Smith eyes more glory

FE Team | Published: March 20, 2011 00:00:00 | Updated: February 01, 2018 00:00:00

South Africa captain Graeme Smith said his team was on the right track to go all the way in the World Cup after an impressive demolition of Bangladesh Saturday, reports AFP. "I am very hopeful about winning the next three matches, that's what we have to do," said Smith as South Africa warmed up for the quarter-finals by topping Group B with five wins in six matches. "All the teams going to the knock-out phase want to win the World Cup. We have so far met each challenge because each game we played had different degrees of pressure." Fast bowler Lonwabo Tsotsobe grabbed 3-14 on his World Cup debut as the Proteas won their last league match by 206 runs at the Sher-e-Bangla stadium here. Jacques Kallis made 69 and Faf du Plessis hit a run-a-ball 52 to lift South Africa to 284-8 after Smith won the toss and elected to take first strike on a slow, sluggish wicket. Bangladesh, needing a win to qualify for the quarter-finals, were shot out for 78 in reply after Tsotsobe ripped through the top order and left-arm spinner Robin Peterson claimed 4-12 at the end. Skipper Shakib Al Hasan made 30 but none of the other 10 batsmen reached double figures as Bangladesh almost matched their lowest one-day total of 58 against the West Indies earlier in the tournament. Smith was delighted that Tsotsobe, who was given a chance only because pace spearheads Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel were rested ahead of the bigger matches, seized the opportunity in style.