South Africa triumphed over England by seven runs in their second Super 8 clash of the T20 World Cup 2024 at Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium, Gros Islet, St. Lucia, on Friday.
The Proteas remain undefeated in the competition, boasting six consecutive wins.
England had a slow start to their run chase, with last match’s standout performer Phil Salt (11 off 8 balls) dismissed in the second over. Jos Buttler (17 off 20 balls) and Jonny Bairstow (16 off 20 balls) tried to stabilize the innings but lost their wickets at crucial stages, both falling to Keshav Maharaj. Moeen Ali (9 off 10 balls) struggled to accelerate the run rate and was eventually removed by Ottneil Baartman after attempting a big shot.
England’s hopes were revived by Harry Brook and Liam Livingstone, who formed a crucial 78-run partnership. Brook was aggressive against the South African bowlers, while Livingstone played more cautiously. Livingstone scored a quick 33 off 17 balls before being dismissed by Kagiso Rabada.
Brook reached his first T20 World Cup fifty but was unable to finish the chase, departing after a brilliant catch by South African skipper Aiden Markram. He scored 53 off 37 balls. England finished at 156/6, falling short of the target.
Rabada and Maharaj each claimed two wickets for South Africa.
Earlier, Quinton de Kock gave South Africa a flying start after being put in to bat first by England. The wicketkeeper-batter slammed a 22-ball fifty, the joint-fastest in the ongoing competition. Reeza Hendricks (19 off 25 balls) struggled to build on his slow start and was dismissed by leg-spinner Adil Rashid.
De Kock was eventually dismissed for 65 off 38 balls, featuring eight boundaries, thanks to an acrobatic catch by England skipper Jos Buttler. The defending champions gained momentum with Buttler’s contribution in a run-out that removed Heinrich Klaasen (9 off 13 balls) and Rashid dismissing skipper Aiden Markram (1 off 2 balls).
David Miller took charge in the latter part of the innings, scoring a crucial 43 off 28 balls, helping the Proteas post a total of 163/6 in their 20 overs. Pacer Jofra Archer was the standout bowler for England, finishing with figures of 3/40.
