AB de Villiers's 79 not out provided the platform for South Africa to crush Scotland by 130 runs in the Proteas' opening match of the ICC World Twenty20 at the Oval on Sunday.

Scotland, chasing an unlikely 212 to win after South Africa made 211 for five, slumped to 81 all out.

Theirs was the seventh lowest in all Twenty20 internationals and the second worst at the Twenty20 World Cup following Kenya's 73 against New Zealand in Durban two years ago.

Scotland collapsed to 13 for four inside three overs and only Kyle Coetzer's gutsy 42 off 32 balls, featuring three sixes, prevented an even greater margin of defeat.

This crushing reverse ended minnows Scotland's slim hopes of qualifying for the second phase Super Eights after their seven-wicket loss to New Zealand, the other team in Group D, in a rain-affected match at the Oval on Saturday.

De Villiers faced just 34 balls, striking six sixes and six fours.

South Africa quick Dale Steyn bowled Ryan Watson off the fifth ball of the reply and, after Scotland captain Gavin Hamilton fell to Wayne Parnell, two wickets were lost with the score on 13.

Navdeep Poonia was run out needlessly for nough before Colin Smith was bowled first ball by a 91mph Steyn yorker.

Coetzer did give Scotland fans something to cheer by pulling Steyn for six but the match had been over as a contest long before then.

Scotland briefly staunched the flow of wickets before Neil McCallum was bowled by off-spinner Johan Botha to leave his side 35 for five.

South Africa saw captain Graeme Smith (38) and Jacques Kallis (48) put on 87 for the first wicket before off-spinner Majid Haq (two for 25) removed both openers in the space of four balls.

Kallis dragged an intended sweep against Haq onto his stumps having faced 31 balls with eight fours.

And three balls later Smith got a top-edge off Haq which was caught by Scotland wicket-keeper Smith.

Scotland put a brake on the run-rate and when Herschelle Gibbs was stumped by Smith off Watson, South Africa were 125 for three in the 15th over.

But the Proteas scored 83 runs off the last five overs although the last over did see Coetzer take a brilliant catch, diving backwards, to get rid of Mark Boucher.

South Africa conclude their Group D programme against New Zealand at Lord's on Monday.

AFP

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