England suffered their first loss In the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup, but still qualified for the semi-finals on the basis of a better net run rate, the winners South Africa were knocked out of the tournament in Sharjah on Saturday. South African pacer Kagiso Rabada (3/48) bowled a sensational final over and scored the first over for his country. Hat-trick in T20Is and helped his side register a 10-run victory, denying England an all-win record in the showpiece, though it was too late in the day. The Proteas, who had scored 189 for 2 after being sent into bat, needed to overtake Australia in net run rate and restrict England to 131 to qualify for the semi-finals, but it was not their day. .
England, Australia and South Africa finished with eight points each, but the top two teams made it to the semi-finals as their net run rate was better than South Africa (NRR +0.739), who were knocked out.
England (NRR +2.464) topped Group 1 while Australia (NRR +1.216), who beat West Indies in the opening day, finished second.
England crossed the 131-run mark in the 16th over to knock South Africa out of the tournament but needed 14 runs in the final over, which they could not achieve.
Rabada dismissed Chris Woakes (7), Eoin Morgan (17) and Chris Jordan (0) in successive deliveries in the final over for his third hat-trick of the tournament.
It was a poor start for the Protea bowlers as they conceded 10 runs each in the second and third overs. Rabada was treated with disdain by England openers Jason Roy and Jos Buttler as he took 15 runs from him with the help of three fours.
But Roy was taken off the field, retired hurt on 20, as he suffered a leg injury. He could barely score a single run on the first ball of the fifth over and was later limped off the ground.
Moeen Ali came in his place. In-form Jos Buttler was dismissed in the next over off Enrique Nortje as he tried to move towards mid-off but misplaced Temba Bavuma’s shot for a low catch.
England were still at 59 for 1 at the end of the Powerplay, but lost the momentum after Jonny Bairstow (1) was dismissed lbw in the seventh over by Jonny Bairstow (1) off the third ball.
Ali and David Malan took odd boundaries to take England to 81 for two. The South African bowlers tried hard but the England batsmen found it difficult to pick up or hold wickets for long periods of time.
Ali hit a big six off Shamsi in the 13th over but the bowler had the last laugh as the batsman hit a big shot and was caught by David Miller at long on.
England crossed the 131-run mark to knock South Africa out of the T20 World Cup, with Liam Livingstone hitting three consecutive sixes, the unfortunate bowler being Rabada.
For South Africa, Tabrez Shamsi took two wickets while Enrique Nortje and Dwaine Pretorius took one wicket each.
Earlier, Rassie van der Dussen scored an unbeaten 94 and Aiden Markram scored an unbeaten 52 in a scintillating power-hitting performance as South Africa were bundled out for 189 for 2.
Van der Dussen’s unbeaten 60-ball knock had five fours and six sixes, while Markram hit two fours and four sixes in 25 balls during his unbeaten knock as the two shared a 103-run stand for the third wicket.
Thanks to van der Dussen and Markram’s fireworks, the Proteas added 116 runs from the back-10. South Africa got off to a slow start and on top of that, they lost their opener Reeza Hendrix (2), who was clean bowled by Moeen Ali in the third over.
Hammer and tweezers went unnoticed in the Proteas powerplay, by the end of which they were just 40 for 1. The one-down van der Dussen was intent on taking on the England bowlers and was able to hit Chris Woakes for a six and a hit. Four in the sixth over.
Quinton de Kock (34) and van der Dussen were able to get the odd boundaries and South Africa reached 73 for 1 at the halfway point.
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But as the pair looked unlucky, England broke the 71-run stand for the second wicket and in the 12th over, Jason Roy took a brilliant diving catch from Adil Rashid to de Kock.
Van der Dussen was wielding great guns and scored 50 runs in 37 balls in the 13th over. He hit Woakes for two consecutive sixes and Markram got another maximum from the bowler as South Africa scored 21 runs in the 16th over.
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