South Africa Cricket

South Africa completed their group-phase campaign at the World Cup with a comprehensive 146-run win against United Arab Emirates on Thursday.

The Associate Nation, who won the toss and chose to field at Wellington Regional Stadium, saw the Proteas score 341-6 in their 50 overs.

			Runs	Minutes	Balls	4s	6s
Amla	c Amjad Ali	b Naveed	12	15	16	3	0
De Kock	c Haider	b Javed	26	72	45	2	0
Rossouw	c and b Tauqir		43	69	49	8	0
De Villiers	c Javed	b Kamran Shazad	99	113	82	6	4
Miller		b Naveed	49	74	48	2	0
Duminy	lbw	b Naveed	23	49	28	1	0
Behardien	not out		64	35	31	5	3
Philander	not out		10	13	6	1	0
Extras		5nb 5w 4b 1lb	15
Bowler			Overs	Maidens	Runs	Wickets
Naveed			10	0	63	3
Kamran Shazad			8	0	59	1
Javed			10	0	87	1
Tauqir			10	0	47	1
Alhashmi			7.2	0	45	0
Khurram Khan			4	0	31	0
Anwar			0.4	0	4	0

UAE were then dismissed for 195 in 47.3 overs as they suffered their fifth straight defeat in Pool B.

Skipper AB de Villiers led the way for South Africa with 99 from 82 balls, an innings that featured six boundaries and four sixes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yF28ghx6Lt8

He shared a 108-run partnership with David Miller (49) before Farhaan Behardien blasted 64 not out from only 31 balls to take the total past 300.

South Africa's 341/6 is now the highest total without a century in WCs
Pakistan had made 339/6 v UAE at Napier 4-3-2015#SAvsUAE#CWC15

— Mohandas Menon (@mohanstatsman) March 12, 2015

Shaiman Anwar continued his fine form with 39 but the innings came from 64 balls and UAE looked content with attempting to bat out their 50 overs.

Swapnil Patil top-scored with 57 not out but the innings fizzled out as South Africa won for the fifth successive time in this tournament when batting first.

			Runs	Minutes	Balls	4s	6s
Amjad Ali	c Behardien	b Duminy	21	49	36	3	0
Berenger	c Rossouw	b M Morkel	5	29	21	1	0
Khurram Khan	c De Kock	b M Morkel	12	24	17	2	0
Anwar	c Rossouw	b Tahir	39	67	64	5	0
Patil	not out		57	138	100	5	0
Haider	c Rossouw	b De Villiers	7	7	12	1	0
Javed	c Sub	b De Villiers	5	7	4	1	0
Naveed	c De Villiers	b Philander	17	21	15	2	1
Tauqir		b Steyn	3	25	16	0	0
Kamran Shazad	c Steyn	b Philander	0	5	3	0	0
Extras		3nb 6w 4b 16lb	29
Bowler			Overs	Maidens	Runs	Wickets
Steyn			9	1	40	1
Philander			8.3	1	34	2
M Morkel			10	2	23	2
Duminy			3	1	12	1
Behardien			4	1	11	0
Tahir			10	0	40	1
De Villiers			3	0	15	2

South Africa’s two defeats in the tournament, to India and Pakistan, both came when chasing a target.

Only a mammoth win by Pakistan against Ireland can prevent South Africa from taking second place in Pool B and a likely quarter-final meeting with Sri Lanka in Sydney on March 18.

Here's the #CWC15 Pool B table after that South Africa winhttp://t.co/P2tZjB1j5G#UAEvsSA pic.twitter.com/wf35AeB2Ow

— Gulf News Sport (@GulfNewsSport) March 12, 2015

Sri Lanka completed their pool phase on Tuesday with four wins and two defeats and will finish in third place if Bangladesh fail to beat New Zealand and Australia defeat Scotland.

South Africa face a selection dilemma ahead of their next World Cup clash against Pakistan. It’s not the usual selection dilemma where they have to decide what happens with their number seven slot. This time, it’s more complicated.

With Vernon Philander and JP Duminy expected to return from injury, the selection dilemma centres around finding a way to reward players who took their opportunities in the two matches where they were just stand-ins.

7 - Rilee Rossouw has the lowest dot ball percentage at #CWC15; he has failed to score off seven of the 39 balls he has faced. Answer.

— OptaJim (@OptaJim) March 2, 2015

Kyle Abbott and Rilee Rossouw both put in impressive performances in their last two games, where they served as substitutes. Abbott has found a rhythm that has been lacking in his bowling, while Rilee Rossouw continued on the good form he showed during the ODI series against the West Indies.

A shaky start to his international career, but Rilee Rossouw is really starting to flourish now. Selection poser for Domingo. #Proteas

— Morne Esben (@Morne13) March 3, 2015

Captain AB de Villiers has already said that nobody is guaranteed a spot in the team, but he did mention that he has been very pleased with the way Abbott has played in the last two games:

"Abbo has played a lot of cricket domestically. He plays with his heart on his sleeve. He has a lot of passion for the game and for the team. You know what you're going to get from him and that's 100 percent commitment every time. He is a very easy guy to captain and the way he has bowled has pleased me a lot. But no one is guaranteed a spot. We will pick the best team for the conditions and the opposition."

Shout out to @Kyle_Abbott87 on bowling a career best 8-0-21-4! #ProteaFire

Great shot by Mark Kolbey for @GettySport pic.twitter.com/GZS3JG31HN

— Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) March 3, 2015

Leaving out JP Duminy, a player who scored a century, and Vernon Philander, an integral part of the bowling team, would be hard to justify.

But there are a few possible solutions.

The simplest solution is to drop Farhaan Behardien, who has been unremarkable in his outings thus far. Whether Abbott or Rossouw steps in to replace him will depend, as De Villiers mentioned, on conditions. The swing and seam expected in New Zealand might push Abbott forward just a touch in order to help restrict Pakistan and will also allow De Villiers to give some of his more senior bowlers a breather.

Alternatively, Rossouw could step in to replace Behardien, a move that will significantly strengthen the batting line-up. It will, however, require some clever thinking when it comes to the bowling duties.

Philander, Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel and Imran Tahir can bowl 10 overs each, but that still leaves 10 overs to be found elsewhere. Duminy can complete the bulk of those, but De Villiers will then have to rely on either Faf du Plessis or himself to make up the numbers.

A more left-field solution is to drop Quinton de Kock. De Kock has struggled since returning from injury, and while he has formed a solid relationship with Hashim Amla at the top of the order, he has not been up to scratch in the World Cup. Giving De Kock some reprieve for a few games will allow him to find his zen once again. Rossouw can open with De Villiers taking over wicketkeeping duties.

All in all, South Africa have the luxury of choice.  It’s not a bad thing, but it’s enough to make you glad that you’re not a selector.

All quotes and information obtained firsthand.

South Africa have done it again. After surpassing 400 and hammering the West Indies in Sydney last week, the Proteas repeated the feat and dealt out a similar thrashing to Ireland at the Cricket World Cup in Canberra on Tuesday. 

Led by superb centuries from Hashim Amla and Faf du Plessis, the South Africans gave the Irish a severe reminder of the gap between the world's elite and its Associate nations following Ireland's opening victories over the West Indies and the United Arab Emirates. 

Combining ingenuity and brutality, AB de Villiers' side stormed to 259 for one inside 40 overs thanks to the 247-run stand between Amla and Du Plessis. 

De Villiers (24), David Miller (46 not out) and Rilee Rossouw (61 not out) then compounded Ireland's woe, as all three operated at strike rates of 200 or more to deliver a stunning onslaught across the last 10 overs. 

By the end of the ordeal, Ireland's target was 412—a chase that, if it seemed unlikely initially, was effectively over after 10 overs. Dale Steyn and Kyle Abbott rocked the men in green to reduce them to 48 for five. 

From there, the Irish scrapped their way to 210 all out to suffer a massive 201-run loss in the Australian capital. 

South Africa's Record-Breaking Day

It was quite a day for South Africa at Manuka Oval, as they smashed record after record. Here's a list of Tuesday's achievements, per ESPN Cricinfo:

• By reaching his 20th one-day international century, Amla became the fastest man to 20 ODI hundreds (111 matches, 108 innings), surpassing Virat Kohli's benchmark (141 matches, 133 innings).
• By surpassing 400 for the fifth time, South Africa now sit level with India for the most 400-plus scores in ODIs.
• In winning by 201 runs, the Proteas now hold the record for most World Cup wins by 200 runs or more with five. 
• After reaching 400 against the West Indies, South Africa have become the first country with two 400-plus scores at the World Cup and the first team with back-to-back scores of 400 or more in ODIs.

.@OfficialCSA are the first team to score over 400 in consecutive ODIs: http://t.co/mjmM2nanuk #CWC15 #fireitup pic.twitter.com/wlX4VxcWHx

— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) March 3, 2015

Shot of the Day

As you can imagine, glorious strikes were a feature of South Africa's innings at Manuka Oval. 

But as good as some of the shots from Miller, Du Plessis and Rossouw were, nothing could beat Amla's consecutive blows down the ground off Max Sorensen in the 24th over.

SIX & SIX! @amlahash goes over the leg-side then goes off side next ball. He's putting the pedal down now. http://t.co/8bGbXlm3Ub #SAvIRE

— ICC Cricket World Cup (@cricketworldcup) March 3, 2015

The first: a colossal thump over mid-on.

The second: a gorgeous lofted drive over the mid-off fence. 

Delivery of the Day

There were two candidates on Tuesday that we couldn't split, both from South Africans.

The first, from Steyn, is almost unplayable:

WATCH: @OfficialCSA strike early as Steyn removes Stirling after a review. #CWC15 #fireitup http://t.co/qsKM2KsWtC

— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) March 3, 2015

The second, from De Villiers, makes it in here for the simple fact that he's a wicketkeeper who took a wicket:

WATCH: AB De Villiers picks up a wicket with his second ball to reduce @IrelandCricket to 150-7. #CWC15 #fireitup http://t.co/VDbEI35zBT

— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) March 3, 2015

Catch of the Day

Faultless all afternoon with the bat, Amla showed off more skills in the field against Ireland, claiming this catch in his armpit after Niall O'Brien had edged Abbott to slip:

WATCH: Hashim Amla takes a wonderful catch at slip after Quinton de Kock had deflected Niall O'Brien's thick edge. http://t.co/gETOHo8i9o

— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) March 3, 2015

Hashim Amla makes incredible catch for South Africa v Ireland

…with his armpit #SAvIRE #CWC15 http://t.co/RNU4PYyu8J pic.twitter.com/CY1B5PLPgh

— B/R Football (@brfootball) March 3, 2015

Pool B

TEAMS	MAT	WON	LOST	TIED	N/R	PTS	NET RR
India	3	3	0	0	0	6	+2.630
South Africa	4	3	1	0	0	6	+1.950
West Indies	4	2	2	0	0	4	-0.313
Ireland	3	2	1	0	0	4	-1.137
Zimbabwe	4	1	3	0	0	2	-0.723
Pakistan	3	1	2	0	0	2	-1.373
United Arab Emirates	3	0	3	0	0	0	-1.326

Reaction

#SouthAfrica back to their dangerous best in the #WC2015 @amlahash @faf1307 not to mention @DaleSteyn62 bowling with good intent #SAvIRE

— Matthew Hayden AM (@HaydosTweets) March 3, 2015

Just before the final GroupB game on 15 Mar btw Pak-Ire, points table could look like this
WI 6 pts, Ire 4 pts, Pak 4 pts, Zim 4 pts#SAvIRE

— Mohandas Menon (@mohanstatsman) March 3, 2015

Another onslaught from SA, smashing 411-4 against IRE. Just how far behind the big guns are England? #SAvIRE #CWC15 pic.twitter.com/GlK9B8FQCV

— The Cricketer (@TheCricketerMag) March 3, 2015

https://twitter.com/SpiceBoxofEarth/status/572682621165051904

Hashim Amla is the quickest player to hit 20 ODI centuries, in 108 innings http://t.co/PFdU0aPltP #bbccricket #SAvIre pic.twitter.com/4NIl0UNzaU

— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) March 3, 2015

Last three of South Africa's 400+ totals have come in just 44 days!#SAvIre#CWC15

— Mohandas Menon (@mohanstatsman) March 3, 2015

Wednesday's Schedule

Wednesday at the Cricket World Cup will see matches on both sides of the Tasman. 

In Napier in New Zealand, Pakistan will take on the United Arab Emirates in Pool B, while hosts Australia will meet Afghanistan in Pool A at the WACA Ground in Perth looking to atone for last weekend's low-scoring defeat to New Zealand in Auckland. 

Hashim Amla had everything go his way against Ireland on Tuesday.

The opening batsman hit a quite brilliant 159 to help his side post a formidable total of 411 for four.

WATCH: Hashim Amla brings up his 20th ODI century for South Africa. #CWC15 #fireitup http://t.co/SOT4CnbpAD

— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) March 3, 2015

Some players would think their job was done at that stage, but not Amla.

He took a simple catch at slip to remove Ed Joyce, but that effort paled into insignificance in comparison to the catch that got rid of Niall O’Brien.

O’Brien chased a wide ball from Kyle Abbott and got a thick edge on the ball. It had keeper Quinton de Kock interested, as he dived for the ball.

The ball was too quick for De Kock, and it beat his dive. That gave Amla a problem, as the keeper went right across his line of sight.

Amla half-turned away in self preservation, but somehow the ball became lodged in his armpit for a remarkable catch.

Amla took that catch with his armpit! Amazing! http://t.co/ezN0jjuliL #SAvIRE #CWC15 pic.twitter.com/1i5vTsDfb3

— FOX SPORTS Cricket (@FOXCricketLive) March 3, 2015

WATCH: Hashim Amla takes a wonderful catch at slip after Quinton de Kock had deflected Niall O'Brien's thick edge. http://t.co/gETOHo8i9o

— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) March 3, 2015

You get the impression Amla may be on his way to the Man of the Match award.

The 2015 Cricket World Cup has been a run-fest, and that continued in Canberra on Tuesday as South Africa made 411-4 against Ireland.

The Proteas became the first team to score over 400 in consecutive ODIs after making 408-5 against West Indies last week.

			Runs	Minutes	Balls	4s	6s
Finch		b Southee	14	10	7	1	1
Warner	lbw	b Southee	34	59	42	2	1
Watson	c Southee	b Vettori	23	43	30	2	0
Clarke	c Williamson	b Boult	12	34	18	1	0
Smith	c Ronchi	b Vettori	4	16	11	0	0
Maxwell		b Boult	1	2	3	0	0
M Marsh		b Boult	0	2	2	0	0
Haddin	c Taylor	b Anderson	43	64	41	4	2
Johnson	c Williamson	b Boult	1	4	7	0	0
Starc		b Boult	0		3	0	0
Cummins	not out		7	46	30	1	0
Extras		0nb 6w 4b 2lb	12
Bowler			Overs	Maidens	Runs	Wickets
Southee			9	0	65	2
Boult			10	3	27	5
Vettori			10	0	41	2
Milne			3	0	6	0
Anderson			0.2	0	6	1

Hashim Amla hit 159 from 128 balls.

Faf du Plessis made a run-a-ball 109.

.@OfficialCSA are the first team to score over 400 in consecutive ODIs: http://t.co/mjmM2nanuk #CWC15 #fireitup pic.twitter.com/wlX4VxcWHx

— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) March 3, 2015

There were 12 sixes in the innings, with Kevin O'Brien conceding an unflattering 95 runs in seven overs.

Be grateful for the ICC Associate Nations at the World Cup.

The teams that the sport's governing body are planning to get rid of for the next tournament have so far provided us with the only close contests in the 2015 competition.

Friday saw yet another lopsided result in a meeting of two full members, with South Africa thrashing West Indies by the small matter of 257 runs.

It was the joint-worst defeat in World Cup history, per Sidharth Monga of ESPN Cricinfo, and a serious blow to West Indies' hopes of qualifying for the knockout stages.

They still sit in the top four of Pool B, but have played four matches and can only get to a maximum of eight points now.

The Proteas had gone into the game off the back of a bad loss of their own, having been well beaten by reigning champions India in Melbourne on Sunday.

However, they bounced back in emphatic fashion. Batting first, they piled up 408 for five at the SCG.

South Africa skipper AB de Villiers smashed an unbeaten 162 from a mere 66 deliveries, a score the entire West Indies team failed to get between themselves.

The men from the Caribbean were bowled out for 151 in 33.1 overs, with their captain also finishing as their leading scorer.

Jason Holder, batting down at nine, made 56. It was his second milestone of the day—the seamer had earlier conceded three figures off his bowling, going for 104 runs in 10 overs.

Catch of the day

The match offered plenty of candidates for the honour.

De Villiers made good ground to pouch Jonathan Carter at mid-wicket, while David Miller travelled a fair distance to reel in a chance from Dwayne Smith. 

Kyle Abbott had to dive low to grab Andre Russell at short third man, and on any other day, that trio would have been the pick of the bunch.

However, West Indies’ Jerome Taylor is the winner for a fine one-handed effort at long-on.

Miller probably thought he had got enough bat on a delivery from Russell to clear the rope.

The fielder, though, had other ideas. Making ground to his right, Taylor rather nonchalantly stuck one hand in the air to grasp the ball right on the edge of the boundary.

It was a seriously tough catch made to look ridiculously easy.

Jerome Taylor-made catch knocks of David Miller. #SAvWI @westindies @OfficialCSA pic.twitter.com/yjiqb5Ij1W

— NewsMobile (@NewsMobileIndia) February 27, 2015

Jerome Taylor has just taken the catch of the tournament! #SAvWI #cwc15 https://t.co/gUYtivhwWj

— Cricket Gandu (@CricketGandu) February 27, 2015

Delivery of the day

If West Indies were even going to get remotely close to South Africa’s mammoth total, they needed something special from Chris Gayle.

That hope, though, disappeared nine balls into their run chase.

Gayle stepped to leg in an attempt to launch the ball possibly back towards his homeland of Jamaica, but instead was bowled by Kyle Abbott for three.

It was all a far cry from the left-hander’s previous knock in the tournament—he had made a double hundred against Zimbabwe three days earlier. 

Well, they do say form is temporary.

Shot of the day

South Africa hit 11 sixes in their innings—De Villiers contributed eight of them all by himself.

Picking out the best of the lot was not going to be an easy task, as it all comes down to personal preference in the end.

There were several straight hits that would please the purists, including one six down the ground that saw him reach his century from just 52 deliveries.

However, De Villiers also dazzled the crowd with a number of sweep shots off the pace bowlers.

Below is the best of the bunch, smashed off poor Holder in the closing stages. In slow motion, as he steps across the crease while keeping his eyes firmly on the ball, it looks even more impressive.

Shot #ABDeVilliers  #Cricket #SAvWI #CWC15 https://t.co/6eOZsKcFMx

— Taimoor Zaman (@taimoorza) February 27, 2015

An honourable mention for Rilee Rossouw; he reached his 50 in acrobatic fashion, steering a short ball over the top of backward point for six.

At the moment of contact, the left-handed Rossouw had both feet off the floor!

As easy as AB de (Villiers)

West Indies must be sick of the sight of De Villiers, considering he took them for the fastest century in ODI cricket not so long ago.

He did not manage to better his own record of 31 deliveries, while his hundred in Sydney is still only the second quickest in World Cup history: 

De Villiers 2nd Fastest Century EVER in World Cups, Kevin O'Brien holds on to the record but only just! #cwc15 #SAvWI pic.twitter.com/JAu7TSg4tP

— ICC (@ICC) February 27, 2015

Just 7 dot balls in AB De Villiers extraordinary innings today! #cwc15 #SAvWI

Relive it WATCH http://t.co/yQr52Z8Ztk pic.twitter.com/iFbUSNZhJk

— ICC (@ICC) February 27, 2015

SIX! AB brings up 100 off 52 balls, the fastest ODI ton on Australian soil. http://t.co/qWOwtrCltP #SAvWI #cwc15 pic.twitter.com/89AvnmrPCn

— ICC Cricket World Cup (@cricketworldcup) February 27, 2015

De Villiers by the numbers

Handy knock from AB de Villiers & South Africa in #CWC15 today! Some list of ODI records now for AB! #SAvWI pic.twitter.com/UEjhw43tLY

— Paul Higham (@SportsPaulH) February 27, 2015

Devastating @ABdeVilliers17 #bbccricket pic.twitter.com/dqHrHgTceD

— Test Match Special (@bbctms) February 27, 2015

AB de Villiers' favourite World Cup opponents? West Indies, of course #CWC15 pic.twitter.com/nRPxhbFKHk

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) February 27, 2015

Bad to worse

As if defeat wasn’t bad enough for West Indies, it has now been confirmed that Darren Bravo will miss the rest of the tournament through injury.

The batsman suffered a low-grade tear, per ESPN Cricinfo, in his left hamstring while taking a quick single in the win over Pakistan on February 21.

BREAKING: West Indies batsman Darren Bravo ruled out for the rest of the World Cup with hamstring injury #SSNHQ

— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) February 27, 2015

Saturday at the World Cup

India will look to maintain their perfect start in the tournament when they take on United Arab Emirates at the WACA in Perth.

But the big game on Saturday is at Eden Park, Auckland. World Cup co-hosts New Zealand and Australia go head-to-head in a fixture that should go a long way to deciding who wins Group A. 

AB De Villiers announced himself on the 2015 Cricket World Cup with a blistering century against West Indies.

AB de Villiers hits his 20th ODI century & 2nd fastest World Cup hundred ever off 52 balls #SSCricket pic.twitter.com/ZoDGX0TjOe

— Clyde Tlou (@clydegoal) February 27, 2015

The South African’s captaincy had come in for criticism after a couple of low scores in their first two games placed him in the spotlight.

But De Villiers is one of the finest talents in world cricket and West Indies felt the full force of his ability.

WATCH: De Villiers races to his 150. See the action on Sky Sports World Cup #cwc15 http://t.co/vgj34UeSFl

— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) February 27, 2015

De Villiers came to the crease with South Africa on 146 for 3, and he and Rilee Rossouw launched a savage assault on the bowling.

While Rossouw was no shrinking violet with 61 off 39 balls, he was put in the shade by his captain.

De Villiers had the watching public on the edge of their seats, and it was easy to see why.

So hungry. No food in the fridge. I needs to get to the market, but I'm not missing @ABdeVilliers17 getting a hundred. No, ma'am. #SAvWI

— A N D I L E (@Vida15) February 27, 2015

It's said that there is simply no individual better than the sport but time and again, AB de Villiers makes you have second thoughts. #GOAT

— Tarun Raman (@raman_tarun) February 27, 2015

He sent the ball flying to all parts and it was appropriate that he brought up his century, off 52 balls, with a six.

Only Ireland’s Kevin O’Brien is ahead of De Villiers in the list of fastest centuries at World Cups, with his blistering knock against England in 2011 coming off 50 balls.

Did you see that? Our captain @ABdeVilliers17 just scored a century! @SuperSportTV #ProteaFire pic.twitter.com/x80mQR7o14

— Western Cape Gov (@WesternCapeGov) February 27, 2015

De Villiers powered on after bringing up three figures, and in taking 30 off the final over from Jason Holder, he finished up 162 not out as South Africa posted 408 for 5.

There's people out there who think there's players on the same level as @ABdeVilliers17 in this era. Give ye heads a wobble please!! #CWC15

— #ZidaneTurn (@solly_feni1) February 27, 2015

#ABDeVilliers now has the fastest 50, fastest 100 & fastest 150 in Odi's. Best in the world. Amazing thing to witness pic.twitter.com/LR5HBbKuID

— ناعمه خان (@iGuriya) February 27, 2015

Speaking immediately after his knock to the host broadcaster, De Villiers said: "It was a very enjoyable knock today.

"It was one of those knocks today where things went my way. I had a bit of luck and I made it count.”

South Africa opened their World Cup campaign with a 62-run victory over Zimbabwe in Hamilton.

The Proteas made 339-4 in their 50 overs after being put into bat at Seddon Park with David Miller and JP Duminy both scoring centuries.

			Runs	Minutes	Balls
De Kock	c C Ervine	b Chatara	7	15	16
Amla		b Panyangara	11	37	26
du Plessis	c Taylor	b Chigumbura	24	60	32
De Villiers	c C Ervine	b Kamungozi	25	53	36
Miller	not out		138	135	92
Duminy	not out		115	121	100
Extras		2nb 16w 0b 1lb	19
Bowler		Overs	Maidens	Runs	Wickets
Panyangara		10	2	73	1
Chatara		10	1	71	1
Mire		6	0	61	0
Chigumbura		4	0	30	1
Williams		8	0	44	0
Kamungozi		8	0	34	1
Raza		3	0	19	0
H Masakadza		1	0	6	0

Zimbabwe made a brave reply but never looked in danger of reaching the target despite 80 from Hamilton Masakadza. They were all out for 277 in the penultimate over.

			Runs	Minutes	Balls
Chibhabha	c Duminy	b Tahir	64	94	82
Raza		b Philander	5	27	13
H Masakadza	c Amla	b Tahir	80	98	74
Taylor	c Philander	b M Morkel	40	51	40
Williams	c De Kock	b Duminy	8	25	13
C Ervine	c De Villiers	b Steyn	13	30	21
Chigumbura	run out (De Villiers)		8	13	7
Mire	c De Villiers	b Philander	27	28	25
Panyangara	c De Villiers	b Tahir	4		4
Chatara	c and b M Morkel		6	20	11
Kamungozi	not out		0	4	0
Extras		0nb 9w 0b 13lb	22
Bowler		Overs	Maidens	Runs	Wickets
Philander		8	0	30	2
M Morkel		8.2	1	49	2
Steyn		9	0	64	1
Behardien		5	0	40	0
Duminy		8	0	45	1
Tahir		10	0	36	3

Miller smashed nine sixes, in addition to seven boundaries, in making 138 from 92 balls, while Duminy hit 115 in an unbeaten 256-run stand for the fifth wicket.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxwhyE4XTro

SA stuttered to 28-2 at the end of the powerplay, losing Quinton de Kock (7) and Hashim Amla (11), then Faf du Plessis (24) and AB de Villiers (25) were also gone by the 21st over.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMJEL2xZpOI

However, Miller and Duminy, who hit nine boundaries and three sixes in his 100-ball innings, dominated the bowling in a record stand.

Zimbabwe were left needing 6.78 runs per over for an unlikely victory but had some hope as they reached 137-1 in the 24th over.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r11FXt05f84

Leg-spinner Imran Tahir then made a double breakthrough with opener Chamu Chibhabha caught on the cover boundary for 64 and Masakadza’s bright innings ending when he got a leading edge to Amla at cover.

Captain Brendan Taylor made a run-a-ball 40, but he was the first of seven wickets to fall in 12.1 overs with Tahir finishing with 3-36.

IT'S ALL OVER! South Africa beats Zimbabwe by 62 runs. #CWC15 #SAvZIM pic.twitter.com/46cb3AwQtl

— CODE Cricket (@codecricketau) February 15, 2015

India are next up for South Africa in Pool B next Sunday, while Zimbabwe face UAE on Thursday.

What can be said about AB de Villiers that has not been said before?  The short answer is: not much. But, here we are. Picking just one player who’s going to be important for South Africa seems somewhat cruel. It might sound somewhat cliched, but every player in the South African team is important. With such a wealth of talent in the team, everyone plays a crucial role.

The opening pair of Hashim Amla and Quinton de Kock are important, especially in tandem. Amla steadies the ship, and De Kock goes on the rampage. Sometimes they both do the same. They both serve the purpose of taking the shine off the new ball. Then there is Faf du Plessis, who is the bedrock of the innings and usually takes a more steady approach, no matter what the situation.

Then there is JP Duminy, who fills the dual role with the bat and his part-time spin. There is also Dale Steyn, who needs no introduction, Vernon Philander and Imran Tahir.

Squeezed in between all of these players is De Villiers.

He gets singled out as South Africa’s most important player for a number of reasons. Since relinquishing the gloves to De Kock, South Africa has been able to take full advantage of his extraordinary fielding abilities. Aside from that, he is also instrumental as a captain. While his ability to keep up with over rates remains dubious, he does have a number of leadership lieutenants from whom he can draw inspiration from.

Then there is De Villiers’ batting. Without a doubt, he is the most talented one-day player in the world at the moment. His ability to adapt to conditions and match situations is unmatched in all formats of the game.

His ability to innovate and dream up new shots is revolutionary. The way he can single-handedly take a game away from the opposition will be crucial for South Africa. But the Proteas have to guard against not being overly reliant on their main man.

De Villiers is the only member of the squad who has played in three World Cups. This experience adds yet another element to what makes him so valuable. The man himself admits that he’s going into the tournament feeling good.

De Villiers said: "I played really good cricket in the last World Cup, and I feel confident going into this one. The boys all feel very confident."

In the 2011 World Cup, De Villiers scored 353 runs at an average of 89.25 in five matches. In the World Cup before that, he hit 372 in 10 games at an average of 37.20.

Considering his performances in World Cups and the fact that he recently hit a record-breaking hundred against the West Indies, his confidence certainly is warranted.

In South Africa’s final warm-up match before the competition kicks off on the weekend, De Villiers managed just 24 runs, but that’s hardly a problem. Considering he has not averaged below 50.00 in a calendar year in the last five years, South Africa’s captain is all set up to have one of the best tournaments of his career.

All quotes and information obtained firsthand.

The No. 7 is supposed to be lucky, but for the South African cricket team, it’s going to be a headache ahead of the Cricket World Cup. It’s the one position in the team that still has uncertainty hanging over it. In their first warm-up match against Sri Lanka, the spot was filled by Rilee Rossouw, but that is unlikely to be the case when they play their opening fixture against Zimbabwe over the weekend.

As it stands, the No. 7 spot is most likely going to be a tussle between Farhaan Behardien and Wayne Parnell. South Africa’s bulky top order is one of their biggest luxuries heading into the tournament. With powerhouses such as Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers floating about, they will probably not be too worried about a rather long tail.

And their tail will be long, because the Proteas have not taken a genuine all-rounder to the World Cup. Ryan McLaren missed out on a spot in the squad after a torrid time in Australia last year leaving the South African line-up somewhat lopsided. Behardien has been deputised as somewhat of an “all-rounder,” but he’s been  far more useful with the ball than with the bat, despite his first discipline being batting.

In his last 10 matches, he averages just 20.85, and overall, he averages 21.20. He's taken 12 wickets in 21 matches at an average of 28.83 and has been known to have a little bit of a golden arm.

Comparatively, though, Parnell has a higher batting average. He averages 22.25 in his 45 ODIs and has taken 64 wickets at an average of 29.25. Parnell's express pace and vast experience means he is a far better bowler than Behardien. He is also a left-arm option, which means the bowling attack will have more diversity.

Considering Behardien's struggles with the bat, Parnell is almost definitely a better option. Parnell has even opened the batting before and can step up as a pinch-hitter if required.

After a very good bowling performance against the West Indies recently, where he took four for 42 in the final match, Parnell might very well have wrangled his way into contention for a starting place come the opening game.  

In South Africa's first warm-up, Parnell finished with figures of 7-0-44-2. Consistency remains an issue for the left-armer, though, and his inclusion in the side has caused much ire from the public.

Coach Russell Domingo has jumped to his player’s defence, though. As quoted by Sport24, the coach said:

I don't know why some people hate Wayne so much. Maybe it's because of his hairstyle, I don't know. He is a wonderful guy. He really works hard. People's perceptions about a cricket player, about a person, are often very different to what that person is actually like.

The coach also added that Parnell is most certainly an option to bat lower down the order in the World Cup:

He is a match winner, like we again saw the other day when he took four wickets (4/42 in the final ODI against the West Indies in Centurion). He boasts a very good record in terms of taking wickets in one-day cricket. He hits the ball well when coming in to bat at the tail-end of the innings. So he could definitely bat at No 7 or No 8 in any of the World Cup games.

Whether that speaks of Domingo’s plans for the first match when South Africa will begin their World Cup campaign this weekend, only time will tell.

All information and quotes obtained firsthand, unless otherwise stated.