England vs South Africa, 45th Match, Super 8 Group 2: South Africa Secures Thrilling 7-Run Victory Over England
South Africa defeated England by 7 runs in a tough match to move closer to a Super 8 Group 2 semifinal berth. South Africa won thanks to Anrich Nortje’s outstanding performance in the last over, despite England’s heroic attempts to rally.
England’s top order struggled to establish rhythm at the beginning of their innings. Hendricks got Phil Salt, who has been on a roll lately, beautifully at cover, setting the tone for South Africa early on. Jos Buttler, the skipper, continued to struggle, and Bairstow and Moeen Ali made only token contributions.
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But things appeared to turn around when England recovered thanks to a significant 78-run partnership between Harry Brook and Liam Livingstone for the fifth wicket. A stunning half-century was made by Brook, while Livingstone made a brief cameo of 33 off 17 balls.
When Baartman let up 21 runs in his third over, the game heated up and England got dangerously near to the goal. Rabada, though, answered back, getting rid of Livingstone and paving the way for an exciting conclusion.
In the last over, Nortje rose to the occasion, removing Brook with the first ball of the game and going on to deliver his deliveries with precision to lead South Africa to a thrilling triumph. Their tenacity and tactical skill on the field are demonstrated by this victory, which all but guarantees their spot in the semifinals.
Match Summary
England Playing XI:
- Philip Salt
- Jos Buttler (c & wk)
- Harry Brook
- Jonny Bairstow
- Moeen Ali
- Liam Livingstone
- Sam Curran
- Jofra Archer
- Adil Rashid
- Mark Wood
- Reece Topley
South Africa Playing XI:
- Quinton de Kock (wk)
- Reeza Hendricks
- Aiden Markram (c)
- David Miller
- Heinrich Klaasen
- Tristan Stubbs
- Marco Jansen
- Keshav Maharaj
- Kagiso Rabada
- Anrich Nortje
- Ottneil Baartman
Player Of The Match (POTM):
- Quinton de Kock
Top Scores:
- Quinton de Kock 65 runs.
Toss:
- England won the toss and chose to bowl.
- Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium, Gros Islet, St Lucia