South Africa could not build a very large collection. Considering the current World Cup, 212 runs batting first is not enough to win. And the Proteas have the old scandal of losing on the big stage. Chokers could not get out of the table this time.
South Africa face Australia in the second semi-final of the World Cup on Thursday (November 16). Mamuli, however, continued to struggle with the collection till the end. But, Australia got up from the edge of the ditch and took out the match. The team won the match against the Proteas by three wickets.
With this win, the Aussies confirmed the final of the current World Cup. After 2015, they reached the final of the World Cup again.
Batting first, South Africa were all out for 212 runs in 49.4 overs. In reply, Australia scored 215 runs for the loss of seven wickets in 47.2 overs.
Two openers David Warner and Travis Head gave Australia a solid start chasing the target of 213 runs given by South Africa. In the opening pair, he accumulated 60 runs on the scoreboard in 6.1 overs. Warner scored 29 runs off 18 balls with one four and four sixes. His storming innings was halted by Aiden Markram. The Aussie bowled the opener in the seventh over.
The Aussies lost their second wicket after an over. Kagiso Rabada sends Mitchell Marsh back for zero runs. A great one at cover by For der Dusen. Head and Steve Smith handled the initial disaster of the Aussies who lost two wickets for 61 runs. Head was bowled by Keshav Maharaj for the team’s 106 runs. He scored 62 runs off 48 balls. Australia lost the fifth wicket for 137 runs.
After that, South Africa returned to the match. Aussie batsmen get a lot of speed to score runs in their controlled bowling. The match froze after the seventh wicket fell for 193 runs. But Quinton de Kock missed an easy catch by Pat Cummins in the last over. And the hope of playing in the final ends. Mitchell Starc’s 38-ball unbeaten 16 and Cummins’ 29-ball unbeaten 14 in the last over against the Proteas bowled Australia to win. Definitely the final.
Shamsi and Coetzee took two wickets each for South Africa.
South Africa won the toss and elected to bat at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata earlier in the day. However, the beginning was not good for them. Captain Temba Bavuma lost his wicket in the first over. In the last ball of the over, Bavuma returned to Sazghar for zero runs by catching Joss English’s ball from Aussie pacer Mitchell Starc. Quinton de Kock, who bowled the entire season, also failed. De Kock caught Pat Cummins off Jos Hazlewood. The team’s run was eight. De Kock scored three runs. Aiden Markram also returned with 10 runs. He is returned by Mitchell Starc. South Africa lost four wickets to accumulate 24 runs on the scoreboard.
In the fifth wicket partnership, Henrik Klaasen and David Miller put together a partnership of 95 runs to deal with the disaster. Travis Head broke that resistance. He gave the Aussies a break through with a pair of wickets in his first over. First back Klaasen who scored 47 runs off 48 balls. Head bowled him. Marco Jansen was trapped leg before the next ball.
Miller then went on to single-handedly fight Gerald Koetz. Played a timely innings of 101 off 116 balls before being dismissed as the ninth batsman. The innings was decorated with eight fours and five sixes. He was brought back by Aussie captain Pat Cummins. The Proteas scored 200 with Miller’s century. They finally stopped at 212 runs.
Starc and Cummins took three wickets each for Australia. Hazelwood and Head get two each.
brief Score:
South Africa: 212/10 in 49.4 overs. (de Kock 3, Bavuma 0, Dussen 6, Markram 10, Klassen 47, Miller 101, Jansen 0, Coetzee 19, Maharaj 4, Rabada 10, Shamsi 1*; Starc 10-1-34-3, Hazelwood 8-3- 12-2, Cummins 9.4-0-51-3, Zampa 7-0-55-0, Maxwell 10-0-35-0, Head 5-0-21-2)
Australia: 215/7 in 47.2 overs (Head 62, Warner 29, Marsh 0, Smith 30, Labuschagne 18, Maxwell 1, English 28, Starc 16*, Cummins 14*; Janssen 4.2-0-35-0 , Rabada 6-0-41-1, Markram 8-1-23-1, Coetzee 9-0-47-2, Shamsi 10-0-42-2, Maharaj 10-0-24-1)
Results: Australia won by three wickets.