T20 WC: South Africa March Into Semi-finals As Lone Unbeaten Team Despite Raza’s All-round Show (Ld)

T20 WC: South Africa march into semi-finals as lone unbeaten team despite Raza’s all-round show (Ld) (Image Source: IANS)

T20 World Cup: South Africa carried their unbeaten record into the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup semi-finals after overcoming an inspired all-round performance from Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza to win by five wickets in their Super Eights clash at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Sunday.

Raza struck a superb 73 off 43 balls to take Zimbabwe to 153/7 before returning with figures of 3-29, including striking twice in power-play, to leave South Africa in early trouble at 43/3. Dewald Brevis steadied the chase with a blistering 42 from 18 deliveries, hitting four sixes and two fours to swing momentum back towards the Proteas.

David Miller added a quick 22 before Blessing Muzarabani and Raza took a scalp each wicket to keep Zimbabwe in contention. South Africa’s lower order ensured there was no late drama. George Linde finished unbeaten on 30 alongside Tristan Stubbs on 21 as the Proteas sealed victory with 13 balls to spare. The result means South Africa advance to the semi-finals in Kolkata against New Zealand as the only side yet to lose in the tournament.

In the afternoon, on a pitch with some smattering of grass, Raza entertained 17,500 fans by dominating the innings with some sublime timing and placement of his shots. He struck 12 of Zimbabwe’s 13 boundaries during his stay at the crease from overs 5-17. Apart from his knock, only wicketkeeper Clive Madande offered some resistance with an unbeaten 26 off 20 balls.

It was because South Africa’s bowlers kept the rest of the line-up in check, with teenaged left-arm quick Kwena Maphaka impressing and finding some movement via 2-21 while Corbin Bosch chipped in with 2-40. Electing to bat first, Tadiwanashe Marumani left everyone amused by attempting a one-handed reverse sweep.

Though he didn't connect with the ball after clipping George Linde on the first ball, Marumani didn’t last long as he lost his leg-stump while trying to hoick Kwena Maphaka across the line. The in-form Brian Bennett enthralled everyone with sublime timing on his lofted whip and pull off Linde and Lungi Ngidi respectively. But Anrich Nortje took him out with a 145.8 kph delivery which Bennett could only loft to mid-off.

With Dion Myers put on a stern test by Maphaka, Raza immediately got going by with a streaky edge on a drive going past backward point for four off Corbin Bosch. It was followed by Raza pulling and driving Bosch for six and four, as Zimbabwe closed the powerplay at 45/2. When Nortje returned in the eighth over, Raza was quick to drive and flat-bat him for a four and six, before slog-sweeping and sweeping Aiden Markram for the same result.

But he was steadily losing support from the other end – Myers top-edged a pull to mid-wicket off Linde, while Ngidi’s slower ball trapped Ryan Burl lbw and Bosch castled Tony Munyounga with a scrambled seam delivery uprooting the leg-stump. Raza, though, marched forward to tickle Maphaka for four, before bringing up his fifty in 29 balls by getting a single through square leg.

Raza’s assault continued when he crisply drove a slower ball from Nortje through the extra cover fence for four, before hammering another drive off Ngidi for four and making room to send a low full toss from Bosch through the same region for another boundary.

The crowd again were sent into a frenzy when Raza nailed a pull on a short ball from Maphaka over mid-wicket for six, while Clive Madande opened his account by sweeping Bosch for four. But Raza’s superb knock ended when he was taken by surprise from a cutter by Maphaka and the leading edge was caught by cover.

From there, a score of 150-plus for Zimbabwe looked in danger. But Madande driving Nortje for four and Brad Evans nailing a lofted six off a slower ball from Ngidi ensured they got above 150 despite a yorker from Bosch castling the latter.

South Africa’s chase began with a huge jolt when Quinton de Kock was undone by a slower ball from Raza which found grip, and had him chopping into the gloves of Tadiwanashe Marumani. Raza struck again in his second over when his carrom ball kept low and sneaked through Aiden Markram’s bat to castle him for just four.

Ryan Rickelton, though, launched a counter-attack by thumping Raza down the ground for six, before taking a blow to the helmet from Brad Evans. Rickelton then managed to clear the boundary ropes thrice for maximums, before going too early into the shot off Evans and Ryan Burl took a superb acrobatic catch at deep midwicket.

Brevis, who began with a backfoot punch off Raza for four, lit up the stadium with his two trademark no-look sixes off Graeme Cremer and driving amazingly on the up off Blessing Muzarabani for four. Miller joined the fun with back-to-back sixes and a four off Wellington Masakadza, before he and Brevis took a four and six off Muzarabani to bring up the fifty of the partnership in quick time.

Zimbabwe, though, kept clawing back - Muzarabani removed Miller, who steered straight to short third man. Raza, in his final over, produced another breakthrough by deceiving Brevis into miscuing a round-arm delivery high to long-on, where Burl completed a sharp catch, as the Castle Corner fans, seated in the east corner of the Gautam Gambhir stand, cheered voraciously with joy.

Brevis, who began with a backfoot punch off Raza for four, lit up the stadium with his two trademark no-look sixes off Graeme Cremer and driving amazingly on the up off Blessing Muzarabani for four. Miller joined the fun with back-to-back sixes and a four off Wellington Masakadza, before he and Brevis took a four and six off Muzarabani to bring up the fifty of the partnership in quick time.

Brief Scores: Zimbabwe 153/7 in 20 overs (Sikandar Raza 73, Clive Madande 26 not out; Kwena Maphaka 2-21, Corbin Bosch 2-40) lost to South Africa 154/5 in 17.5 overs (Dewald Brevis 42, Ryan Rickelton 31; Sikandar Raza 3-29, Brad Evans 1-22) by five wickets

Article Source: IANS