In a thrilling Super Eight encounter of the ICC Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, the USA chose to bowl first after winning the toss against South Africa. South Africa’s innings was propelled by Quinton de Kock’s outstanding performance, earning him the player of the match accolade for his impressive 74 off just 40 balls, which included seven fours and five sixes, at a striking rate of 185.00. De Kock’s aggressive batting set a strong foundation for South Africa early in the game.
Reeza Hendricks scored 11 runs before Corey Anderson caught him off Saurabh Netravalkar, while Aiden Markram contributed 46 runs from 32 balls, including four fours and one six, before falling to Netravalkar. David Miller departed for a duck immediately after de Kock, caught and bowled by Harmeet Singh. Heinrich Klaasen’s unbeaten 36 off 22 balls and Tristan Stubbs’ 20 not out off 16 balls in the final overs helped South Africa reach a formidable total of 194 for 4 in their allotted 20 overs.
Among the USA bowlers, Saurabh Netravalkar stood out with figures of 2 wickets for 21 runs in his 4 overs, maintaining an economy rate of 5.25. Harmeet Singh also performed well, taking 2 wickets for 24 runs. Yet, the remaining bowlers faced difficulties, as Ali Khan gave away 45 runs in his 4 overs, and Jessy Singh conceded 36 in just 2 overs.
In response to South Africa’s challenging target of 195 runs, the USA began aggressively despite losing Steven Taylor early for 24 off 14 balls to Kagiso Rabada. Andries Gous anchored the innings with an unbeaten 80 off 47 balls, striking five fours and five sixes at a brisk rate of 170.21. Nitish Kumar contributed 8 runs before falling to Rabada. However, the middle order faltered with Aaron Jones and Corey Anderson departing cheaply, and Shayan Jahangir and Harmeet Singh adding brief contributions before the innings closed at 176 for 6 in 20 overs.
Kagiso Rabada was exceptional for South Africa, taking 3 wickets for 18 runs in his 4 overs. Anrich Nortje and Keshav Maharaj also picked up a wicket each, while Tabraiz Shamsi claimed a key wicket despite being expensive. South Africa’s all-round performance secured them an 18-run victory, highlighted by de Kock’s explosive batting and Rabada’s effective bowling display.
