A swashbuckling innings from Quinton de Kock after which holding their nerve with the ball and within the area helped the Proteas to a tense seven-run victory in opposition to England on the T20 World Cup.
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De Kock was in brutal kind with the bat because the opener blazed 65 off simply 38 deliveries to assist the Proteas to a middling complete of 163-6 of their 20 overs.
Harry Brook narrowly did not get England out of jail within the run-chase because the defending champions blinked with a semi-final spot on the world event inside their grasp.
The highest order utterly misinterpret the task, labouring to 60 for 3 off 10 overs, and with out Brook, England would have been gazing an much more damaging loss than their closing rating of 156-6.
His daring 53 from 37 balls briefly positioned his aspect as favourites throughout a 78-run stand with Liam Livingstone (33), nevertheless it was to not be.
With 14 wanted off the ultimate over, he was caught magnificently over the shoulder by Aiden Markram off Anrich Nortje’s opening supply – a match-winning piece of handiwork from the Proteas skipper.
England will kick themselves for a scarcity of timing and intent earlier of their pursuit, with a paltry return of three fours and one six of their first 11 overs on the crease.
Jos Buttler’s males now transfer on to Barbados to face america, the place victory isn’t assured to ship them by means of.
As a substitute, it might come right down to internet run-rate as soon as once more ought to the West Indies beat South Africa within the group finale.
Having hunted down 181 in opposition to the Windies on the similar floor two days earlier England made a surprisingly subdued begin, clamming up with 41 for one from their first six.
In-form opener Phil Salt had crunched the third ball of the innings for six however was gone earlier than the top of the second over, Reeza Hendricks with an exquisite catch at cowl.
Jonny Bairstow had higher luck when he was put down by Heinrich Klaasen however he didn’t money in, chopping the wily Keshav Maharaj to the person at level.
The left-arm spinner was inflicting a headache as he teased the batters by means of the air and made a second main breakthrough when an unusually subdued Buttler picked out the boundary rider at midwicket.
Between them Bairstow and Buttler had used up 40 deliveries for 33 runs, elevating the speed for those who adopted.
By the midway stage England had come to a close to standstill, with their plight solely worsening as Moeen Ali’s mistimed a pull off Ottneil Baartman and did not make the space.
Brook and Livingstone have been left with 103 to get from 58 balls and, though the boundaries lastly began to movement, that was solely sufficient to maintain heads above water.
Needing a giant over they took 18 off Kagiso Rabada within the fifteenth, Livingstone kicking off the surge with a booming six into the leg aspect earlier than Brook helped himself to 4 fours in 5 balls,
A lower and a ramp off Rabada have been adopted by a pair of hearty drives off Nortje. Immediately it was the Proteas below strain and Baartman wobbled badly.
He served up 5 full tosses in six balls try to totally did not nail a yorker as he leaked 21.
With 25 wanted from three overs England had develop into favourites simply in time for Livingstone to show one other full toss, this time from Rabada, to Tristan Stubbs at fine-leg.
Brook nonetheless had the sport in his palms with six balls left however Markram’s wonderful catch closed issues down.
De Kock had earlier threatened to run away with it, his quickfire 65 ultimately taking place as a match-winning effort.
He ignored a modest head-to-head report in opposition to Moeen to raise his fifth ball over long-off, took Jofra Archer for back-to-back sixes with a flick off the hips and a crunching drive and pulled Sam Curran furiously into the stands.
Whereas Reece Topley allowed simply 18 from his three overs with the brand new ball, South Africa ran up 45 in the identical interval from the Pavilion Finish.
De Kock took simply 22 balls over his fifty, the joint quickest within the event, and was handed a reprieve on 58 when a slog sweep off Rashid carried to Mark Wooden at deep sq..
The left-handed batter disputed a low catch and, whereas England have been visibly aggrieved, the not-out verdict seemed honest on replays.
England barely celebrated when Hendricks bowed out with 19 off 25 however couldn’t comprise their pleasure when De Kock nicked Archer’s well-disguised cutter and Buttler leapt to take a one-handed stunner.
Klaasen was promoted to quantity three to raise a stalling run-rate but in addition fell foul of Buttler’s alertness as he flung a low, flat throw into the bottom of the stumps for a run out on the non-striker’s finish.
David Miller added late impetus with a knock of 43 from 28 balls however he and Marco Jansen fell to a different pair of first-rate catches by Brook and Curran as Archer struck with successive deliveries on the demise.
