England are into the T20 World Cup semi-finals as winners of their Super 12s group but a first defeat of the campaign against South Africa was compounded by a leg injury to Jason Roy
Rassie van der Dussen’s career-best 94 not out and a sparkling, unbeaten 52 off just 25 balls from Aiden Markram in a boundary-laden unbroken 103-run partnership underpinned what was an insurmountable 189 for two for the Proteas.
After clearing hurdles of 87 and 106 to respectively secure a place in the knockout stages and then top spot in group one, England finished on 179 for eight to lose by 10 runs following Kagiso Rabada’s last over hat-trick.
They raced to 37 without loss in four overs but Roy then collapsed in agony after setting off for a run, completed with a hobble, and was carried off the field, with England now facing an anxious wait over the opener’s fitness.
The teams served up an instant classic in their last meeting in this tournament, with England reaching a 230 target five years ago, and they required 14 from the last over here, but Rabada held his nerve spectacularly at the death.
He had earlier been hammered for three successive sixes by Liam Livingstone, the first measured at a tournament-record 112 metres, but then snared Eoin Morgan Chris Woakes and Chris Jordan, who were all caught in the deep.
While England reflected on a first defeat of the campaign after four successive wins, South Africa’s inability to restrict their opponents to 131 or less means Australia qualify along with Morgan’s side for the last four.
South Africa finished level on eight points alongside England and Australia but it was the old rivals who progressed courtesy of their superior net run-rate.
