Simmons and Parnell `stars’ of the day …
WAYNE Parnell took 4-13 as South Africa maintained their unbeaten record at the World Twenty20 with victory over West Indies in the Super Eight at The Oval.
Jacques Kallis (45) and Graeme Smith (31) had earlier got the Proteas off to a superb start before Heschelle Gibbs (55) helped them to 183-7 off 20 overs.
Lendl Simmons hit 77 but 19-year-old seamer Parnell, who took 3-14 against England, helped reduce them to 163-9.

South Africa’s 20-run triumph puts them on course for a semi-final berth.

Graeme Smith’s men face India at Trent Bridge on Tuesday, while West Indies take on England at The Oval tomorrow.

“To make 180 was a great effort batting first. We lost our way slightly but it was a good total to post as the West Indies have an experienced batting line-up and they like to chase,” said Smith.

“Lendl Simmons had a great knock but we fought hard and pulled them back. It’s great to have won six in a row in total. But there are still big matches to play.

“We will regroup and have a good run to the final hopefully.”

South Africa’s triumph was their sixth successive in Twenty20 internationals, a feat that had never previously been achieved in the format.

It was richly deserved against a Windies side who were back in action less than 17 hours after beating India at Lord’s and looked well off the pace.

Having completed successful run-chases against Australia and India after losing the toss, Windies captain Chris Gayle called correctly on this occasion and had no hesitation about sending South Africa in.

His side got off to an encouraging start as Jerome Taylor, bowling fully off a length, reduced openers Kallis and Smith to just two singles off the opening over.

But Smith and Kallis soon got the scoreboard ticking over on a flat Oval wicket which was playing like a batsman’s paradise.

Helped by a lightning quick outfield, South Africa raced past 50 within six overs but no sooner had Smith brought up his side’s half-century with a thick-edge for four than the Proteas skipper lobbed Sulieman Benn to Andre Fletcher at backward point.

It was an important breakthrough but West Indies needed to follow it up with a period of sustained pressure, which they failed to achieve.

Back in action less than 17 hours after disposing of India, Gayle’s men looked tired in the field and allowed Kallis to work both sides of the wicket with a succession of textbook strokes.

The right-hander holed out to Kieron Pollard at long-on but he had given his team a tremendous start and set a platform from which Gibbs and AB de Villiers could build.

Gibbs had scored just 49 runs from his previous three knocks but he took a liking to the Windies attack and kept South Africa on course for a substantial total with some expert footwork and ruthless ball-striking.

But two balls after passing 50 with a clever paddle sweep for four he was taken at midwicket and then AB de Villiers skied Taylor to Gayle at extra cover.

West Indies deserve credit for the way they plugged away and, after Taylor had splattered Albie Morkel’s stumps with a beautiful yorker JP Duminy top-edged Fidel Edwards to Ramnaresh Sarwan at deep fine leg to fall for a golden duck.

Taylor and Edwards finished with a disciplined late spell that checked the run-rate significantly, making South Africa’s early progress appear all the more vital and kept the contest evenly poised.

With South Africa arriving as the tournament’s best bowling team and West Indies the top batting side, the next 20 overs should have made for fascinating viewing.

But South Africa quashed that prospect with a fine start that saw them emerge with the prized scalp of Gayle.

Only three runs were the board when Parnell continued his impressive form by knocking back Fletcher’s off stump.

It was the right-hander’s second duck in as many innings but things would get much worse for West Indies when Gayle, returning to the scene of his 88 off 50 balls against Australia, drove Parnell to Johan Botha at midwicket.

West Indies responded positively as Dwayne Bravo and Lendl Simmons sent one Kallis over for 18 runs.

After being caught by Smith off a correctly-adjudged no-ball, Bravo drove Roelof van der Merwe to Dale Steyn at long off and Shivnarive Chanderpaul was caught and bowled by Duminy but Simmons kept his side in contention with a stylish knock.

He passed 50 with a single and pressed ahead with a flurry of elegant off-side boundaries.

Unfortunately for West Indies, the required run-rate had risen to over 12 per over and the game was all-but up for them when van der Merwe had Simmons taken at long-off and, the very next ball, Sarwan cut Steyn into the clutches of Botha.

Parnell snapped up Pollard and Taylor in the 17th over and Steyn bowled Denesh Ramdin shortly before South Africa sealed their win.

“We didn’t get the start we wanted when we were chasing a big total and lost two quick wickets, but Simmons played well,” said Gayle.

“South Africa got off to a flier but to restrict them to under 200 was a great effort. They (England) had the best of us in the recent Tests but we’ll see what happens on Monday.” (BBC Sport)

Man-of-the-Match Wayne Parnell castles Andre Fletcher to continue his impressive run in the ICC World Twenty20. (Yahoo Sport photos)

SOUTH AFRICA (20 overs maximum)

J. Kallis c Pollard b Simmons 45

G. Smith c Fletcher b Benn 31

H. Gibbs c Taylor b Pollard 55

A. de Villiers c Gayle b Taylor 17

A. Morkel b Taylor 10

M. Boucher not out 17

J. Duminy c Sarwan b Edwards 0

R. van der Merwe c wkp. Ramdin b Taylor 1

J. Botha not out 4

Extras: (lb-1, w-2) 3

Total: (seven wkts, 20 overs) 183

Fall of wickets: 1-54, 2-105, 3-136, 4-155, 5-159, 6-163, 7-166,

Bowling: Taylor 4-0-30-3, Edwards 4-0-34-1 (w-2), Bravo 2-0-24-0, Benn 4-0-36-1, Pollard 3-0-29-1, Gayle 1-0-7-0, Simmons 2-0-22-1.

WEST INDIES (target: 184 off 20 overs)

C. Gayle c Botha b Parnell 5

A. Fletcher b Parnell 0

L. Simmons c de Villers b van der Merwe 77

D. Bravo c Steyn b van der Merwe 19

S. Chanderpaul c and b Duminy 8

R. Sarwan c Botha b Steyn 8

K. Pollard c Smith b Parnell 6

D. Ramdin b Steyn 8

J. Taylor b Parnell 0

S. Benn not out 13

F. Edwards not out 2

Extras: (b-1, lb-9, w-6, nb-1) 17

Total: (9 wkts, 20 overs) 163

Fall of wickets: 1-4, 2-13, 3-70, 4-91, 5-133, 6-133, 7-142, 8-143, 9-159.

Bowling: Steyn 4-0-30-2, Parnell 4-0-13-4, Kallis 2-0-23-0, Morkel 2-0-21-0 (nb-1, w-1), Botha 2-0-20-0, van der Merwe 4-0-30-2 (w-1), Duminy 2-0-16-1.

Points: South Africa 2, West Indies 0