
TOTAL (for five wickets, 50 overs) 316
FALL OF WKTS: 1-159 2-214 3-287 4-291 5-299
DID NOT BAT: M.Boucher, S.Pollock, A.Dawson, M.Ntini
BOWLING: M.Suji 8-0-42-0 (nb-3), Odoyo 7-0-42-0, A.Suji 3-0-19-0, Odumbe 10-0-52-1, C.Obuya 10-0-77-2 (nb-1 w-2), Tikolo 10-1-54-1, Kamande 2-0-25-1
KENYA
K.Otieno c Benkenstein b Ntini 16
R.Shah c Kallis b Pollock 3
B.Patel c Pollock b Dawson 0
S.Tikolo c Smith b Ontong 69
M.Odumbe c sub b Ntini 0
T.Odoyo c Gibbs b Ontong 10
C.Obuya lbw b Benkenstein 14
D.Obuya st Boucher b Ontong 2
A.Suji b Benkenstein 4
J.Kamande not out 2
M.Suji c Klusener b Benkenstein 2
EXTRAS (b-1 lb-2 nb-3 w-12) 18
TOTAL (all out, 46.5 overs) 140
FALL OF WKTS: 1-4 2-5 3-61 4-64 5-89 6-119 7-126 8-131 9-134
BOWLING: Pollock 6-2-10-1 (w-1), Dawson 5-1-12-1 (w-1), Klusener 5-1-23-0 (w-4), Ntini 10-2-37-2 (nb-3), Kallis 6-1-17-0, Ontong 10-1-30-3 (w-4), Benkenstein 3.5-1-5-3, Smith 1-0-3-0 (w-2)
RESULT: South Africa won by 176 runs—Reuters
