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SOUTHAMPTON. — South Africa were handed a World Cup lifeline when their clash with the West Indies was washed out yesterday.

The abandoned match gifted the Proteas their first point of the tournament following three straight losses.

Defeat to the West Indies would have left South Africa effectively unable to qualify for the semi-finals, but their point gained by default, thanks to unrelenting rain, now hands coach Ottis Gibson’s men a slender chance of progression.

South Africa must win their final five matches to qualify from the round-robin group stage, however, with clashes against Afghanistan, New Zealand, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Australia still to come.

Another washout would scupper those slim last-four chances, with the Proteas still staring down the barrel of their worst World Cup performance.

South Africa had slipped to 29 for two in the eighth over when rain stopped play in Southampton, and the match never resumed.

Sheldon Cottrell had bagged two wickets for 18 runs, removing Hashim Amla and Aiden Markram in another fearsome fast bowling spell. — Press Association.