Nottingham: South Africa unleashed their awesome bowling power to inflict a morale-sapping defeat on England by seven wickets in the World Twenty20 Super Eights on Thursday.

Left-arm seamer Wayne Parnell grabbed three wickets as England were shot out for 111 after Paul Collingwood elected to take first strike in good batting conditions at Trent Bridge.

The Proteas strolled their way towards surpassing the modest target, winning the game in the 19th over in front of a sell-out crowd of 18,000 to earn their first points in the second round.

England claimed South African captain Graeme Smith in the fourth over, caught behind off Stuart Broad, before Jacques Kallis and Herschelle Gibbs dug in to put on 74 for the second wicket.

Gibbs made run-a-ball 30 before he was bowled by off-spinner Graeme Smith, leaving Kallis to complete the formalities with 57 not out.

Owais Shah was the lone Englishman to withstand the Proteas' onslaught with 38 off 33 balls after four of the top seven batsmen managed only four runs between them.

All the six bowlers used by Smith were among the wickets, with Kallis and Roelof van der Merwe supporting Parnell with two scalps each.

England crashed to 25-3 by the sixth over in an inspired display by the South Africans in the field.

Openers Ravi Bopara and Luke Wright were dismissed by the second over and Kevin Pietersen, who made 19 of the first 25 runs, was caught superbly at mid-on by van der Merwe off Albie Morkel.

The over ended without Morkel conceding a run, the first maiden over of the tournament, but Shah made amends by taking 14 runs in three balls from the 12th over bowled by spinner van der Merwe.

Morkel was not called upon to bowl a second over as the other bowlers took care of the England batsmen.

Collingwood put on 53 for the fourth wicket with Shah before he was bowled by Kallis for 19 to make it 78-4 in the 13th over.

Van der Merwe finished his spell with two wickets in his final over as James Foster fell to a low catch by Morkel before Dmitri Mascarenhas was bowled four balls later.

"We're very happy with that. We fielded well and took our chances," said Johan Botha, who is another spinner having an impact on the tournament.

"Spinners always know where the ball's going to go so standard fields are set. With a seamer, the ball can go anywhere."

South Africa next play the West Indies at the Oval in London on Saturday, while England take on defending champions India at Lord's on Sunday.

Brief Score: South Africa 114 for 3 (Kallis 578) beat England 111 (Shah 38, Parnell 3-14)