USA VS RSA - 41st Match, Super 8 Group 2, ICC Mens T20 World Cup 2024

The super 8s have started. And as per initial observation it feels all the 12 games will be closely contested. USA gave SA a good run for their money but it was experience of the SA bowlers which triumphed in the end. But USA will have more giant killing chances later. SA would want to change the narrative a little and maybe look for an easy win. But will things be easy at all in this stage of the competition? Your guess is as good as ours. So, keep guessing. We will see you soon with more cricketing action. This is MS Ramakrishnan, Nikhil Jadhav, Kumar Abhisekh Das and Siva bidding you bye bye.

Aiden Markram: Gous played well. Made life tough for us. Couple of tidy overs from us and the margin could have been better. But lessons learnt. Nice start. At the half time, the wicket changed a little. It got slower. They bowled well. We would have loved to finish with a bang. Couple of lessons to take. Big for us that Quinny got his flow. Everyone else just chipped in. Couple of overs we could have tidied upon. A few executions here and there might have let us down. The wind was strong so I feel the bowlers have done a decent job.

Aaron Jones: I don't wanna say disappointed. I thought we could have been more disciplined with the ball. But it goes this way sometimes. I think we need to be more disciplined. We will try and go back to the board. And come back stronger. Happy to be going home. I know the conditions well.

For USA, Jessy Singh's horrible over didn't help them. The batters Jones, Kumar and Anderson couldn't score much. But despite that they were only 18 runs away from writing more headlines of their own. Their games against WI and ENG might be close ones as well if they continue to perform like this. There were a few question marks whether they could perform on good batting tracks. And they have answered their critics for sure. For SA, they played a few close games against Bangladesh and Nepal. They could have lost both. But would be happy to have crossed the line even today. The 18-run margin can be a misnomer if you take away that 19th over from KG.

Quinton de Kock, Player of the Match: There have been a few tricky wickets, nice to spend time out there. USA put us under pressure, it was a great game. Just trying to focus on scoring runs, rest of it will take care of itself. We have had a few tricky wickets coming into this game, so it was great to be out there. We still have a few games to win, we are coming up against big teams. It was a good game, but it changes next time. Different venue, different team, so you never know what's out there.

Stats by Deepu Narayanan

Openers unbetaen in a losing run chase in T20 WCs
63* Chris Gayle vs SL The Oval 2009
67* Salman Butt vs NZ Bridgetown 2010
71* Max O'Dowd vs SL Geelong 2022
80* Andries Gous vs SA North Sound 2024

Highest individual scores for USA (T20I)
101* Steven Taylor vs Jersey Bulawayo 2022
94* Aaron Jones vs Can Dallas 2024
80* Andries Gous vs SA North Sound 2024
72 Steven Taylor vs UAE Dubai 2019

Most wkts for South Africa in T20 WCs
30 Anrich Nortje
30 Dale Steyn
24 Morne Morkel
22 Kagiso Rabada
Among the 58 bowlers to have bowled 50+ overs in the tournament, Nortje has the best avg (10.16), SR (11.3) and ER (5.36).

Fifth win on the bounce for South Africa in T20 WC 2004 - the joint longest for them in the competition equaling five consecutive wins in the 2009 edition

13:51 Local Time, 17:51 GMT, 23:21 IST: Gous and Harmeet ensured we were in for a tense finish. But it took one over from Rabada to calm the nerves and ensure SA won by 18 runs. Rabada's figures of 3 for 19 from 4 overs on a wicket where batters enjoyed themselves proved to be the massive difference. The experience of SA held them in good stead from the beginning. USA got off to a quick start but then SA fought back with a few wickets. But then Harmeet joined Gous and they batted superbly. Their 91-run partnership ignited a lot of hopes but the upset wasn't to be. But USA have once again proved themselves at the big stage and they will be happy. They still have two more games and they didn't really allow the NRR to be a problem. And if they can keep this squad together and add a couple of meaty hitters in the middle overs, this USA team has the potential to be a consistent world beater.

Nortje to Jessy Singh, no run, SA win by 18 runs. Was a very full ball from round the wicket and Jessy Singh drilled it down to mid-off. SA have held their nerves to win this. The difference in the end I feel was the four overs of KG. His three scalps also helped. SA open their account with two points

Nortje to Gous, 1 run, only a single. 19 off the final ball. Very full, outside off, Gous cue-ends it down into the off-side for a single. USA will lose this but will have their heads held high. Once again, they have been excellent

Nortje to Gous, FOUR, and a four. 20 needed now. SA will take the win. They were under pressure in the last few overs. Rabada could have done better for sure. Gous jumped out, looked to drive, got an edge and Rabada at short third man let it spin past him

Nortje to Gous, no run, and a dot ball. USA really fought hard but still too far for them. Length delivery, angles in, mistimed into the off-side

Nortje to Jessy Singh, 1 run, only a single. 4 sixes now. Was sliced down to deep cover for a single. USA left themselves too much to do at the end

Nortje to Gous, 1 run, right call to take a single? 25 off 5 balls now. Backs away and punches it down to cover for a single. Jessy Singh is struggling a lot out there

Anrich Nortje [3.0-0-30-1] is back into the attack

Rabada to Jessy Singh, no run, another dot ball. Slower length delivery, outside off, keeps low and Jessy Singh misses. 26 to defend in the final over. GOus will be on strike and Nortje will bowl it. That's enough for Nortje...And how good was KG today? He has been the difference I feel.

Rabada to Gous, 1 run, slashes a slower delivery down to deep point for a single. 26 off 7 balls is out of reach I feel