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South Africa sink spirited USA in T20 World Cup Super 8

football19 June 2024 18:19| © MWP
By:Neil Manthorp
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Quinton de Kock’s brilliant 74 from 40 balls led South Africa to an imposing total of 194-4 but a tense victory by 18 runs in the first match of the T20 World Cup ‘Super Eight’ stage against the USA at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua on Wednesday.

Co-hosts USA had a magnificent start and spirited end to the run chase as they reached 53-1 after 5.2 overs and overcame a clatter of wickets in the middle overs before recovering to finish on 176-6 with former SA Knights batsman Andries Gous finishing on a brilliant 80 not out from just 47 balls with a quintet of fours and sixes.

Kagiso Rabada claimed 2-6 in his first two overs after Marco Jansen had been clobbered for 32 in three overs, but it was the 19th over of the innings which changed everything when Rabada (4-0-18-3) claimed his third wicket and conceded just two runs with the USA requiring 28 from the final two overs.

Anrich Nortje, with the luxury of 26 to defend in the final over, conceded eight to finish with 1-37 and a victory which looked more comfortable than its reality.

Earlier, De Kock made light of the team’s top-order woes so far in the tournament with seven fours and five sixes as he romped to 50 from just 26 balls with the Proteas reaching a daunting 101-1 at the halfway stage of the innings.

Captain Aiden Markram also found some welcome and much needed form with an elegant 46 from 32 balls (4x4, 1x6) while Heinrich Klaasen applied an emphatic finishing touch with three sixes in his unbeaten, 22-ball innings of 36.

Tristan Stubbs refused to be rushed but reverse-ramped the final ball of the innings to the boundary to finish 20 not out from 16 balls with two fours.

Reeza Hendricks (11) miscued an off drive against left-arm seamer Saurabh Netravalkar but De Kock and Markram’s partnership of 110 soothed any early nerves with De Kock’s trademark pull-shot earning three sixes and 28 runs off the fourth over from left arm spinner, Jessie Singh.

GOUS FIRES FOR USA

With a century beckoning De Kock was distraught after heaving a full toss from left-arm spinner Harmeet Singh to deep midwicket in the 13th over, but there was nothing fortunate about his second wicket when a slower ball gripped and turned, inducing David Miller (0) into a first-ball return catch.

Markram’s innings ended with a sliced drive against former India under-19 player Netravalkar to short third where Ali Khan held an impressive diving catch, giving Netravalkar an outstanding analysis of 2-21 in his four overs.

When USA slumped to 76-5 the game looked over, but Gous and Harmeet Singh (38 off 22 balls) combined to take 22 off an over from Tabraiz Shamsi (4-0-50-1) during a stand of 91 to reignite the chances of an upset.

When Rabada had Harmeet caught at deep square leg off a low full toss, however, the game was effectively over.

South Africa finished top of their group with four wins out four while co-hosts, USA, progressed to the second round largely thanks to a shock, Super Over victory against Pakistan in their second match although qualification was only guaranteed with a washout against Ireland.

South Africa included a second specialist spinner in Shamsi in place of their only specialist ‘death overs’ bowler, Ottneil Baartman, who has bowled more dot balls than any other SA bowler in the tournament so far.

“It was based purely on conditions,” Markram said at the toss.

These two teams are joined in Group 2 by England and the West Indies who play each other later in the day while Group 1 comprises India, Australia, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.

SOUTH AFRICA: Quinton de Kock (wkt), Reeza Hendricks, Aiden Markram (captain), Heinrich Klaasen, Tristan Stubbs, David Miller, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Ottneil Baartman, Tabraiz Shamsi.

USA: Shayan Jahangir, Steven Taylor, Andries Gous (wkt), Aaron Jones (captain), Nitish Kumar, Corey Anderson, Harmeet Singh, Jasdeep Singh, Nosthush Kenjige, Ali Khan, Saurabh Netravalkar

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