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Nervy Proteas scrape past West Indies into semifinals

football24 June 2024 09:45| © MWP
By:Neil Manthorp
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Tabraiz Shamsi’s 3-27 headlined a fine bowling performance by South Africa as they scrambled to a hard-fought DLS victory by three wickets in their Super Eight match to reach the T20 World Cup semifinals at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua on Monday morning.

Having restricted the home side to a modest 135-8 South Africa’s run-chase suffered a double blow in the second over when Andre Russell (4-0-19-2) had Reeza Hendricks caught down the leg side with his first ball before Quinton de Kock (12 off 7 balls) pulled his sixth straight to deep square leg.

A torrential rainstorm halted play after two overs with South Africa on 15-2 and just over an hour was lost before play resumed with South Africa’s target reduced to 123 in 17 overs - captain Aiden Markram (18 from 15 balls) departing 20 balls after the resumption miscuing a drive against Alzarri Joseph to mid off.

The delicately poised run-chase was changed dramatically by Heinrich Klaasen who enjoyed some fortune in taking 20 runs off left arm spinner Gudakesh Motie’s first over, straight driving the first ball for six before cutting, edging and glancing three fours to quieten the crowd.

A fierce Joseph bouncer was gloved by Klaasen to ‘keeper Nocholas Pooran but his 22 from 10 balls appeared to have changed the match leaving Tristan Stubbs and David Miller with less than a run-a-ball required.

 

But Miller (4) was bowled by offspinner Roston Chase’s ‘slider’ and Stubbs, with the game at his mercy, launched a hopeful drive against Chase to Kyle Mayers at long on to depart for 29 from 27 balls and suddenly the equation was 23 runs from 23 balls with Marco Jansen and Keshav Maharaj at the crease.

Maharaj’s bid for glory ended with another wicket for Chase (3-0-12-3) but Jansen kept his cool, Rabada (5*) cover-drove Chase’s last ball for four and Jansen ended the match in dramatic fashion when he straight drove the first ball of the final over from Obed McCoy for six to finish unbeaten on 21 from 14 balls with a four to go with his match-winning six.

Earlier Shamsi claimed 3-27 as South Africa bowled a dozen overs of spin with Maharaj returning 1-24 and captain Markram claiming 1-28 after opening the bowling and delivering his four overs without a break.

The tournament co-hosts crashed to 5-2 when Shai Hope lashed his first ball from Jansen to Stubbs at cover and Nicholas Pooran (1) hoisted Markram to Jansen at long-off but opener Kyle Mayers (35) and Roston Chase (52) rebuilt with a third wicket stand of 81.

But Mayers never found his best rhythm before slashing a short ball from Shamsi to Stubbs on the cover boundary to depart for 35 from 34 balls and captain Rovman Powell (1) was smartly stumped second ball by de Kock after a crafty change of pace and flight from Maharaj.

Feeling the pressure of mounting dot balls Chase launched Shamsi to Rabada at long on after striking three fours and two sixes moments after Sherfane Rutherford (0) had been well caught by Markram at slip off a perfect Shamsi leg-break in the 14th over.

Russell (15 from 9 balls) briefly threatened to deliver a more damaging total with two pulled sixes against Anrich Nortje (4-0-26-0) but Nortje exacted timely revenge with a stunning direct hit from square leg to run him out.

Rabada was not introduced into the attack until the 18th over and bowled the 20th as well for figures of 1-11 from his two overs while Jansen was injured in a fielding clash with Rabada after two overs which brought him 1-17.

West Indies: Rovman Powell*, Kyle Mayers, Shai Hope, Nicholas Pooran (wk), Sherfane Rutherford, Roston Chase, Andre Russell, Alzarri Joseph, Akeal Hosein, Gudakesh Motie, Obed McCoy.

South Africa: Aiden Markram*, Quinton de Kock (wk), Reeza Hendricks, Tristan Stubbs, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Anrich Nortje.

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