GROS ISLET (St. Lucia): Australia had a plan to win the World Cup semifinal on Wednesday and executed that well. South Africa, rather than resisting, played right into its hands.

Should a senior batsman really charge one of the world's top bowlers when he's only faced a couple of balls? And should batsmen be driving 155 kmph deliveries outside the off stump?

The answer is clearly No and yet it's exactly what the South Africa, trying to prove its batsmen were just as adept at power hitting, tried to do. It failed miserably.

The match was decided within 10 overs and South Africa's fate sealed as Australia booked its place in Saturday's World Cup final at the Kensington Oval in Barbados.

If the Australians beat Sri Lanka, they will have won their third consecutive World Cup.

Deadly damage early

Nathan Bracken, Glenn McGrath and Shaun Tait did the damage in those 10 overs, with intelligence, pace and swing.

Half an hour after the start of the match South Africa was 27 for five and thinking of the flight back home.

South African captain Graeme Smith's dismissal off the 15th ball of the innings set the tone. Anxious to avoid being pinned down, Smith charged Bracken and simply lost his off stump. Seven for one.

Three overs later, Jacques Kallis, a classy batsman under pressure to prove he can score quickly, gave himself room outside the leg stump and found himself yorked by McGrath.

Three overs later, it was Tait's turn. Opener A.B. De Villiers drove at a fast delivery and did not have time to move his feet.

The result, wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist took a catch, de Villiers stumbled off and South Africa was 26 for three.

"We lost a huge toss, but full credit to bowlers who executed the gameplans very well," said Ponting.

McGrath shared his skipper's opinion. "We have bowled out every team in the tournament, except Bangladesh whom we played in a 22-over match,'' he said.

Outclassed

Smith appeared bemused when trying to explain the defeat, admitting the top order wanted to play aggressively and admitted his side had been outclassed.

"All credit to the new ball pair, they really bowled well and put us on the back foot and it was really tough from there to get any initiative back," the opener said.

"And then they just finished the game off. We were beaten by a better team," he added.

Glaringly obvious

That was glaringly obvious to everyone at the two-thirds full Beausejour Stadium.

So was the victory schemed by master tactician John Buchanan, the wily Australian coach.

Perhaps he saw how South Africa's batsmen pummelled England in its last Super Eight match and realised Australia's bowlers were simply too good to allow that to happen to them.

"We wanted them to go hard at us and give our bowlers a chance to get wickets. They tried aggressively to get their nose ahead," said Ponting, giving a hint of Australia's tactics.

Whatever the reason, South Africa then lost the wickets of Ashwell Prince and Mark Boucher to the skilful Glenn McGrath, who will retire on Saturday.

Herschelle Gibbs (39) and Justin Kemp, with an unbeaten 49, played their own games, waiting for loose deliveries. Even Australia bowls loose deliveries. Shane Watson was expensive with one for 49 and Tait pays the price of accuracy for speed.

South Africa's deep batting order, which ends at number 10, stuck to the same plan. After Gibbs and Kemp shared 60 for the sixth wicket, Gibbs and Andrew Hall were both out driving unwisely and Brad Hogg picked up his only wicket when the flight of his off-break deceived Shaun Pollock.

In reply, Australia had the luxury of needing to score at only three an over, yet it managed almost five an over taking minimal risks.

Attractive knock

South Africa had a slim hope when Charl Langeveldt dismissed Gilchrist with just seven on the board.

But Matthew Hayden and Ponting settled the innings, putting on 43 before the captain was bowled by Andre Nel, whose usual aggression was curbed by his team's dire position and the pain of a finger broken in net practice on Tuesday.

Hayden, batting introspectively for a change, scored 41 in 60 balls as he and Michael Clarke put on 66, seeing off stingy bowling from Pollock and Kallis.

Clarke, now Australia's second highest scorer after Hayden, played attractively on his way to 60 not out, hitting eight wristy fours.

Hayden fell with the score on 110 but Andrew Symonds, barely needed at the World Cup, saw the game through to an end in the 32nd over. — Agencies

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