England fall cheaply

England recovered only briefly from a wretched start on the way to 171 all out on a spinner's pitch against South Africa at the M Chidambaram Stadium.

Battling half-centuries from Ravi Bopara (60) and Jonathan Trott (52) provided hope of salvaging a worthwhile total, after Robin Peterson (three for 22) had seen off both openers in the first over of this World Cup Group B match.

But England's last six wickets fell for only 37 as they were bowled out in 45.4 overs, courtesy principally of Peterson and Imran Tahir (four for 38).

Andrew Strauss won the toss and chose to bat but unaccountably picked out the only fielder in the leg-side deep when he went down the pitch and launched Peterson towards the midwicket boundary - where Faf du Plessis took a fine, tumbling catch.

Kevin Pietersen had crossed and clubbed his second ball through mid-on for two, only to push forward to the next and edge to Jacques Kallis low at slip.

Peterson was in business again when Ian Bell was done in the flight and checked a drive back at the bowler, who dived to his left to take a smart catch and his third wicket for three runs in 16 balls.

Trott posted an 87-ball 50, and Bopara would later follow suit at exactly the same tempo. But by then his partner was gone to Tahir's diving caught-and-bowled.

Matt Prior could lend only temporary support to Bopara, before guiding an edge behind off the pace of Morne Morkel.

Bopara, who had justified his recall for this pivotal fixture at the expense of Paul Collingwood by equalling his previous best score at this level, was pinned lbw on the back foot to a short ball from Morkel that did not make stump height.

Dale Steyn then quickly made it 149 for seven when Tim Bresnan departed in near action-replay circumstances to Bopara, and England's second slump was to prove terminal.