England advance to semis of Champions Trophy

England reached the semi-finals of the Champions Trophy last night, beating the hosts South Africa by 22 runs and knocking them out of the tournament. It was the second consecutive win for Andrew Strauss's men, and comes on the back of Thursday's victory over Sri Lanka.

Yesterday's triumph saw the team rack up their highest total against South Africa (323-8), and also their third highest score in an overseas one day international. The 12 sixes scored was another new accolade, and achieved without their most recognised big-hitters Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff.

The batting heroes yesterday were Owais Shah (98) and Eoin Morgan (67), both of Middlesex, and Paul Collingwood (82). Shah (above) and Collingwood put on 163 for the third wicket in just 26 overs, while Morgan scored his runs at almost two a ball, taking just 26 balls to bring up his half century, the second fastest rate by an England player.

The home side's captain Graeme Smith took the game to England, scoring 141 from 134 deliveries, but he ran out of partners as some superbly tight bowling from James Anderson (3-42 off ten overs) always meant that the South Africans were chasing the game.

Having beaten two of the game's greatest forces in the short form of the game in consecutive matches, the English public is at last getting the Mr Hyde side of the ODI side. Following the Ashes victory over Australia in Test cricket, the one-day team contrived to lose six straight matches to the tourists, before restoring an ounce of dignity with victory in the final game of the rubber.

Should England go on to win the tournament, it will be yet another feather in the caps of the management team of Andrew Strauss and Andy Flower. The Zimbabwean Flower's has run the team since January, and has had a remarkable impact on England. ·