Cricket: Pollock upbeat after unconvincing SA win

7.30am

EAST LONDON, South Africa - South Africa cricket captain Shaun Pollock was happy with his team's performance against tournament minnows Canada today, despite their unconvincing 118-run win in the World Cup group B match.

"I think it actually worked out quite nicely," Pollock said.

"If there's been one area I've been concerned with it's been the fact that the middle order haven't had a hit in the middle order so far.

"Gary (Kirsten) and Herschelle (Gibbs) have both got plenty of runs and been in really good form so it was important that Boeta (Dippenaar) and Graeme (Smith) got to bat out there under some pressure. Their hundred partnership was vital for us."

South Africa recovered from 23 for three to post 254 for eight from their 50 overs, lifted by half centuries from Dippenaar (80) and Smith (63).

In reply, Canada comfortably batted through their 50 overs, finishing on 136 for five with left-handed opener Ishwar Maraj carrying his bat for just 53.

Overall, the South Africans looked short on confidence with the bat, short on penetration with the ball and put down five chances in the field.

Pollock, however, felt that things had gone largely according to plan.

"On the bowling side, our areas were very good and our discipline throughout was good too," he said.

"The only area we let ourselves down was in the catching. You could almost look at it as part of a tactic -- we had to restrict the run rate and that went according to plan by keeping them out there.

"We're happy with the way it went -- we've four points from the game. It was a good game for us, it's a confidence builder to win nice and convincingly."

Canadian captain Joe Harris stopped short of claiming his side had won a moral victory, but said he was glad to have avoided embarrassment.

"As a captain, my job is to try and get this team to win and that's what we try to do," he said.

"I'm happy we didn't embarrass ourselves or get bowled out but I would have hoped we had gone after the runs and, if we had lost, we would have lost going after it.

"In hindsight, not getting bowled out by one of the top one-day and test sides in the world is not a bad thing to do."

Pollock defended allrounder Jacques Kallis, who played a poor shot to depart for only one and has generally struggled to impose himself on the tournament.

"Jacques hasn't got as many runs as he would have liked but he's a class player and one of those guys who can turn it on any given day," he said.

"We're not really too concerned about him. He's playing nicely in the nets and it's just a matter of converting that to runs in the middle."

South Africa

G Smith b Davison 63

H Gibbs c Bagai b Patel 8

G Kirsten c Bagai b Joseph 0

J Kallis c Ifill b Patel 1

B Dippenaar c Seebaran b de Groot 80

M Boucher b de Groot 21

S Pollock c Bagai b Joseph 32

A Hall not out 22

M Ntini b Patel 14

M Zondeki not out 1

Extras (3lb, 8w, 1nb) 12

Total (for eight wickets, 50 overs) 254

Fall of wickets: 1-19 2-22 3-23 4-132 5-174 6-197 7-227 8-249

Did not bat: Allan Donald

Bowling: Joseph 9 overs, 1 maiden, 42 runs, 2 wickets, Patel 7-0-41-3, Ifill 7-0-35-0, Davison 10-1-45-1, Seebaran 10-0-43-0, de Groot 7-0-45-2


Canada

I Maraj not out 53

J Davison c Zondeki b Ntini 1

D Chumney c Smith b Pollock 2

I Billcliff b Zondeki 9

N De Groot c Boucher b Hall 16

J Harris c Boucher b Ntini 15

A Bagai not out 28

Extras (6lb, 4w, 2nb) 12

Total (for five wickets, 50 overs) 136

Fall of wickets: 1-2 2-8 3-28 4-58 5-84

Did not bat: N.Ifill, D.Joseph, B.Seebaran, A.Patel

Bowling: Pollock 8 overs, 5 maidens, 13 runs, 1 wickets, Ntini 10-2-19-2, Donald 10-2-27-0, Zondeki 9-1-24-1, Hall 7-1-26-1, Kallis 5-1-11-0, Smith 1-0-10-0


Result: South Africa won by 118 runs.


- REUTERS

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