The South African cricket team remains on track for a spot in the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup. The Proteas beat Bangladesh by six wickets in Abu Dhabi in their penultimate group match.
Set a target of just 85 for victory, South Africa hit the winning runs in the 14th over. South Africa won the toss and sent Bangladesh in to bat first.
Openers Naim Shaikh and Litton Das put on 22 runs before Kagiso Rabada claimed the first of his three wickets – Naim out for 9. Rabada then got rid of Soumya Sarkar with the very next delivery.
The South African bowling attack was disciplined and on point, and Bangladesh were dismissed for just 84 runs in the 19th over. Anrich Nortje was the other stand-out bowler. He finished with figures of three wickets for just eight runs in his three overs and two deliveries.
In reply, Bangladesh struck in the first over. Proteas opener, Reeza Hendricks was trapped leg before wicket for four and the score, 6 for 1. Quinton de Kock and Rassie van der Dussen added 22 runs for the second wicket before De Kock was bowled for 16. Moments later, it was the turn of Aiden Markram. Markram was dismissed for a duck in the sixth over, with a score of 33 for three.
But Temba Bavuma and Van der Dussen stood firm. Together, they contributed 47 runs for the fourth wicket. Van der Dussen was dismissed for 22. David Miller hit the winning runs in the 14th over minutes later. Bavuma finished not out on 31 and Miller on 5.
South Africa will next face an unbeaten England side in their final group match on Saturday.
“It’s a big game. Every game is big for us. Obviously, England, also looking at the competition the way it is, it is one where we’ll have to play our best cricket. England has had the better of us of late, so we’d like to make amends,” says South Africa’s Captain Temba Bavuma.
England top Group 1 on 8 points, followed by South Africa with six points, and Australia on four. Sri Lanka and the West Indies have two points each, while Bangladesh are yet to win a match.
