In the ICC Men’s T-20 Cricket World Cup, South Africa defeated Zimbabwe by five wickets in their final Super 8 match at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi this evening. Chasing a competitive target of 154, South Africa displayed composure under pressure and reached the target in 17.5 overs. South Africa remained unbeaten throughout the tournament and will face either England or New Zealand in the Semifinals.
Earlier, batting first after winning the toss, Zimbabwe posted 153 for the loss of seven wickets in 20 overs. Their innings never quite gathered full momentum as the disciplined South African bowling attack kept a tight leash, striking at regular intervals. Amid the ebb and flow, skipper Sikandar Raza stood tall, anchoring the innings with a valiant 73 runs off 43 deliveries. While for South Africa, Kwena Maphaka and Corbin Bosch chipped in with two wickets apiece.
South Africa also suffered early jolts during the chase, as they lost both of their openers inside three overs. However, Dewald Brevis stormed onto the Zimbabwe bowlers, unleashing a whirlwind 42 off just 18 balls. Later, Tristan Stubbs and George Linde stitched together a fluent 53 runs partnership, calmly steering the Proteas to victory. Raza, on the other hand, shone with the ball as well, claiming three wickets to cap a remarkable all-round performance. Raza was also adjudged the Player of the Match.
South Africa have already advanced to the semifinals from Group 1. They defeated India and the West Indies in their previous Super 8 matches to become the first team to reach the semifinals. In contrast, Zimbabwe lost to India and the West Indies and were knocked out of the tournament.
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