LONDON, England (AFP) — Hosts England cruised into the Champions Trophy final with a seven-wicket win yesterday after South Africa once again underlined their reputation as cricket’s ‘chokers’.

Alastair’s Cook men outplayed the Proteas after electing to bowl on an overcast day at the Oval where England had lost to the West Indies in the final of the same event in 2004.

South Africa were reduced to 80-8 by the 23rd over before a record ninth-wicket partnership of 95 between David Miller and Rory Kleinveldt gave the total some respectability.

But Jonathan Trott hit 82 not out and Joe Root made 48 during a 105-run stand to help England surpass the modest target in the 38th over of a disappointing semi-final.

In Sunday’s final at Edgbaston, Birmingham, which will be worth $2 million for the champions, England will meet the winners today’s all-Asian semi-final between India and Sri Lanka in Cardiff.

South Africa, the top-ranked Test team and a formidable opponent in world cricket, have struggled to get past the semi-final stage in major one-day tournaments since winning the inaugural version of the Champions Trophy in Bangladesh in 1998.

South African captain AB de Villiers admitted the team floundered after the loss of quick wickets in the morning.

England lost openers Cook and Ian Bell cheaply to become 41-2, but South Africa-born Trott and Root flayed the attack on a good batting wicket to steer the hosts towards victory.

Root was bowled by JP Duminy for 48 when 30 more were needed in 18 overs, leaving Trott to bring up the emphatic win by driving Robin Peterson to the cover fence.

South Africa paid for a brittle batting display despite Miller’s unbeaten 56 and Kleinveldt’s career-best 43 in their country’s best one-day partnership for the ninth wicket.

Scoreboard

South Africa

C Ingram lbw b Anderson 0

Hashim Amla c Buttler b Finn 1

R Peterson lbw b Anderson 30

F du Plessis c Buttler b Tredwell 26

AB de Villiers c Buttler b Broad 0

JP Duminy b Tredwell 3

D Miller not out 56

R McLaren run out 1

C Morris c Buttler b Tredwell 3

R Kleinveldt c Buttler b Broad 43

L Tsotsobe c Buttler b Broad 0

Extras: (lb6, w6) 12

Total (all out, 38.4 overs) 175

Fall of wickets: 1-1 (Ingram), 2-4 (Amla), 3-45 (Peterson), 4-50 (de Villiers), 5-63 (Duminy), 6-70 (du Plessis), 7-76 (McLaren), 8-80 (Morris), 9-175 (Kleinveldt), 10-175 (Tsotsobe).

Bowling: Anderson 8-1-14-2 (w3), Finn 8-1-45-1 (w1), Broad 8.4-0-50-3 (w2), Tredwell 7-1-19-3, Root 3-0-22-0, Bopara 4-0-19-0

England

A Cook c de Villiers b Morris 6

I Bell c de Villiers b Kleinveldt 20

J Trott not out 82

J Root b Duminy 48

E Morgan not out 15

Extras: (lb4, w4) 8

Total (for three wickets, 37.3 overs) 179

Fall of wickets: 1-22 (Cook), 2-41 (Bell), 3-146 (Root).

Bowling: Morris 8-1-38-1 (w3), Peterson 9.3-1-49-0, Duminy 5-0-27-1, Tsotsobe 5-0-26-0, Kleinveldt 4-0-10-1, McLaren 6-0-25-0 (w1)

Results: England won by seven wickets

Man of the match: James Tredwell (ENG)

Toss: England

Umpires: Kumar Dharmasena (SRI) and Rod Tucker (AUS)

TV Umpire: Bruce Oxenford (AUS)

Match Referee: Javagal Srinath (IND)