GROS ISLET, St Lucia, CMC – South Africa strangled England at the back end as they took a giant strike towards the ICC Twenty20 World Cup semi-finals with a narrow seven-runseven-run victory in their second game of the Super Eights here Friday.
Needing to defend 164 at the Daren Sammy Cricket Stadium to clinch their second win of the second stage, South Africa appeared headed for defeat when Harry Brook plundered 21 runs from the 17th over sent down by seamer Ottneil Baartman to get England up to 139 for four.
However, seasoned fast bowler Kagiso Rabada turned the game on its head when he removed Liam Livingstone for a 17-ball 33 in the next over, which cost only four runs, also breaking a 78-run fifth wicket stand with top-scorer Harry Brook (53).
Seamer Marco Jansen followed up with a seven-run penultimate over, leaving England with 14 to get from the final over bowled by Anrich Nortje – a task that proved beyond them.
Man-of-the-Match Quinton de Kock had punched an exhilarating 65 from 38 deliveries to propel South Africa to 163 for six after they were sent in.
Left-hander David Miller chimed in with 43 from 28 balls, while Barbados-born England speedster Jofra Archer recovered from a 21-run opening over to claim three for 40 from his four.
“I’ve played a lot of day T20s in cricket in the West Indies, and generally that (power-play) is the most important time to score runs – it was the easier time to score runs,” said de Kock.
“In the power-play, the ball is old, and as the wicket deteriorates, it gets harder.
“I think our bowlers also bowled well. One or two key moments could have also been a standout. I think KG’s final over [could’ve been] potential match-winning.”
The left-handed de Kock struck four fours and four sixes in an 86-run opening stand with Reeza Hendricks (19), which yielded 63 runs during the power-play.
Both fell within 12 balls and six runs of each other as South Africa lost four for 27, but Miller rallied the innings superbly, lashing four fours and two sixes in a 42-run, fifth-wicket partnership with Tristan Stubbs (12 not out).
In reply, England reached 43 for one in the seventh over before slumping as three wickets tumbled for 18 runs – left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj (2-25) striking twice – to leave the chase in rocky shape at 61 for four in the 11th over.
Brook countered with seven fours and Livingstone, three fours and two sixes, in what looked like a match-winning partnership before the late meltdown.
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