RSA VS NEP - 31st Match, Group D, ICC Mens T20 World Cup 2024

South Africa go into the Super 8s unbeaten, but they'll be worried about their misfiring batting unit. Four matches and they've struggled to get their act together. It must be said that the conditions in both New York and tonight weren't exactly batting friendly, but a highest score of 115 doesn't make justice to this powerful batting line-up. They've games lined up against USA, West Indies and probably against England in the Super 8 and the batting must pull up their socks. On the other hand, it was a brave fight by Nepal and they can be mighty proud of their showing tonight. It's not always easy for a small associate team to run the mighty hard, but they outbatted, outbowled and outcaptained the South Africans today. Maybe this exposure will help them do better in the future. They'll wind off their 2024 T20 WC campaign with a match against Bangladesh at this very venue and the supporters will be back for one last party. There are three matches lined up for tomorrow's Super Saturday and we'll be back covering all of them for you. Do join us for all the action, for now, this is Pradeep signing off on behalf of Anurag and Siva. Cheers and bye..

Stats update by Roshan Gede

1-run wins in Men’s T20 World Cup
SA vs NZ, Lord’s, 2009
NZ vs PAK, Bridgetown, 2010
IND vs SA, Colombo RPS, 2012
IND vs BAN, Bengaluru, 2016
ZIM vs PAK, Perth, 2022
SA vs NEP, Kingstown, 2024

Teams with multiple 1-run wins in T20Is
5 - South Africa
2 - England
2 - India
2 - New Zealand
2 - Ireland
2 - Kenya

Lowest targets successfully defended by South Africa in T20Is
114 vs BAN, New York, 2024
116 vs SL, Colombo RPS, 2013
116 vs NEP, Kingstown, 2024
121 vs WI, North Sound, 2010
129 vs NZ, Lord's, 2009

Lowest targets successfully defended in Men’s T20 WC
114 - SA vs BAN, New York, 2024
116 - SA vs NEP, Kingstown, 2024
120 - SL vs NZ, Chattogram, 2014
120 - IND vs PAK, New York, 2024
124 - AFG vs WI, Nagpur, 2016

Aiden Markram | South Africa Captain: Very grateful to have got the win. Don't think we were anywhere near our best tonight. For large parts, don’t think we thought we’d be on the right side of that as well. Lot of learnings for us. We’ve got a really good pace attack and you have to back that. We spoke about coming in with energy and see if there was anything in the wicket. In hindsight we should’ve played another spinner, didn’t think it would spin that much. They (Nepal) bowled really well and made it tough for us. They put us under a lot of pressure and it shows the quality they have. Mix that with a lack of conviction in our dressing room so there’s a lot of learnings for us. It’s about backing the players we’ve developed and going forward with that. Conditions very different here, being able to adapt is important and the structure might change going forward. It’s one of the great challenges of cricket, being able to assess conditions and adapt. No injury to Keshav (Maharaj), Shamsi hadn’t played in a while, thought this was a great opportunity to get him some game time. In hindsight we should’ve played both spinners.

Rohit Paudel, Nepal captain: Very proud of the unit, especially the way we bowled and batted. We saw the wicket yesterday and thought it will be on the slower side. We saw that it helped spinners and thats when we introduced Kushal Bhurtel and carried on with the spinners. We were so close yet a little far. We didnt do well in the crunch moments but we fought very well. Well be on the other side next time if we play teams like this more often. I want to thank the fans for supporting us. We are very grateful to them.

Tabraiz Shamsi | Player of the Match: Definitely relieved, we came here with the goal of finishing this stage 4 out of 4. Little bit closer than we’d like but the team is standing up to the pressure and that’s nice to see. Anywhere we go in the Caribbean I assume there’s going to be turn. Our fast bowlers did a great job in New York but I think it’s going to be up to the slower bowlers here. They utilized conditions beautifully, I think the wicket did get a little better later on. We’ve been under pressure in every single game but we’ve stood up to it so that’s a great thing going into the business end of the tournament.

They started the chase brightly, the openers added 36 for the first wicket before Shamsi struck twice in the 8th over. It heralded the best phase of the chase as Sheikh and Sah batted with freedom, adding 50 runs off 36 balls for the 3rd wicket. The match seemed to have slipped out of South Africa's hands as the equation read 31 off 38 balls when Sah was dismissed. The Proteas pulled things back, but Nepal still looked comfortable as they needed 21 off the last 4 overs. Shamsi came back and turned the match on its head once again with a two-wicket burst in the 18th over. The equation now read 16 off 12 balls and Nortje made things difficult by castling Kushal Malla. But Sompal Kami's 105m hit changed the equations, leaving Nepal to 8 to get off 6 balls. It became 8 off 4 after Gulsan Jha failed to connect the first two, but he made up by slapping 6 off the next two. A dot ball set things up for the finale - 2 needed off 1 and then it all unravelled. South Africa make it 4 off 4, Nepal have been officially eliminated, but they can go with their head held high.

22:54 Local Time, 02:54 GMT, 08:24 IST: Nepal look disappointed, their supporters look shell-shocked, they've lost a match which they seemed destined to win. A choke? South Africa were famous for that, but they've pulled one themselves tonight. Coming back to Jha's dismissal, he took it a bit easy after being smacked on the back, didn't realise that the ball went straight to Klaasen and took his time to complete the single - that few seconds wasted cost his team a shot at history. They ran South Africa close, but it was those crunch moments that they let the match go out of their hands which would bite them badly. A chance to beat a Test nation is gone, a chance to become heroes has just slipped away from their grasp. A match that was there to be won has been lost.

Ottneil Baartman to Gulsan Jha, out Gulsan Jha Run Out!! A run-out shout. The third umpire will have a look. This looks very close - has Jha plonked his bat in and forced a super over? Nervous look all-around - he's short, he's OUT and South Africa win. Oh goodness, Jha looks gutted, Nepal look gutted - they've lost a match they could and they should have won. Relief in the South African camp, look at their delight, they've done a houdini act and have come from nowhere. Coming to the ball, was banged in short and just outside off - Jha was looking to run it past the keeper and missed, de Kock went for the bowler's end as Sompal Kami scampered across, but the ball hit Jha's back and deflected towards cover. Klaasen picked the ball and under-armed the flick onto the stumps at the bowler's end, Jha must've thought he had saved himself, was a tad late in plonking his bat down and he's caught short by a yard. Gulsan Jha run out (Klaasen) 6(6) [4s-1]

Ottneil Baartman to Gulsan Jha, THATS OUT!! Run Out!!

Ottneil Baartman to Gulsan Jha, no run, a dot ball, short and just outside off - climbs over Jha's attempted cut. Super Over anyone?

Ottneil Baartman to Gulsan Jha, 2 runs, nicely played, back of a length and angling across the left-hander, Jha goes hard on the drive and finds the gap wide of cover , back for the second - 2 needed off 2 balls, Nepal's game to lose?

4 needed off 3 balls now

Ottneil Baartman to Gulsan Jha, FOUR, beautifully played, he knew the wide yorker was coming, so he shuffled across, played with an open face and then lofted the drive over cover for a boundary

Ottneil Baartman to Gulsan Jha, no run, Jha can't get bat to ball - a wide yorker and he's missed the swish once again - 8 needed off 4 balls

Ottneil Baartman to Gulsan Jha, no run, short of a good length and angling across the left-hander, Jha was looking to cut and missed

Ottneil Baartman [3.0-0-14-0] is back into the attack