Cricket: Dippenaar saves South African blushes against Canada

1.15am

EAST LONDON, South Africa - Boeta Dippenaar rode his luck to rescue South Africa as Canada embarrassed the World Cup hosts with a determined bowling performance on Thursday (South African time).

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, needing to win to keep their Group B aspirations alive, made the worst possible start, crashing to 23 for three as debutant medium-pacer Ashish Patel picked up two early wickets.

After starting with a wide, Patel, who ended with three for 41, settled into a good rhythm, moving the ball through the air.

He conceded just one run in his second over and then struck in his third, Herschelle Gibbs (eight) well caught down the leg side by wicketkeeper Ashish Bagai.

Patel's 39-year-old strike partner Davis Joseph picked up the wicket of Gary Kirsten for a duck six balls later, Bagai again the catcher as Joseph seamed a delivery sharply across the left-hander.

Things got worse in the next over when Patel struck for a second time, Jacques Kallis (one) mistiming a pull straight to Nick Ifill at mid-on.

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.

With the South African batting line-up weakened to allow room for experimentation with the bowling attack, both batsmen were under pressure and batted well within themselves.

Smith was particularly powerful off his legs but, on 63, played down the wrong line to off spinner John Davison's arm ball just as he looked set to capitalise on a solid start. He faced 79 balls and struck six boundaries.

Mark Boucher made 21 before chopping Nick de Groot onto his stumps and Dippenaar's defiance ended shortly afterwards when he paddled the same bowler straight to short fine leg. He faced 118 balls and found the boundary ropes seven times.

Captain Shaun Pollock (32 off 23 balls) hit de Groot back over his head for consecutive sixes to wade in with quick runs at the death, while Andrew Hall (22 not out off 11) hit Joseph for six over midwicket and Makhaya Ntini drove Patel out of the ground in the final over. The last three overs cost 46 runs.


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