T20 WC 2024: SA beat WI to seal semi-final berth
South Africa defeated West Indies in their final Super 8 game of the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup to qualify for the semi-finals. It was a low-scoring affair as the Men in Maroon posted 135/8 while batting first at Antigua's Sir Vivian Richards Stadium. The Proteas team was off to a poor start in response but they eventually accomplished the revised 123-run target (124/7).
Chase powers West Indies
Batting first, WI lost two quick wickets as Chase arrived with the scorecard reading 5/2. He rescued his team with a crucial 81-run stand with Kyle Mayers (35). Chase, who was watchful during his stay, fell to Tabraiz Shamsi in the 16th over. The Proteas bowlers bounced back toward the end as WI went from 86/2 to 118/8. They eventually finished at 135/8.
Summary of SA's chase
SA were off to a terrible start as Andre Russell took two wickets in the second over. Following the rain break, SA were set a revised target of 123 in 17 overs. Aiden Markram (18), Tristan Stubbs (29), and Heinrich Klassen (22) threw away their starts as SA were reduced to 100/6. Nevertheless, Marco Jansen (21*) saw them through with five balls to spare.
Second T20I fifty for Chase
Chase made 53 off 42 balls. He hit three fours besides two maximums. This was his second T20I fifty and a maiden one in T20 WCs. The all-rounder has raced to 303 runs across 19 T20Is at 33.77. 142 of his runs have come in T20 WCs at 28.40 (94 runs in the ongoing edition). Overall, he has tallied 1,453 T20 runs at 125.90.
Crucial hand from Mayers
Playing his maiden game in the ongoing tourney, Mayers made a 34-ball 35 as he also smashed three fours besides two maximums. The southpaw has completed 762 runs across 38 games at 21.77 (ER: 138.29). The tally includes three fifties (69 T20 WC runs at 17.25). The dasher has overall tallied 2,933 T20 runs at 22.38.
Three-fer for Shamsi
Shamsi was the pick of the SA bowlers as he claimed 3/27 in four overs. He has now raced to 86 wickets across 68 T20Is (ER: 7.43). The left-arm wrist-spinner has tallied 29 wickets across just 10 T20 WC games (ER: 7.00). He has eight wickets across three games in this tourney. Meanwhile, he now owns 11 wickets across nine T20Is against WI.
300 T20 wickets for Shamsi
Playing his 264th T20 match, Shamsi has raced to 302 scalps at a fine economy of 7.38 (4W: 9, 5W: 1). He became the fifth South African after Imran Tahir (502), Wayne Parnell (317), Roelof van der Merwe (316), and David Wiese (307) to touch the 300-wicket landmark. Notably, Wiese and van der Merwe had quit SA cricket to represent Namibia and Netherlands, respectively.
8,500 T20 runs for Russell
Russell made off nine balls with the help of two sixes. As per ESPNcricinfo, playing his 502nd match, Russell has raced past 8,500 (8,509) runs at an average of 27-plus. His strike rate is 169-plus. 1,033 of Russell's runs have come in T20Is at 21.97 (SR: SR :163.70). He owns 236 T20 WC runs from 29 matches (24 innings). His strike rate is 147.50.
Russell displaces Bravo
With the ball, Russell claimed 2/19 in his four overs. He broke the tie with Dwayne Bravo (27) to become WI's leading wicket-taker in T20 WCs. Russell has raced to 29 scalps across as many T20 WC matches (ER: 8.21). He finished the ongoing edition with 11 scalps. Russell overall boasts 60 T20I wickets as his economy reads 9.23.
Chase enters this list
Chase later claimed 3/12 in three overs to become the fourth all-rounder to score a fifty and take at least three wickets in a T20 WC game. He joined Bravo, Shane Watson (twice), and Marcus Stoinis. Meanwhile, Chase recorded his career-best T20I figures as he now owns 18 T20I scalps (ER: 6.19). Seven of his wickets have been recorded in T20 WCs.
Joseph accomplishes this feat
Alzarri Joseph, who finished with 2/25 in four overs, finished the ongoing event with 13 scalps (ER: 7.22). No other WI bowler has taken even 12 wickets in a T20 WC edition. The speedster has overall raced to 19 T20 WC scalps across 10 games. In T20Is, he has raced to 48 wickets (ER: 8.51).
SA through, WI knocked out
SA became the first team to win seven matches in a T20 WC edition. They topped the Super 8 Group 2 with three wins in as many games (NRR: +0.780). WI managed a solitary win in the Super 8 round as they finished at the third place (NRR: +0.686). Besides SA, England are the other Group 2 team to qualify for the semis.
