Centurion, Sept. 28: England stormed into the Champions Trophy semi-finals with a 22-run victory over South Africa who crashed out of the tournament despite captain Graeme Smith’s brave century here on Sunday.

Smith hit a career-best 141 for his eighth one-day hundred but his team were still restricted to 301/9 while chasing a 324-run target.

The defeat also eliminated the hosts, who needed 313 to stay ahead of Sri Lanka on net run-rate.

"It’s hugely disappointing. I think it’s about giving your all, unfortunately we fell 22 runs short," said Smith.

"Two of the games, we have given away over 300 runs. It’s difficult to chase that much regularly. You have to give credit to the way England batted. Anything around 300 we would have cruised in, but 324 was a step too far."

England have won both of their games in the four-team Group B, while South Africa and Sri Lanka finished their league engagements with one win apiece in three matches.

England owed their highest one-day total against South Africa to man-of-the-match Owais Shah and Eoin Morgan, who gave a superb exhibition of power-hitting. Shah smashed 98 off 89 balls, while Morgan cracked a 34-ball 67.

South Africa went for their shots early in their innings in a bid to achieve a stiff target, with Smith and Herschelle Gibbs putting on 42 in seven overs.

Smith, dropped on 82 by Shah at long-on off seamer Collingwood, sustained his team’s hopes with a gutsy knock. He reached his century when he cut Collingwood for his 10th four.

Smith, refused a runner after suffering from cramp later in his innings, put on 78 for the third wicket with AB de Villiers (36) and 64 for the next with Jean-Paul Duminy (24). — AFP