We are peaking at the right time: Smith
18th Apr 2007 14:45 IST Agencies
South African captain Graeme Smith says his side's thumping nine-wicket win against England showed that the team was peaking at the right time in the World Cup.
"I would like to think so. It has been a tough tournament and the guys have stood up, regrouped and played out of their lungs," Smith said after the Super Eights encounter at the Kensington Oval at Bridgetown in Barbados on Tuesday.
The win saw South Africa grab the last semi-final berth on offer and knocked England out of the reckoning.
South Africa seemed to lose their way after the defeats to Bangladesh and New Zealand, which also saw them lose their recently earned world no. 1 ranking.
Adding fuel to the furore were reports that some of the players misbehaved in public a day after the loss to the Kiwis.
Smith said that provided the spark for his players.
"It's always a motivation. We know what kind of cricket we can play and we showed it today," said Smith, who slammed an imperious 89 as South Africa overhauled a meagre England target of 155 with more than 30 overs to spare.
Smith, however, gave credit to the bowlers for today's win.
"The bowlers led from the front. To bowl England out for 154 was a great effort," he said.
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