Watch highlights as South Africa beat England by seven runs in a thrilling T20 World Cup Super 8s match.
In an exciting Super 8 T20 World Cup match, South Africa managed to defend their total of 163/6 against England, winning by seven runs. Quinton de Kock's powerful half-century set the stage for South Africa, while England's Harry Brook and Liam Livingstone fought hard but fell short of the target. South Africa's bowlers also stepped up to the challenge, securing a hard-fought victory in St Lucia.
South Africa's effective strategy of slowing down the ball's pace worked well against England, who struggled to score boundaries in the middle overs. Despite a strong comeback from Brook and Livingstone, South Africa remained composed and managed to secure another victory in the World Cup. Even though they made some mistakes, their composure and determination paid off. However, England still had a long way to go to reach their target, and Baartman's costly full-tosses in the 17th over allowed England to score 21 runs, but it wasn't enough to secure a win.
Kagiso Rabada showed his skill and talent by taking an important wicket in the 18th over, catching Livingstone at deep backward square leg. Marco Jansen also displayed his bowling prowess, only allowing seven runs in the second to last over. This left England with a challenging task of scoring 14 runs in the final over, where Anrich Nortje took a crucial wicket to secure a win for the Proteas. Despite a strong partnership between Brooks and Livingstone, England's slow start ultimately cost them the match.
Reeza Hendricks should be praised for his incredible catch at extra cover, where he dived to his left to dismiss Phil Salt early on in the match. Despite this setback, England failed to pick up the pace or adjust their strategy against South Africa. Jonny Bairstow also missed an opportunity to capitalize on a dropped catch, which could have turned the tide in England's favor.
However, despite a strong start from Quinton de Kock, the South African team struggled to maintain their momentum, with England's bowlers putting up a tight performance. Keshav Maharaj and Baartman managed to take crucial wickets, with Bairstow, Buttler, and Ali falling victim to their bowling tactics. South Africa was only able to score a low total, with England managing to contain them effectively.
In the first half of the match, De Kock played aggressively and helped South Africa maintain a high scoring rate. However, England's strong fielding led to the dismissal of several South African players. Despite this, Miller's resilient performance towards the end of the innings helped South Africa avoid a low total. Although South Africa initially had a strong start, their momentum slowed down as they lost wickets. Miller's late surge ultimately pushed South Africa's total past 150 runs.