LONDON: David Miller and Rory Kleinveldt smashed a record ninth-wicket stand to lift South Africa to 175 in the Champions Trophy semi-final against England at the Oval on Wednesday.

Miller hit an unbeaten 56 and Kleinveldt chipped in with a career-best 43 during a 95-run partnership after South Africa were reduced to 80-8 in the 23rd over.

The stand was South Africa's highest for the ninth wicket, surpassing the 65 put on by Wayne Parnell and Dale Steyn against India in Jaipur 2010.

Miller, who rose to fame with a 38-ball century in the Indian Premier League this year, smashed five boundaries and two sixes.

Kleinveldt, replacing the unfit Steyn, hit a six and four fours, as the

pair prevented a total collapse after England won the toss and elected to field in overcast conditions.

Seamer Stuart Broad and off-spinner James Tredwell claimed three wickets each and James Anderson took two for 14 in eight overs.

Wicket-keeper Jos Buttler held six catches in an impressive display by the hosts in front of 25,000 fans at the Oval.

South Africa lost both openers, Colin Ingram and Hasim Amla, off the first 10 deliveries of the match to make it 4-2.

Star batsman Amla, who hit a Test triple-century at the same venue last year, was caught behind off Steven Finn for one. Ingram was leg-before to Anderson.

Pinch-hitter Robin Peterson smashed 30 a third-wicket stand of 41 with Faf du Plessis before becoming Anderson's second leg-before victim in the 11th over.

Two overs later, the Proteas suffered a major blow when skipper AB de Villiers gifted his wicket with a wild drive off Broad that was edged to the wicket-keeper.

Tredwell made up for the absence of the injured Graeme Swann as he had JP Duminy leg-before in his second over and got du Plessis caught behind in his third.

South Africa slumped to 70-6 in the 19th over and it soon became 76-7 when Ryan McLaren was run out by an alert Jonathan Trott in the slips as the batsman stepped out to drive Tredwell. (AFP)