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In a heart-stopping encounter at the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024, South Africa edged out Nepal by a mere one run, maintaining their unbeaten streak and knocking Nepal out of the tournament. The thrilling match, held in St Vincent on Friday, saw Heinrich Klaasen execute a crucial run-out on the final delivery, sealing South Africa’s victory and ending Nepal's hopes of advancing to the Super Eights.
🇿🇦 are making it a habithttps://t.co/tYKTe8uIcU #SAvNEP #T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/ImWb1z59gK
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) June 15, 2024
Match Highlights: South Africa vs Nepal
The final moments were tense as Nepal needed just two runs from the last ball to stay in contention. Heinrich Klaasen's quick thinking and calm execution resulted in the run-out of Gulsan Jha at the non-striker’s end, preventing the match from going into a Super Over.
Nepal had shown dominance for much of the game. Their spinners were exceptional, restricting South Africa to 115/7. South Africa’s innings was anchored by opener Reeza Hendricks, who scored 43 runs, and Tristan Stubbs, who managed an unbeaten 27 off 18 balls. However, Nepal’s bowlers, particularly Kushal Bhurtel (4/19) and Dipendra Singh Airee (3/21), kept the South African batsmen in check, resulting in a modest total.
A fantastic performance from Dipendra Singh Airee 🙌 https://t.co/tYKTe8uIcU #SAvNEP #T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/NrbGFe1aeU
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) June 15, 2024
In their chase, Nepal appeared to be in control. At 85/2 in the 14th over, with the required run rate well within reach, a historic victory seemed within their grasp. But South African spinner Tabraiz Shamsi (4/19) turned the tide with a superb spell, supported by Anrich Nortje (1/27) and Ottneil Baartman (0/20), who bowled the final two overs with nerves of steel.
Despite a valiant effort from Nepal, including a boundary from Gulsan Jha in the final over, Klaasen’s game-winning play ensured South Africa emerged victorious.
South Africa, while celebrating their narrow win, acknowledged the need for improvement as they move into the next phase of the tournament. The Proteas were far from their best, with only Hendricks managing to spend significant time at the crease, and Stubbs being the sole batter with a strike rate above 100.
Lowest totals successfully defended in T20 WCs:
— CricTracker (@Cricketracker) June 15, 2024
113 - South Africa vs Bangladesh, New York, 2024
115 - South Africa vs Nepal, Kingstown, 2024
119 - Sri Lanka vs New Zealand, Chattogram, 2014
119 - India vs Pakistan, New York, 2024#T20WorldCup2024 pic.twitter.com/XSZTGt0FE8
For Nepal, it was a heart-wrenching finish. Their spinners had dismantled the South African batting lineup, and their top order had set a strong foundation. However, Shamsi’s late brilliance and South Africa’s disciplined death bowling dashed their hopes of a first-ever international victory over a full ICC member side.
Team Line-ups
South Africa: Quinton de Kock (wk), Reeza Hendricks, Aiden Markram (c), Tristan Stubbs, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Marco Jansen, Tabraiz Shamsi, Kagiso Rabada, Ottneil Baartman, Anrich Nortje.
Nepal: Kushal Bhurtel, Aasif Sheikh (wk), Anil Sah, Rohit Paudel (c), Kushal Malla, Dipendra Singh Airee, Sompal Kami, Gulsan Jha, Karan KC, Sandeep Lamichhane, Abinash Bohara.
