South Africa’s experience prevails after USA scare

T20 World Cup Super 8s

South Africa’s experience held them in good stead from the beginning as they beat the USA by 18 runs in a tense finish to the first match of the T20 World Cup Super 8s played at North Sound on Wednesday.

USA once again proved themselves at the big stage as they tried chasing down South Africa’s total of 194. The Andries Gous (80* off 47 balls, 5 fours, 5 sixes) and Harmeet Singh (38 off 22 balls, 2 fours, 3 sixes) partnership of 91 off seven overs ignited a lot of hopes for USA as they recovered from 76-5 to 167. But it took one over from Kagiso Rabada to calm the nerves and ensure a South African victory. Rabada’s figures of 3/19 from 4 overs on a wicket where batters enjoyed themselves proved to be the massive difference as the USA ended on 176-6. The win was South Africa’s fifth on the bounce in the current T20 World Cup, the joint longest for them in the competition equalling five consecutive wins in the 2009 edition.

South Africa posted a powerful total against a comparatively inexperienced USA team. Quinton de Kock and Reza Hendricks got the Proteas off to a quick start, however, Saurabh Netravalkar got the first breakthrough by dismissing Hendricks. Once the opening stand was broken, the South African skipper along with de Kock had a fantastic partnership for the second wicket as they stitched 110 runs together of 58 balls. It was the first century stand for any wicket for South Africa in T20 World Cup 2024. de Kock put away most of the loose deliveries offered by the USA bowlers over the fence. However, he missed out on a full toss against Harmeet and was caught at deep mid-wicket for 74 off 40 balls (7 fours, 5 sixes), his highest in T20 World Cups. Markam also missed out on his fifty by four runs (46 off 32 balls, 4 fours, 1 six), but it was a fine knock by the South African captain. Harmeet Singh bagged a couple of wickets, while Netravalkar also claimed two wickets. Heinrich Klaasen played a pivotal cameo (36* off 22 balls, 3 sixes) to power South Africa over the 190-run mark in an unbroken 53-run stand of 30 balls with Tristan Stubbs (20*).

Scores: 

South Africa 194-4 (20) (Quinton de Kock 74, Aiden Markram 46, Heinrich Klaasen 36*, Tristan Stubbs 20*, Saurabh Netravalkar 2/21, Harmeet Singh 2/24)

USA 176-6 (20) (Steven Taylor 24, Andries Gous 80*, Harmeet Singh 38, Kagiso Rabada 3/18)