England have reached the semi-finals of the Twenty20 World Cup despite their 10-run loss to South Africa on Sunday, with rivals Australia also making the last four from Group One.
With Australia beating West Indies in the previous match of the day, South Africa needed a victory and a massive run-rate boost to be the second team from Group One to make the last four.
They showed some intent with the bat and Rassie van der Dussen blasted an unbeaten 94 off 60 balls to propel South Africa to 189/2, their highest score of the tournament.
Their total meant South Africa had to restrict England to 131 or fewer to make the semi-finals ahead of Australia, while scoring 87 was enough for Eoin Morgan's team.
In Group Two, the Blackcaps can join Paksitan and secure their place in the semi-finals with a win over Afghanistan on Monday (NZ time).
Moeen Ali (37) and Dawid Malan (33) chipped in with breezy cameos to snuff out South Africa's semi-final hopes but Kagiso Rabada's final over hat-trick restricted England to 179/8, snapping their winning streak in the tournament.
Earlier, David Warner struck a 56-ball 89, after paceman Josh Hazlewood's four-wicket blitz to help Australia beat the West Indies.
Chasing 158 for victory, Australia rode home on Warner's unbeaten knock, which included nine boundaries and four sixes, and Mitchell Marsh's 53 to cruise home with 22 balls to spare.
Australia paceman Pat Cummins struck a vital early blow by forcing Chris Gayle (15) to chop one on to his stumps in the third over, after the 42-year-old Jamaican had issued an early warning of his prowess with two massive sixes.
Gayle walked off the pitch with his bat raised and a smile on his face prompting fans to speculate online over whether this may have been his final innings. But the West Indies were not in a celebratory mood as Hazlewood took two wickets in three balls.
Nicholas Pooran departed offering a simple catch to Mitchell Marsh before Roston Chase had his stumps shattered to leave the outgoing champions in trouble at 35-3 inside four overs.
Leg-spinner Adam Zampa then picked up his 11th wicket of the Super 12 stage by removing Evin Lewis for 29 as the West Indies' slide continued, but a steady effort by skipper Kieron Pollard (44) took them to a respectable 157/7.
Reuters.
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