At Adelaide, March 15. South Africa won by six wickets. Toss: South Africa. Heavy rain reduced the match to 30 overs a side, and South Africa did well to surpass the Indians' six runs an over. After Srikkanth fell quickly to Kirsten's one-handed catch, Azharuddin (77 balls) stylishly added 78 with India's latest opener, Manjrekar, and then 71 in eight overs with Kapil Dev (a hectic 42 in 29 balls).

Promoted to open for South Africa, Kirsten scored at almost a run a ball, and put on 128 with Hudson, who reached his third fifty in four innings. When Kirsten was yorked with 24 needed from three overs, Wessels supervised the final chase. Victory assured South Africa of a semi-final appearance, unless politics intervened; Geoff Dakin, president of the United Cricket Board of South Africa, said he would feel obliged to withdraw if the all-white referendum two days later rejected constitutional reform. Pakistan and West Indies, however, urged them to remain, and a decisive vote for reform made the matter academic.

Man of the Match: P. N. Kirsten. Attendance: 6,272.

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