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South Africa look to wrap up quarter-final spot

South Africa can wrap up a World Cup quarter-final place on Saturday with victory over Pakistan while Ireland can take a step closer to the last eight with a win over Zimbabwe. India's four-wicket win against the West Indies in Perth on Friday night kept the defending champions top of Pool B with eight points from four victories in four matches. That assured them of one of the quarter-final places in the pool and South Africa, with three wins and a loss so far, can join them in the knockout round if they get the better of Pakistan in Auckland. The Proteas, who have never made a World Cup final let alone clinched the title, will have JP Duminy fit again after missing the last two games due to a side strain. South Africa are in prime form with skipper AB de Villiers, Hashim Amla and Faf du Plessis all scoring hundreds in the last two games, helping their side to two successive totals of 400-plus. De Villiers was in astounding touch during his 66-ball 162 against the West Indies on February 27 -- the fastest 150 in one-day internationals. But coach Russell Domingo is wary of 1992 champions Pakistan who have won their last two games after being outplayed in their first two. "Pakistan's unpredictability is not a challenge because they are predictably unpredictable, if that makes sense," he said. Pakistan, who start the day in third place, have never beaten South Africa in a World Cup match, losing in 1992, 1996 and 1999. Pace spearhead Mohammad Irfan is expected to be fit after injuring a hip muscle in the win against UAE. However, the weather could be a factor with showers expected during the day at Eden Park. - Ireland, Zimbabwe clash - Also in Pool B, Ireland and Zimbabwe face-off in Hobart. The Irish are just ahead of Zimbabwe in the standings with four points from three matches compared to the Africans' two from four. Zimbabwe will be without captain Elton Chigumbura after the 28-year-old all-rounder suffered a thigh injury when he tripped and fell while chasing a ball in Sunday's 20-run loss to Pakistan in Brisbane. The nature of that defeat was also something of a body-blow to Zimbabwe, whose only win at the tournament so far was a hard-fought success over the part-timers from the UAE. Zimbabwe held Pakistan to a modest 235 for seven but, despite several batsmen getting starts, they came up short in their chase. The Irish too will go into the match on the back of a defeat, a 201-run thrashing by South Africa. It was Ireland's first loss after wins over the West Indies and the UAE. But given South Africa made 408 for five against the West Indies in their preceding match, the defeat may be easier for Ireland to brush aside as 'one of those things' than Zimbabwe's loss to Pakistan will be for the Africans. Meanwhile, India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said Saturday that India's impressive start was forged in the disappointments of recent visits to Australia and New Zealand. India win a single match against Australia in the run-up to the World Cup and then failed to reach the final of the triangular one-day series against the home nation and England. It also follows a winless tour of New Zealand 12 months earlier. “They learned a lot out of the tri-series, and also from the away tours,” Dhoni said. “We didn't win single game in New Zealand, but still what I felt was the players were learning what really needs to be done, and it's all a reflection of all of that. “At times people get too busy about, no, we have to win, we have to win, but what's more important is the bowlers or the batsmen, they have to learn what to do so that they can consistently win outside (India)."