In a thrilling encounter at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, South Africa continued their unbeaten streak and booked their place in the semi-finals after a tense victory over the West Indies. The Proteas, known for navigating through close contests, once again showed their mettle in a match that swung dramatically throughout.

Opting to bowl first at Antigua’s Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, South Africa got off to a flying start as Marco Jansen dismissed Shai Hope for a golden duck in the opening over. Captain Aiden Markram followed up with the key wicket of Nicholas Pooran, excellently caught by Jansen. Despite a missed chance to dismiss Roston Chase early on, the Windies fought back through Kyle Mayers, reaching 47/2 by the sixth over.

Mayers’ aggressive batting, including several timely boundaries, posed challenges for South Africa. However, a collision between Jansen and Kagiso Rabada while attempting a catch briefly halted play, with Jansen needing medical attention. This incident disrupted South Africa’s momentum momentarily, but they managed to keep the scoring in check.

The turning point came in the 12th over when Mayers departed after a solid 35 off 34 balls, triggering a collapse in the Windies’ middle order. Rovman Powell and Sherfane Rutherford fell cheaply, followed by Tabraiz Shamsi’s crucial breakthrough by dismissing Chase for a well-made 52.

Andre Russell tried to resurrect the innings with powerful hitting, smashing two big sixes in the 17th over. However, a disastrous run-out ended his innings prematurely, thanks to Anrich Nortje’s sharp fielding. Kagiso Rabada, who recovered from the collision earlier, returned with a crucial caught-and-bowled dismissal of Akeal Hosein. Alzarri Joseph’s late efforts helped the West Indies post a competitive total of 135/8.

South Africa’s left arm spinner Tabraiz Shamsi was the pick of the bowlers with 3 for 27.

Chasing a revised target of 123 runs off 17 overs due to rain interruptions, South Africa faced a challenging task. Quinton de Kock’s aggressive intent was evident, but he fell victim to Russell’s bowling, caught at deep backward square leg. Rain further disrupted play, reducing the game to 17 overs per side under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method.

Tristan Stubbs and Heinrich Klaason steadied the innings for South Africa, guiding them towards the target with calculated strokes. Despite losing Klaason to Joseph, Stubbs looked poised to lead South Africa to victory. However, his dismissal shifted the momentum back towards the West Indies, with Roston Chase’s economical bowling keeping the game tight.

With 13 runs needed off the final two overs, Marco Jansen and Kagiso Rabada took charge of the situation, aiming to finish the match off. Jansen’s decisive boundary off the penultimate over reduced the equation to just five runs from six balls. In a tense final over bowled by Obed McCoy, Jansen’s aggressive stroke over the bowler’s head secured victory for South Africa with five balls to spare.

The Proteas’ journey to victory was marked by resilience and nerve, overcoming challenges posed by the spirited West Indies team. Despite moments of uncertainty during their chase, Jansen’s match-winning shot epitomized South Africa’s determination and their unbeaten run in the tournament, securing their place in the semi-finals.