At Sir Vivian Richards Stadium here on Wednesday, the T20 World Cup Super 8 stage match of Group 2 began with a thrilling battle in which South Africa managed to defeat a tenacious USA squad by 18 runs.
Even with the win, Aiden Markram’s men had to fight hard against a determined American side, so it was by no means an easy ride. South Africa, who was put to bat first, amassed a formidable 194 for 4 in their 20 overs. With his best score of the competition thus far, 74 off just 40 balls, Quinton de Kock laid the groundwork.
But Reeza Hendricks was in even worse form, scoring just 11 runs off of 11 deliveries. With a strong 46 off 32 balls, captain Aiden Markram made sure the Proteas maintained their lead. After David Miller fell for a golden duck, the middle order faltered a little bit, but quick cameos from Heinrich Klaasen and Tristan Stubbs helped the total to 194 for 4 in 20 overs.
With two wickets at a cost of just 21 runs in his four overs, Saurabh Netravalkar was the USA’s most impressive bowler. With his left-arm spin, Harmeet Singh also made an impression, grabbing two vital wickets to limit the South African score.
The USA faltered early in their attempt to chase a formidable 195, losing three quick wickets for 56 runs, including the form Aaron Jones for a five-ball duck. They were on the back foot after the early hits, but wicketkeeper-batsman Andries Gous bravely put up a fight. Gous preserved American hopes with an outstanding undefeated innings (80 off 47 balls).
Gous and Harmeet Singh developed a close working relationship through Singh’s pivotal supporting role. The USA’s collaboration helped them come closer to their goal and provided them a ray of hope. But Harmeet’s withdrawal in the last over signalled the end of the American chase.
The best bowler in South Africa, Kagiso Rabada, played a key role in securing the win. He finished with statistics of 3 for 18 in his 4 overs after bowling a brilliant session. Rabada ended any thoughts of an American shock with a very decisive penultimate over, surrendering just two runs and removing Harmeet Singh.
Though the USA’s valiant effort garnered them many plaudits, South Africa’s superior onslaught ultimately proved to be too much for them. The Proteas, who began their Super 8 campaign with a victory, demonstrated the T20 World Cup’s growing competitiveness by working hard to earn their two points.
Brief scores:
South Africa 194/4 in 20 overs (Quinton de Kock 74, Aiden Markram 46; Saurabh Netravalkar 2-21, Harmeet Singh 2-24) beat USA 176/6 in 20 overs (Andries Gous 80 not out, Harmeet Singh 38; Kagiso Rabada 3-18, Keshav Maharaj 1-37) by 18 runs.