South Africa has secured a spot in the semifinals of the Champions Trophy tournament after a dominant seven-wicket victory over England in their last group match in Karachi. The Proteas chased down a target of 180 runs with ease, reaching 181/3 in just the 30th over of their innings.
Rassie van der Dussen played a crucial innings, scoring an unbeaten 72 off 87 balls, while Heinrich Klaasen contributed with a quickfire 64 off 56 deliveries. The duo shared a partnership of 127 runs for the third wicket, guiding South Africa to a comfortable win.
On the bowling front, Marco Jansen and Wiaan Mulder were the standout performers for South Africa. Jansen picked up three wickets for 39 runs, while Mulder chipped in with three wickets for 25 runs to restrict England to a total of 179 all out in the 39th over.
South Africa’s stand-in captain Aiden Markram praised his team’s performance, especially their ability to adapt to the slow pitch conditions. With regular skipper Temba Bavuma missing the match due to illness, the Proteas showed great resilience and determination to secure a convincing victory.
With this win, South Africa will now join New Zealand, India, and Australia in the semifinals of the Champions Trophy. The team will be looking to carry their winning momentum into the knockout stages as they aim to lift the coveted trophy.
