Cricket: Raina joins century club as India advance

CASTRIES, St. Lucia - India advanced to the Super Eight stage of the World Twenty20 by beating South Africa by 14 runs today after Suresh Raina smashed 101 off 60 balls.

Raina hit nine fours and five sixes to lift India from 32-2 in the sixth over to a formidable total of 186-5 in the Group C match at Beausejour Stadium. He put on 88 off 62 deliveries with Yuvraj Singh, who hit 37 off 30 balls.

South Africa was always struggling to match the required rate, reaching 172-5 after Jacques Kallis' 73 off 54 balls and Graeme Smith's 36 off 28 balls.

India has advanced after also beating Afghanistan on Sunday (NZT).

Raina became the third player to score a hundred in a Twenty20 international, after Chris Gayle of West Indies and Brendon McCullum of New Zealand.

"It's a good feeling. I'm really happy for the team now," Raina said.

South Africa needed 24 runs off the final over after A.B. de Villiers had accelerated with 31 off 15 toward the end, but left-arm seamer Ashish Nehra bowled tightly in the last six balls to finish with 1-27 off four overs.

South Africa's final preliminary match is against Afghanistan on Thursday in Barbados.

Raina had a few slices of luck. He was caught on 5 at mid-off from Rory Kleinveldt's no-ball and survived a few close run out chances before he passed 50. He made Kleinveldt pay for his indiscretion by helping to blast 25 off the 18th over.

India amassed 119 from the last 10 overs, including 75 from the last five.

South Africa lost Loots Bosman at 21-1. Kallis and Smith rebuilt the innings before Smith was run out with 69 still needed from 27 balls.

Kallis, dropped on 0 by Yusuf Pathan at backward point, hit three fours and three sixes before he slapped leg-spinner Piyush Chawla to long-on.

De Villiers landed a few late lusty blows but they were all in vain.

- AP