Proteas earn first point but look long shots to reach knockout stage
Monday 10 June 2019 16:29, UK
South Africa's hopes of reaching the knockout stages of the World Cup suffered another blow as their game with West Indies in Southampton was washed out.
The Proteas started the tournament with three straight defeats - to England, Bangladesh and India - and realistically needed to win their final six group games to make the last four.
However, persistent rain at The Hampshire Bowl on Monday meant only 7.3 overs were possible - South Africa slipping to 29-2 in that time with saluting left-arm seamer Sheldon Cottrell dismissing Hashim Amla (6) and Aiden Markram (5) - as the sides picked up a point apiece.
Faf du Plessis' men are back in action on Saturday in a must-win game against Afghanistan in Cardiff, a day after West Indies face England, and Barbados-born seamer Jofra Archer, in Southampton.
Archer's pace and bounce has rocked batsmen in this World Cup but so has that of the West Indies attack, who skittled Pakistan for 105 and then reduced Australia to 79-5, both times at Trent Bridge.
Cottrell struck in the third and seventh overs against South Africa, having Amla caught off the glove at slip by Chris Gayle and then Markram pouched down the leg-side by wicketkeeper Shai Hope after Windies captain Jason Holder elected to bowl having won the toss under leaden skies.
Quinton de Kock (17no) and Du Plessis (0no) were the unbeaten batsmen when the rain set in, De Kock having successfully overturned a caught-behind dismissal in the second over with Kemar Roach's excellent delivery shown to have brushed the left-hander's arm and not his bat.
Roach was drafted into the West Indies side for the injured Andre Russell in one of two forced changes for Holder's men, batsman Evin Lewis also replaced by Darren Bravo.
South Africa made two alterations, too, with Markram and seamer Beuran Hendricks preferred to JP Duminy and wrist-spinner Tabraiz Shamsi after Wednesday's defeat to India at the same venue.
You can watch every match of the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup on Sky Sports Cricket World Cup (channel 404), including England's next game against West Indies from 10am on Friday.
