MATCH STORY
Follow UsNone of the five wins for South Africa have come easy in this World Cup. At the halfway mark in USA’s chase in the first Super 8 fixture, it felt the Proteas finally had a big confidence-boosting win in-store.
After 11 overs, the USA needed 119 from 54 balls with six wickets in hand. Just introduced in the attack, Tabraiz Shamsi struck off his first ball, sending back Shayan Jahangir for three off nine balls. Andries Gous was batting at 24 off 21 at the other end. The door seemed shut for the US, and South Africa was looking at a big win.
And that is when the tide began to shift.
Gous and Harmeet Singh, batting at number seven, forged a 91-run standoff with only 43 balls. South Africa chased the leather for the seven overs they batted together. Their bowlers, be it pace or spin, went into a frenzy.
The second ball of that partnership went for a four, with Gous shifting the gears. Two balls later, Harmeet had a boundary to his name.
After a wicket off his first ball of the day, Shamsi ended his first over at 1/11. Harmeet, then, exercised his match-up against the left-arm finger-spinner Keshav Maharaj to cart a six in the next over. Shamsi tried to pull things back, conceding only four runs in his next over.
With six overs left, USA were still 92 runs adrift from the target of 195.
South Africa switched to pace, bringing Anrich Nortje into the attack. Gous finished it with 4 2 6 6, giving Nortje a flashback of his poor IPL season. Nortje had gone at 4.4 runs per over in the league stage. Here, he was smashed by Gous, a South African born materializing his dreams of being an international cricketer on the biggest stage in the USA jersey.
Gous moved from 35 off 29 at the start of the 15th over to 53 off 33.
Harmeet welcomed Shamsi’s new over with another six, making it 24 runs off the previous five balls. It was enough to deflate the Proteas.
Shamsi bore the biggest brunt of their partnership, leaking 50 runs off his 23 balls bowled at them, conceding four sixes. In his last over, the 18th of the innings, he went for three sixes, finishing his day at 1/50.
Only five overs ago, South Africa were clear favorites. Now, they would take a win, even if by one run, like they clinched the close encounter against Nepal.
Harmeet had notched up his highest T20I score, scoring 38 off 21 balls, surpassing his 34* against Canada in April 2024. A left-arm finger spinner by primary skill, Harmeet’s knock was a revelation with the bat and probably the best knock played by a left-arm spinner in this World Cup as yet, barring Shakib Al Hasan’s 64* against Netherlands. It is a big statement in a tournament with all-rounders like Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Imad Wasim and Mitchell Santner.
Harmeet timed a full toss too well to begin the 19th over and found Tristan Stubbs at depe mir-wicket.
That was South Africa’s break. Finally, a rub of green ended the partnership. The USA managed only nine runs off the remaining balls, falling short by 18 runs.
Gous headed back unbeaten on 80 off 47 balls, batting through the 20 overs. He hammered 35 off 29 at one point, and then he hammered 45 off the next 18 balls. In the partnership with Harmeet, he was both the major and faster scorer, with his 49 from 21.
The USA couldn’t cross the finish line. But the rapid partnership ensured they continued to have an unforgettable World Cup. If they are not upsetting the Test-playing nations, they are at least giving them a scare.
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