South Africa once again emerged victorious in a thrilling encounter to reach T20 World Cup 2024 semifinals. With 53 runs needed in last 10 overs and seven wickets in hand, South Africa were expected to make it a one-sided encounter but they suffered a batting collapse amidst a quality bowling passage from West Indies. In the end, Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen bailed them out and guided the team to a three wicket win with seven balls to spare in a rain-curtailed encounter at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, Antigua.
West Indies lose early wickets
Earlier, Markram won the toss and opted to bowl first. In the first over, Marco Jansen dismissed Shai Hope for a golden duck as he handed an easy catch to Stubbs at cover-point. Markram opened the bowling from the other end and got the prized wicket of Nicholas Pooran. In Jansen's second over, Roston Chase got a reprieve as Anrich Nortje dropped the catch. In the fifth over, Chase hit Keshav Maharaj for the first six of the innings. Kyle Mayers got a reprieve as well. His catch was dropped in the sixth over. After powerplay overs, West Indies were 47/2.
Chase scores fifty amidst collapse
In the eighth over, Jansen and Kagiso Rabada were involved in a collision as Mayers' shot went for a six. They were not injured and returned to the field after a few overs. In the 12th over, they went after Tabraiz Shamsi. The left-arm chinaman made a comeback with the wicket of Mayers to break the partnership. He scored 35 runs from 34 balls. In the next over, skippper Rovman Powell got stumped off Maharaj’s bowling. Chase got to his half-century in the 14th over from 39 balls. In the same over, Shamsi got Sherfane Rutherford at first slip.
Shamsi in his last over dismissed set batter Chase. He scored 52 runs from 42 balls including three fours and a couple of sixes. Russell infused life in the innings with a couple of sixes off Nortje. But Nortje ended Russell's stay at the crease with a direct hit in the next over. He departed for a nine-ball 15. In the same over, Rabada dismissed Akeal Hosein caught and bowled. In the final over, Joseph hit a six and pushed West Indies' score to 135/8.
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Rain interrupts early in run chase
Defending a low total, left-arm spinner Hosein erred in the first over as he conceded three boundaries off De Kock's bat. Russell opened the bowling from the other end and struck twice to get rid of Reeza Hendricks and De Kock. But rain hampered with the momentum gained by South Africa. South Africa got a revised target of 123 from 17 overs.
Klaasen’s cameo
After the play resumed, Markram and Stubbs got off to a positive start hitting timely boundaries. The partnership was broken by Joseph in the sixth over. Markram scored 18 runs from 15 balls. Heinrich Klaasen released the pressure with a six and three consecutive fours off Gudakesh Motie. He got the require run rate below six runs per over. South Africa needed 53 runs from last 10 overs. Joseph got West Indies back in the game with a well-directed short ball. Klaasen departed for a 10-ball 20 cameo. On the first ball of the last over, Jansen finished the run chase in style with a six.
Proteas survive nervy run chase
David Miller struggled in the middle overs and could not even rotate the strike. After three quiet overs, Miller got bowled by Chase for a 14-ball four. With pressure mounting, Stubbs played an unnecessary lofted shot off Chase and got caught at long-on for a 27-ball 29. Joseph finished well with an economical over. In last two overs, South Africa needed 13 runs. Chase dismissed Maharaj for a single-digit score. But Pooran faltered behind the stumps and gave two byes. On the last ball, Rabada hit a boundary to bring the equation to five runs from six balls.
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