South Africa secured an 18-run victory over the USA on Wednesday in the first match of the Super 8 stage of the T20 World Cup 2024 at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in North Sound, Antigua.
The USA chase began decently with the openers putting on 33 runs for the first wicket. While wickets fell at the other end, Andreas Gous, one of the openers, stood strong and was supported by Harmeet Singh. Together, they added 91 runs for the sixth wicket, bringing the USA close to the required total.
However, a remarkable 19th over bowled by Kagiso Rabada conceded merely two runs, breaking the partnership and ultimately leading to South Africa’s victory.
South Africa, after winning the toss and electing to bat first, posted 194/5 in their 20 overs, aided by a 110-run partnership between Quinton de Kock and Aiden Markram. De Kock’s impressive 74 runs and Markram’s 46 contributed significantly to their team’s total.
Notably, USA’s stand-in skipper Aaron Jones opted to bowl first, and both teams strategically included an extra spinner in their line-ups, showcasing the importance of spin at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua.
Nosthush Kenjige replaced Shadley van Schalkwyk in the USA’s playing 11, while Keshav Maharaj substituted Ottneil Baartman for the Proteas.
T20 World Cup 2024: USA vs SA Playing 11
South Africa playing 11: Quinton de Kock (wk), Reeza Hendricks, Aiden Markram (c), Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Tabraiz Shamsi
USA playing 11: Shayan Jahangir, Steven Taylor, Andries Gous (wk), Aaron Jones (c), Nitish Kumar, Corey Anderson, Harmeet Singh, Jasdeep Singh, Nosthush Kenjige, Ali Khan, Saurabh Netravalkar
