Kirsten punishes Emirates' bowling

South Africa 321-2 United Arab Emirates 152-8 (South Africa win by 169 runs)

Gary Kirsten hit a World Cup record 188 not out to steer South Africa to a rout of the United Arab Emirates in their rain-delayed Group B match in Rawalpindi yesterday.

Kirsten's innings was one short of Viv Richards' world record for a one- day international, set 12 years ago against England at Old Trafford. The 28-year-old was named man of the match for his part in South Africa's 321 for 2 from 50 overs, their biggest score in a limited-overs international.

The Emirates, making their World Cup debut, scored 152 for 8 in reply from their 50 overs before a small crowd. Arshad Laiq, a former Pakistani first-class cricketer, hit an unbeaten 43 and his Indian-born partner Shaukat Dukanwala made 40 not out in a stubborn ninth-wicket stand of 80.

Brian McMillan took 3 for 11 and Allan Donald 3 for 21, but the day belonged to Kirsten who made his unbeaten 188 off just 159 balls and hit four sixes and 13 fours in his 210-minute stay.

His score was seven more than Richards's previous World Cup best, set in Pakistan at the 1988 World Cup. Kirsten and Andrew Hudson raced to a first-wicket partnership of 60 before Hudson was bowled for 27 by Johanne Samarasekara.

Hansie Cronje kept up the early momentum with Kirsten before being stumped on 57 by Imtiaz Abbasi off Zarawani. Their second-wicket partnership of 116 set another record for South Africa in the World Cup, as did the third of 145 between Kirsten and Daryll Cullinan.

(United Arab Emirates won toss)

SOUTH AFRICA

A C Hudson b Samarasekera 27

G Kirsten not out 188

*W J Cronje st Imtiaz Abbasi b Zarawani 57

D J Cullinan not out 41

Extras (b1 lb1 w3 nb3) 8

Total (for 2, 50 overs) 321

Fall: 1-60, 2-176.

Did not bat: J H Kallis, J N Rhodes, B M McMillan, S M Pollock, S L Palframan, C R Matthews, A A Donald.

Bowling: Samarasekera 9-2-39-1; Shazad Altaf 3-0-22-0; Arshad Laeeq 6- 0-52-0; Dukanwala 10-0-64-0; Azhar Saeed 7-0-41-0; Zarawani 10-0-69-1; Mazhar Hussain 5-0-32-0.

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

Azhar Saeed c McMillan b Pollock 11

G Mylvaganam c Palframan b Donald 23

Mazhar Hussain b Donald 14

V Mehra run out 2

Mohammad Aslam b McMillan 9

Arshad Laeeq not out 43

J A Samarasekera c Hudson b Donald 4

*S Zarawani c Cronje b McMillan 0

Imtiaz Abbasi c Palframan b McMillan 1

S Dukanwala not out 40

Extras (w3, nb2) 5

Total (for 8, 50 overs) 152

Fall: 1-24, 2-42, 3-46, 4-60, 5-62, 6-68, 7-70, 8-72.

Did not bat: Shazad Altaf.

Bowling: Pollock 9-2-28-1; Matthews 10-0-39-0; Donald 10-0-21-3; Cronje 4-0-17-0; McMillan 8-1-11-3; Kallis 6-0-27-0; Kirsten 3-0-9-0.

Umpires: S A Bucknor (West Indies) and V K Ramaswamy (India).