Pakistan opt to bat against South Africa

British Prime Minister Theresa May hosted the World Cup-winning England cricket team in the garden of her Downing Street residence on Monday, describing their win as "one of the great sporting spectacles of our time".

England ended their 44-year wait for a first 50-overs world title by beating New Zealand in a nailbiting final Super Over on Sunday.

May, a keen cricket fan, was at the match and, after the win, posted a video clip on Twitter of herself dancing.

The prime minister, who is due to stand down next week, greeted the players in front of her residence and posed for pictures with the team and the trophy.

"When the odds were against you in the biggest game of your lives, you simply and stubbornly refused to lose. It is that determination, that character, that has made you world champions. But, more than that, you have made history," May told the players during the drinks reception, according to remarks released by her office.

"You have helped the nation fall in love with cricket once again," she said, adding that the match was "a final for the ages".

Since being unceremoniously dumped out of the 2015 edition of the tournament in Australia, the England side have reinvented themselves as one-day cricket specialists and had headed into the World Cup as overwhelming favourites.

The match, which England won by the thinnest of margins after a tie-break Super Over, was watched by more than 8 million people in Britain.

South Africa skittled New Zealand's tail to dismiss their hosts for 211 and take a shock 31-run first-innings lead on day two of the second Test at Seddon Park on Wednesday.

Off-spinner Dane Piedt (5-89) and seamer Dane Paterson (3-39) did most of the damage as the Proteas removed the last seven New Zealand batters for 66 runs after lunch.

It would have been worse but for Neil Wagner's 27-ball 33, which featured two thumping sixes and helped the hosts creep a bit closer to South Africa's tally of 242.

With a slew of Test rookies sent over to New Zealand while their more experienced compatriots played in Cricket South Africa's Twenty20 competition, little was expected of Neil Brand's side in Hamilton.

Those expectations were lowered even further when Brand named two spinners, including the recalled Piedt, to face off against New Zealand's four-pronged seam attack.

New Zealand, comfortable 281-run winners in the first Test last week, had ended South Africa's innings in the first 40 minutes of play for the addition of only 22 runs.

Debutant paceman Will O'Rourke (4-59) took three of the four wickets and will start the second innings on a hat-trick after removing Ruan de Swardt (64) and Paterson in successive balls to complete the dismissal.

Despite opener Devon Conway's poor run of form continuing and Kane Williamson departing for 43, the Black Caps batsmen looked well set to grind out the day and get at least to parity when they reached tea on 121-3.

Quick Tshepo Moreki struck first after the break when Rachin Ravindra, a double centurion in the first Test, played the ball onto his own stumps for 29.

Tom Blundell also played on to fall for four to Paterson, who later removed New Zealand skipper Tim Southee for five.

Piedt, who quit South Africa to try his hand at playing in the United States four years ago, had already accounted for dangerman Williamson and opener Tom Latham.

The 33-year-old returned to end New Zealand's hopes of a middle order partnership by having Glenn Phillips caught behind for four, and earned his fourth victim when Will Young (36) made an ill-advised charge down the track and holed out in the deep.

Matt Henry was run out for 10 and Piedt finally ended New Zealand's resistance when Wagner also charged him only to completely miss the ball and watch helplessly as Clyde Fortuin stumped him.

South Africa goalkeeper Ronwen Williams saved four penalties in the post-match shootout against the Cape Verde Islands to carry his country into the last four of the Africa Cup of Nations after a 0-0 draw in their quarter-final on Saturday.

Mothobi Mvala scored the decisive kick to make it 2-1 on penalties and win South Africa a semi-final place for the first time since 2000 but they were fortunate to get past the smallest nation in the tournament at Charles Konan Banny Stadium.

South Africa now take on Nigeria in Bouake in their semi-final on Wednesday.

It was a game full of missed opportunities but Cape Verde, who have a population of 600,000 but draw most of their players from a large diaspora in Europe, had most of the chances and were only denied a last-four place by Williams.

South Africa survived several scares with Williams making a brilliant save to take the game into extra time before continuing his heroics in the shootout by saving four of the five kicks taken by the Cape Verdians.

South Africa dominated the early exchanges but went off the boil after the cooling break, midway through the half, and it was Cape Verde who finished the first half strongly.

They could have been ahead had captain Ryan Mendes taken his chance as the ball fell favourably for him in the box but after several touches to get into a shooting position, his effort was blocked.

There was an even better opportunity for Garry Rodrigues when he was free on goal after breaking down the left but he hit a soft shot straight at Williams.

Another chance for Rodrigues in the 70th minute as South Africa failed to clear a corner was blocked and Kenny Rocha and Jovane Cabral also came close minutes after.

But they should have sewn it up in stoppage time when Gilson Benchimol got goalside of the defenders and onto the end of a pass from the midfield, hitting the ball perfectly on the half volley but Williams made an outstanding save, deflecting the ball onto the woodwork and collecting the rebound.

Cape Verde veteran goalkeeper Vozinha had little to do in the 90 minutes but made two excellent stops at the start of extra time, first a point-blank save from Mihlali Mayambela and then turning a header from Evidence Makgopa over the bar.

Vozinha also made one save in the shootout but it was Williams who emerged as the hero.

Cape Verde have punched above their weight from the start of the tournament, upsetting Ghana in their opening match and finishing ahead of record winners Egypt in their group.

Earlier on Saturday, hosts Ivory Coast scored in the last minute of extra time to come from behind and beat Mali 2-1 in Bouake. The Ivorians meet the Democratic Republic of Congo in their semi-final on Wednesday.

Pakistan suffered a heartbreaking loss to arch-rivals India in their Group A fixture of the ICC T20 World Cup in New York on Sunday, a defeat that has drastically reduced their chances of making it to the Super 8 phase of the tournament.

Before suffering the six-run defeat against India, Pakistan were stunned by the USA in their opening match and have no points to show after two games.

The Babar Azam-led side will next face Canada and Ireland in the group stage, but even if they win both matches, they are not guaranteed a spot in the Super 8s.

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'Used to embarrassment': Heartbreak in Pakistan after loss to India

For Pakistan to progress, they have to win their remaining two matches and either India or the USA, both of whom have won their first two matches, must lose their remaining two fixtures.

If the India-USA match ends in a washout and both teams share a point, that would also end Pakistan's chances of qualifying.

Ireland are in a similar position as Pakistan, having lost to India and Canada. With two points in the bank and two matches to go, Canada are still in the running. If Canada can somehow pull off an upset over India, and the USA lose both their remaining matches, then it would come down to net run rate to determine who would go to the next phase, Pakistan, the USA or Canada.

Pakistan have a tendency of starting tournaments in disastrous fashion but then go deep and even lift the trophy.

But this time around, the chances of another Pakistan comeback in an ICC event seem quite slim.