Proteas through to T20 World Cup semifinals after narrow win over West Indies

24 Jun 2024

South Africa have made a habit of close victories in the T20 World Cup, this time inching past co-hosts West Indies via the Duckworth-Lewis method by three wickets.

West Indies 135-8 (Roston Chase 52, Tabraiz Shamsi 3-27), South Africa 124-7 (Tristan Stubbs 29, Chase 3-12)

Knockout cricket. Rain. Duckworth-Lewis.

It’s a story as old as World Cup cricket for South Africa, but this time the Proteas came out on top in a thrilling three-wicket win over T20 World Cup co-hosts West Indies to advance to the semifinals at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua and Barbuda.

West Indies, subsequently, have been knocked out of the competition as Monday morning’s result ensures defending champions England are the other team from Group 2 of the Super Eight groups to advance to the semifinals.

The Proteas served up another thrilling encounter, almost losing the match from winning positions on several occasions, but a calm knock – an unbeaten 21 off 14 deliveries by Marco Jansen – in the face of a storm of pressure was enough to help the South Africans remain undefeated in the tournament.

The Proteas were on 92 for the loss of four wickets at the end of the 11th over with David Miller and Tristan Stubbs at the crease. They needed another 31 runs from 36 balls to seal their spot in the semifinal.

But, like so many times before in the tournament, they made the situation sticky for themselves.

The off-spin of Roston Chase caused the damage as he took three wickets for 12 runs in the end phase of the Proteas’ chase, including the wickets of Miller, Stubbs and Keshav Maharaj.

With nine runs required off seven balls, Kagiso Rabada smacked a glorious cover drive for four off Chase’s final delivery of the match before Jansen lofted Obed McCoy for six straight down the ground to clinch the win for the Proteas.

When asked who he preferred as semifinal opponents, skipper Aiden Markram said his focus is on his own side.

“I’m not even following the other group,” he said after the clash on Monday. Whoever it might be, we haven’t played our best game of cricket yet, so we’ll try and put our best game together for that semi.”

Death by spin

Shamsi was brought in for Ottniel Baartman for the clash against West Indies and it proved a masterstroke as the left-arm wrist spinner ended the match with the player of the match award, picking up three wickets for 27 runs.

The wicket was conducive enough to spin bowling that Markram bowled his full quota of overs up front, picking up the important wicket of Nicholas Pooran.

Read more in Daily Maverick: Proteas squeeze past England to remain unbeaten in T20 World Cup

Rabada, the side’s regular spearhead bowler, was only introduced in the 28th over for the first time and only bowled two overs, although excellently executed at the death.

In total, there were 12 overs of spin by the Proteas with Markram and Maharaj spinning their web around the Windies batters. Collectively they took five wickets and only conceded 79 runs.

But middle-order batter Chase held the innings together for the West Indies, striking an excellent half-century, before he perished trying to take on the gripping spin of Shamsi.

There was no late flourish for the Caribbean side either as wickets fell in regular intervals, with Jansen, Maharaj and Rabada collecting one each along with Shamsi and Markam’s sticks.

“We’ve been doing really well, the bowling unit has been firing for us, which has been fantastic,” Markram said after the match.

Shaky batting

South Africa got off to a shaky start, chasing 136 to secure their spot in the semifinal of a T20 World Cup for the first time since 2014.

After Quinton de Kock had struck 12 off the first over, in the form of three fours, by the left-arm orthodox spin of Akeal Hosein, both he and Reeza Hendricks were sent back to the dugout in the next over by Andre Russell.

But as De Kock fell, on the last delivery of the second over, the rain began to fall in Antigua and Barbuda and the teams went off for an hour and 15-minute rain break.

South Africa’s target was revised to 123 in 17 overs and Markram (18 off 15) and Stubbs (29 off 27) looked comfortable, getting the team close with a 27-run stand after the break.

Heinrich Klaasen (22 off 10) put his foot on the accelerator when he stepped to the crease but couldn’t see the team home either as Alzarri Joseph dismissed both him and Markram before him.

Miller (four off 14) completely struggled to find his feet at the crease but the run rate remained in control.

Until Chase’s wily off-spin was introduced that turned the match on its head.

“From a batting point of view [we need to be] more clinical and understanding when the right time is to really take the game on and when the right time is to knock it around for a few overs,” Markram said.

South Africa, though, as close as they may have come to losing, have squeezed yet another win out of their T20 World Cup campaign. DM

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South Africa

West Indies 135-8 (Roston Chase 52, Tabraiz Shamsi 3-27), South Africa 124-7 (Tristan Stubbs 29, Chase 3-12)

Death by spin

Shaky batting