The China Mail - Wolvaardt stars as South Africa crush Pakistan in rain-hit World Cup contest

Opening batter Wolvaardt hit 90 to guide South Africa to a mammoth 312-9 in their reduced 40 overs in Colombo.

The Sri Lankan capital has endured heavy rain over the past two weeks and has seen four matches abandoned.

Pakistan finished on 83-7 while chasing a revised target of 234 in 20 overs after several rain interruptions plagued the match.

The defeat means they have bowed out of the semi-final race without a win in six matches.

Pakistan's exit means the semi-finals and the final on November 2 will be played in India.

Sri Lanka were chosen as co-hosts with India to accomodate Pakistan matches at a neutral venue as part of a compromise deal.

India and Pakistan only meet in cricket in international tournaments and on neutral territory.

South Africa, who had already booked their place in the semi-finals of the women's 50-over marquee tournament alongside Australia and England, won their fifth successive match.

Invited to bat first, South Africa were 6-1 in two overs when rain interrupted play and it was more than two hours later that their innings re-started.

Wolvaardt and Sune Luus (61) found their groove and hit regular boundaries against a Pakistan bowling attack that was wayward in their line and length as they bowled with a wet ball due to moisture and intermittent spells of drizzle.

The pair put on 118 runs for the second wicket to lay the foundations for the mammoth total -- South Africa's highest in a World Cup.

Luus reverse-swept Sadia Iqbal for a boundary to reach her fifty and hit two more fours in the next over before falling to Nashra Sandhu. She hit eight fours and two sixes.

Wolvaardt looked fluent and raised her third half-century of the tournament with a boundary off Iqbal's left-arm spin as she kept up the charge.

Sandhu, a left-arm orthodox, denied Wolvaardt her 100 when she had the batter stumped in a two-wicket over.

But there was no stopping South Africa as Marizanne Kapp and Nadine de Klerk tore into the Pakistan attack with boundaries galore.

Kapp hit an unbeaten 68 and De Klerk struck 41 off 16 balls to take the total past 300 in a 25-run 39th over.

Pakistan were never in the chase and slipped to 35-4 in their first revised target of 306 in 40 overs when rain interrupted play.

The ground staff worked tirelessly as intermittent showers forced Pakistan's target to be revised four times before the teams finally retook the field at around 22:45 local time (17:15 GMT).

But their batters were unable to ever challenge the South African total as the 20 overs ticked by with Pakistan failing to pass the 100-run mark.

W.Cheng--ThChM