T20 World Cup 2024: South Africa seal semifinal spot with thrilling win over West Indies: In a thrilling Super Eight match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, South Africa sealed a spot in the semifinals with a thrilling win against West Indies.
The Proteas’ undefeated campaign continues as they emerge victorious in a match filled with drama, tension and remarkable performances.
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Toss and early breakthroughs
The thrilling encounter between South Africa and West Indies got underway at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua. Therefore, after winning the toss, South Africa decided to field first. This indeed proved to be a wise decision for the toss winning team.
Marco Jansen, opening the bowling, made a sensational start by dismissing Shai Hope for a duck off the first ball. Proteas captain Aiden Markram then took the crucial wicket of Nicholas Pooran, laying the foundation for an impressive performance.
West Indies Batting
Despite early setbacks, the West Indies showed resilience. Roston Chase and Kyle Mayers led the counter-attack and took their side to 47/2 at the end of the powerplay.
Mayers in particular showcased his power-hitting ability with some stunning sixes, while an unfortunate collision between Jensen and Kagiso Rabada halted play for a while.
Jensen had to leave the field for assessment, but Rabada continued to play, although there was some uncertainty over his bowling fitness.
West Indies picked up the pace in the middle overs, with Chase and Mayers taking their side to a respectable 62/2 at half-time. However, South Africa made a decisive comeback.
The dismissal of Mayers for 35 triggered a collapse. Powell and Rutherford fell in quick succession, and when Chase was dismissed by Tabraiz Shamsi for 52, the Windies innings fell apart.
Andre Russell tried to rescue the innings with two big sixes, but a risky single led to him being run out by Anrich Nortje, who saved himself after a dropped catch earlier.West Indies eventually posted 135/8, which looked competitive but achievable.
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South Africa’s run chase and rain interruption
Quinton de Kock started aggressively for South Africa right from the start. However, Andre Russell quickly dismissed Reeza Hendricks and de Kock to throw the Proteas’ innings into uncertainty.
The arrival of rain added another layer of complexity. After a long break, the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method reduced the target to 123 runs from 17 overs.
Tristan Stubbs and Heinrich Klaasen played key roles, with Stubbs hitting crucial boundaries to keep the run rate in check. Klaasen hit a quickfire 22 off 10 balls to further stabilize the innings, although his dismissal brought West Indies back into the game.
thrilling conclusion to the West Indies vs South Africa game
Alzari Joseph’s well-timed hits and Roston Chase’s economical session kept West Indies in the race as the game approached its conclusion.
Tension was evident in the last two overs, with 13 runs needed. The men who had fought on the field before, Jensen and Rabada, were now leading the hunt. A crucial boundary from Jensen in the final over turned the match in South Africa’s favour.
With five runs needed from the final over, Jensen smashed the first ball from Obed McCoy for a six over the bowler’s head to give the Proteas a win with five balls to spare.
T20 World Cup 2024: Super Eight Updated Points Table
Group-A
| POS | TEAM | PLAYED | WON | LOST | N/R | TIED | NET RR | POINTS |
| 1 | INDIA | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | +2.425 | 4 |
| 2 | AUSTRALIA | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | +0.223 | 2 |
| 3 | AFGHANISTAN | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | -0.650 | 2 |
| 4 | BANGLADESH | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | -2.489 | 0 |
Group-B
| POS | TEAM | PLAYED | WON | LOST | N/R | TIED | NET RR | POINTS |
| 1 | (Q) SOUTH AFRICA | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | +0.599 | 6 |
| 2 | (Q) ENGLAND | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | +1.992 | 4 |
| 3 | (E) WEST INDIES | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | +0.963 | 2 |
| 4 | (E)USA | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | -3.906 | 0 |
Also Read: Explained: How can Afghanistan qualify for T20 World Cup 2024 semi-final after 21-run win vs AUS
Source: ICC
