West Indies captain Dwayne Bravo regretted the fact his side were denied one more ball to win the match after they bowed out of the Champions Trophy following a tie with South Africa.
After rain reduced Friday’s fixture in Cardiff to 31 overs per side, South Africa, sent into bat by Bravo, made 230/6.
West Indies were in trouble at 87 for three but Marlon Samuels (48) and Kieron Pollard (28) both scored at better than a run-a-ball to get the World Twenty20 champions back on track.
However, when Pollard was dismissed off what turned out to be the last ball of the match, the West Indies went from being in a winning position to exactly dead level on the Duckworth/Lewis method for deciding rain-affected matches at 190/6 off 26.1 overs.
Both sides received a point for a tie, it was South Africa who qualified for the last four because of their superior net run-rate.
“I must say I am disappointed with how the game ended, but I am not disappointed with what the umpires did,” Bravo said.
However, the all-rounder added: “I think it would have been fair for both teams, the fans and tournament if that extra ball had been bowled or something like that.
“But you have to give credit to both teams, South Africa batted very well and I was pleased with how my guys went in the run chase.”
For South Africa, whose habit of finding some bizarre ways to exit major one-day tournaments led them to be dubbed “chokers” was relief that, unlike the 1999 and 2003 World Cups, this time a tie did not see them eliminated.
“I was aware we were behind as the Duckworth-Lewis score was on the scoreboard the whole time, which made it easy for us to follow and plan,” said de Villiers.
“At that time as it had been raining for half an hour, so it was difficult to know when the umpires were going to call it,” the wicketkeeper-batsman added. “But we will take the luck and go to the semi-finals with it. We have been on wrong side of these matches so I am very happy.”