In Sunday’s match at Adelaide Oval, the Proteas struggled to 8-145 while needing to score 159 to win. South Africa will miss the semifinals due to the shocking setback. No matter what happens in their match against Zimbabwe on Sunday night, India will advance.
When Pakistan faced Bangladesh in the super 12 match, it sort of became a quarter final and the winning team qualified for the semifinals to the World Cup 2022.
The nation’s ongoing failure with the white ball is further evidenced by the no-result game against Zimbabwe earlier in the tournament, which South Africa was on pace to win before it was rained out.
And South Africa’s unexpected defeat shocked the cricket community. In the 13th over on Sunday, the jittery Proteas were 4-90 after their shaky top order failed to produce.
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South Africa still needed another 60 runs when only six overs were left. The Proteas were in the midst of a 4-30 slump when they lost two more batters in the 16th over to drop to 6-113 and another in the 18th over to be 7-120.
To make matters worse, the No. 8 batsman Keshav Maharaj had to hop when racing between the wickets due to a left leg injury.
The last over needed to yield 26 runs for Maharaj and Kagiso Rabada, but they failed to do so.
Ackermann led his team with an notout 41 from 26 balls earlier in their 4-158 victory.
Max O’Dowd (29 from 31) and Stephan Myburgh (37 from 30 balls), the Netherlands’ opening pair, contributed to a 58-run partnership for the first wicket.
Additionally, Dutch New Guinean-born Tom Cooper, an Australian, hit two sixes while making 35 off 19 deliveries.
Anrich Nortje of South Africa, who had been playing well, continued it with 1-10 from four overs, while left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj collected 2-27.