South Africa bid inept India farewell

South Africa warmed up for the semi-finals of the World Twenty20 by fighting back to defeat ousted champions India by 12 runs here on Tuesday.

The Proteas hit back after being restricted to 130-5 by keeping error-prone India down to 118-8 in the last Super Eights match at a Trent Bridge ground packed with some 15,000 disappointed Indian supporters.

Graeme Smith's men topped group E with three straight wins in the Super Eights and now await resurgent Pakistan in the first semi-final at the same venue on Thursday.

Sri Lanka, the group F champions, take on the West Indies in the other semi-final at the Oval in London on Friday.

"I think 130 on that wicket was a good total. The wicket was slow and the way we defended the total was excellent," Smith said.

India, who won the inaugural event in South Africa two years ago, collapsed after a bright start when openers Gautam Gambhir and Rohit Sharma put on 48 by the sixth over.

The Indians, 55-1 at one stage, lost four top order wickets for 14 runs against a seven-man South African attack.

Dhoni highlighted his team's poor batting display by being run out off a wide ball from Morne Morkel when Yuvraj Singh refused his call for a sharp single.

Off-spinner Johan Botha removed Gambhir in his first over and Suresh Raina in his second, and also dismissed Harbhajan Singh at the end, to finish with three for 16.

A.B. de Villiers starred in the field with three catches, while fast bowler Dale Steyn claimed two wickets in one over to hasten India's end.

NOTTINGHAM, England, AFP