OPINION: Proteas bank vital World Cup qualification points against champions

Any team that banks a series win against dual white-ball world champions England these days should feel chuffed, and the fact that the Proteas also gained 20 invaluable Super League points should leave them extremely satisfied with their efforts over the last week.

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The 20 points go towards automatic qualification for the ODI World Cup in India later this year and South Africa now have 78 in total, each of their seven wins being worth 10 points and two no results bringing five points each.

The Proteas have been deducted two points for slow over-rates, including one point in the last ODI against England. They will also only play 21 matches in the Super League, compared to everyone else’s 24 because they forfeited a series in Australia to instead have their top players available for the start of the SA20.

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So South Africa have two matches remaining, against the Netherlands in Benoni and Johannesburg from March 31. Although they would normally, especially if they play like they did against England, be expected to pocket two wins there quite easily – taking their points to 98 – Proteas fans should not need reminding that the last time they played the Dutch, they suffered a shock loss that knocked them out of the T20 World Cup in November.

Two more wins

If South Africa do as they are expected to do though and claim two more wins, then they will climb above the West Indies, who have completed their schedule and have 88 points, in eighth place, the final qualifying spot.

Sri Lanka, currently in 10^th place on 77 points, do still have a chance of automatic qualification however. But they will have to do what only five teams in the history of ODI cricket have done and whitewash New Zealand 3-0 at home, in order to go past 98 points, in a series that ends on March 31. South Africa were the last team to win 3-0 in New Zealand, back in 2011/12.

All the teams battling for qualification do have a second chance however, with the two finalists in the qualifying tournament in Zimbabwe in June going through to the showpiece in India as well.