Watson the star again for Australia as Proteas suffer defeat

Watson added 70 runs to Xavier Doherty’s 3-20 with the ball as Australia won their second successive Super Eight match at the R Premadasa Stadium, by chasing down the Proteas’ 146-5 with 14 balls to spare.

Watson had shared a century opening stand with David Warner in Friday’s success against India, but this time lost his first-wicket partner early.

It did not faze him, though, as he reached his third half-century in four innings with his second six – over square-leg off Wayne Parnell – to go with six fours from 35 balls.

Doherty had earlier given Australia a wonderful start after they had won the toss.

The slow left-armer had South Africa 8-2 in the third over – Richard Levi somehow playing inside the line to be bowled leg-stump for a duck and then Jacques Kallis edging behind to go cheaply too.

It would have been 16-3 had Michael Hussey managed a direct hit from point to run out JP Duminy by yards.

But Watson saw off Hashim Amla with his medium-pace and doubled up with another big wicket – AB de Villiers caught at cover – when he returned for a second spell.

It was therefore only a late flurry from Robin Peterson and Farhaan Behardien, in an unbroken stand of 60, that enabled South Africa to post a competitive total.

Morne Morkel and Dale Steyn then bowled well with the new ball, and the pressure told on Warner.

He responded to three tight overs by making room to hit Morkel but failed to make contact and was bowled middle-stump.

In the reply, Watson did not put a foot wrong until he mishit Peterson on 52 but escaped as Parnell could not quite hold a tough catch, diving in from wide long-off.

Watson eventually holed out off Peterson at long-on to end a stand of 99 with Hussey (45no).

But South Africa still never came close to getting off the mark in a group currently dominated by the Australians – and Watson in particular.

Rising star Virat Kohli made an impressive unbeaten 78 to lead India to an eight-wicket win over fierce rivals Pakistan in a one-sided World Twenty20 Super Eight clash.

Pakistan were dismissed for their lowest-ever World Twenty20 total, 128, although it represented a recovery from 60-5 at the halfway point.

India lost Gautam Gambhir early but Kohli powered them home with three overs to spare, backed up by the recalled Virender Sehwag and Yuvraj Singh.