It was bread and butter stuff for the South Africans whose run-chase could easily be described in three phases. They began with a bang, getting to 95 without loss in the first 15 overs, stuttered a bit in the middle overs when the spinners Ashley Giles and Graeme Hick picked up three wickets besides applying brakes to the scoring rate, and finally the calculated assault in the later part of their innings as skipper Hansie Cronje and Jhonty Rhodes tore the attack to pieces.

If South Africa were missing Allan Donald, Lance Klusener and Shaun Pollock, it reflected in England's healthy total. The Englishmen recovered from a hopeless position of 95-5 to 281-7 with Adam Hollioake snubbing hisdetractors with an unbeaten knock of 83, his highest in One-day internationals.

Cullinan has always shown his talent in patches. Today he matched his promise with deliverance. Asked to open the innings in Gary Kirsten's absence, he chose the third ball of the innings to get off the blocks with a boundary. That was merely a prelude of things to come as he hit 12 more impeccable boundaries in his authoritative knock of 69. At one stage, Cullinan had 12 fours when on 52.

Jacques Kallis' runout put the game in balance but it also brought to the crease the in-form Jonty Rhodes. Cronje and Rhodes then, put the toothless English bowling to sword. In the end, it was a mere formality as South Africa became the first team to qualify for the semi-finals.

Earlier, Adam Hollioake batted with intelligence and responsibility as he lifted England from distressing position. He had Neil Fairbrother for company, another man so eager to announce his comeback onto the main stage as the team staged a splendidrevival.

SCOREBOARD

England: Nick Knight c Boucher b Kallis 32 (49b, 3x4), Alistair Brown c Kallis b Symcox 6 (10b, 1x4), Mark Ealham c Rhodes b Kallis 44 (37b, 7x4, 1x6), Graeme Hick lbw Kallis 2 (13b), Neil Fairbrother b Rindell 56 (78b, 2x4, 1x6), Graham Lloyd lbw Boje 0 (2b), Adam Hollioake not out 83 (91b, 10x4, 1x6), Jack Russell c Benkenstein b Dawson 19 (17b, 2x4), Ashley Giles not out 5 (6b); Extras (b3,lb19, w9, nb3) 34.

Total (for seven in 50 overs) 281.

Fall of wickets: 1-14 (Brown), 2-80 (Ealham), 3-93 (Hick), 4-94 (Knight), 5-95 (Lloyd), 6-207 (Fairbrother), 7-256 (Russell).

Bowling: Allan Dawson 9-0-51-0, Pat Symcox 10-045-1, Hansie Cronje 3-0-19-0, Jacques Kallis 10-0-48-3, Nicky Boje 10-0-39-1, Derek Crookes 3-0-20-0, Mike Rindel 5-0-37-0.

South Africa: Darrel Cullinan c Fairbrother b Giles 69 (70b; 13x4), Mike Rindel c Brown b Giles 41 (61b, 6x4), Jacques Kallis run out (Hollioake-Russell) 15 (21b, 1x4), Hansie Cronje c Brown b Hollioake 67 (57b, 5x4, 2x6), JontyRhodes not out 61 (63b, 5x4), Dale Benkenstein not out 13 (11b, 3x4); Extras (b1, lb8, w1, nb2) 18.

Total (for four in 46.4 overs) 283.

Fall of wickets: 1-113 (Rindel), 2-124 (Cullinan), 3-135 (Kallis), 4-256 (Cronje).

Bowling: Peter Martin 8-0-55-0, Ian Austen 9-0-53-0, Mark Ealham 7-0-51-0, Ashley Giles 10-1-41-1, Graeme Hick 7-0-28-1, Adam Hollioake 4.4-0-41-1, Alistair Brown 1-0-5-0.