South Africa stay perfect despite plucky US challenge

NORTH SOUND, Antigua (CMC):

A TYPICALLY enterprising 74 from Quinton De Kock topped an explosive 80 from Andries Gous and enabled South Africa to kick-start the Super Eight stage of the ICC Men’s Twenty20 World Cup with an 18-run win against tournament co-hosts United States in a tense finish yesterday in Antigua.

De Kock smashed seven fours and five sixes in his 40-ball innings, which earned him the Player-of-the-Match award and spurred the South Africans to 194 for four after they were put in to bat in the Group 2 match at the Vivian Richards Cricket Ground.

But Gous, a South Africa-born left-hander, slammed five fours and five sixes from 47 to lead the response for the Americans. South African quick, Kagiso Rabada, responded as well, bagging three for 18 from his allotted four overs to restrict the Americans to 176 for six.

Harmeet Singh got 38 for the United States, and with Gous, gave South Africa a fright with some dynamic batting inside the second half of the chase after their side slumped to 76 for five in the 12th over.

Singh came to the crease and put on 91 with Gous for the sixth wicket to give the Americans hope of a stunning come-from-behind win in the opening match of the second stage of the tournament, but Rabada had him caught at deep mid-wicket, with 28 required off the last 12 balls.

“We will sit down and dissect it, but sitting here, again, a proud coach of what we’ve achieved,” United States coach Stuart Law said.

Earlier, United States had early success when they got opener Reeza Hendricks for 11 in the third over after they decided to field, but De Kock cut loose, and South Africa ended the Power Play on 64 for one.

De Kock raced to 50 in 26 balls, sharing in a 110-run stand for the second wicket with his captain, Aiden Markram, before Singh struck twice off successive balls in the 13th over to leave the South Africans on 126 for three.

Singh had De Kock caught at deep mid-wicket when the latter mistimed a full toss and held a sharp return catch to send David Miller packing for a first-ball duck, ending with two for 24 from his four overs.

Markram made 46 while knocks of 36 not out from Heinrich Klaasen and 20 not out from Tristan Stubbs in an unbroken, fifth-wicket stand of 53 beefed up the Proteas’ total.

South Africa face England in their second Super Eight match on Friday morning at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground in St Lucia, and the Americans head to Barbados, where they will play fellow tournament co-hosts West Indies on the same day under the lights at Kensington Oval.