South Africa defeated the United States by 18 runs in their T20 World Cup Super 8 match at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, North Sound, on Wednesday. The Proteas defended a 195-run target, with Kagiso Rabada starring with a spell of 3/18 in four overs.
The USA had a promising start with Steven Taylor leading the attack but Rabada removed Taylor for 24, initiating a collapse. The USA lost wickets regularly, with Nitish Kumar (8), skipper Aaron Jones (0), Corey Anderson (2), and Shayan Jahangir (3) all failing to score significantly.
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Andries Gous and Harmeet Singh’s 91-run partnership briefly threatened the Proteas, but Rabada dismissed Harmeet (38 off 22) in the 19th over, halting the USA’s chase. Gous scored 80 off 47, and the USA finished at 176-6 in 20 overs.
Earlier, South Africa set a 195-run target. Despite Reeza Hendricks’s early dismissal for 11, Quinton de Kock (74 off 40) and Aiden Markram (46) propelled the innings with a 110-run partnership. After de Kock’s dismissal, South Africa lost quick wickets, but Heinrich Klaasen (36 off 22) and Tristan Stubbs (20 off 16) ensured a strong finish at 194-4 in their allotted overs.
The USA won the toss and opted to bowl, with captain Aaron Jones adding an extra spinner, believing the conditions were similar to Dallas. South Africa’s captain Aiden Markram was indifferent about the toss outcome, admitting they were unsure of their choice.
