CENTURION: Australia were the last team to enter the ICC Champions Trophy semi-finals but they got there after surviving a scare against Pakistan that had Ricky Ponting chewing his fingernails on the dressing-room balcony.

Chasing Pakistan’s total of 205, Australia were cruising at 140-2. However, they lost six wickets for 47 runs and Brett Lee and Nathan Hauritz ended up scrambling a last-ball bye to scrape a two-wicket victory in Centurion. “I was chewing my fingers nails up there for the last little bit,” Ponting said after the game. “That ended up being closer than I thought was possible. We snuck across the line.”

The result left Australia on top of Group A with five points, compared to Pakistan’s four, which means they’ll face England, the second-placed team in Group B, in the first semi-final in Centurion on Friday. Australia came to South Africa

having won a bilateral one-day series 6-1 in England but

despite that success Ponting was wary of a resurgent

England team.