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Klaasen, van der Dussen & Jansen steer SA to dominant 8-wicket victory

rugby01 March 2025 15:00| © MWP
By:Neil Manthorp
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Rassie van der Dussen © Getty Images

Heinrich Klaasen and Rassie van der Dussen scored dominant half centuries in a third wicket partnership of 127 to lead South Africa to a commanding eight-wicket victory against England in their final Champions Trophy group match at the National Stadium in Karachi on Saturday.

Needing just 180 for victory the Proteas lost openers Tristan Stubbs (0) and Ryan Rickelton (27) to fast bowler Jofra Archer (2-55) but they were merely consolation wickets for the outplayed English as Klaasen returned to his sublime best with 11 fours in 64 from just 56 balls with van der Dussen more sedate with an unbeaten 72 from 87 balls including six fours and three straight-driven sixes.

Klaasen was dismissed with just six runs required but David Miller (7*) scored all of them with a single blow against Liam Livingstone to conclude victory with a remarkable 20.5 overs to spare.

Marco Jansen claimed three wickets inside the Power Play to set England on their way to an underwhelming total of 179 all out in just 38.2 overs after choosing to bat first and they were never in the game thereafter.

Opener Phil Salt (8) and No 3 Jamie Smith (0) were dismissed in identical fashion splaffing short balls off the splice of the bat straight into the air before the in-form Ben Duckett (24) provided Jansen (3-39) with a return catch off a leading edge.

Joe Root (37) and Harry Brook (19) threatened to rebuild the innings in a more meaningful way with a fourth wicket stand of 62 but Jansen was to the fore once again holding on to an excellent running catch at long on to end Brook’s inhibited stay of 29 balls off the bowling of Keshav Maharaj who bowled his 10 overs unchanged for a fine return of 2-35. Liam Livingstone (9) haplessly walked past a Maharaj full-toss to provide Heinrich Klaasen with a simple stumping.

Root was bowled by a wobble-seam delivery from the excellent Wiaan Mulder (3-25) who also had Jofra Archer (25) well caught by Jansen at midwicket while Jos Buttler’s last match as England captain ended with a whimper as he crawled to 21 from 43 balls without a single boundary before mistiming a slower ball from Lungi Ngidi (1-33) to Maharaj at mid off.

South Africa were without regular captain, Temba Bavuma, and opening batsman Tony de Zorzi due to illness with Stubbs playing his first game and and Klaasen returning to the middle order after an elbow injury.

The match was Buttler’s last as England captain having announced his decision to step down after their opening defeats against Australia and Afghanistan which saw them eliminated from the tournament.

South Africa finished top of Group B and will play the loser of Sunday’s final Group A match between India and New Zealand in the semifinal – on either Tuesday or Wednesday. In either Dubai or Lahore.

SOUTH AFRICA: Tristan Stubbs, Ryan Rickelton, Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram (captain), Heinrich Klaasen (wkt), David Miller, Wiaan Mulder, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi.

ENGLAND: Ben Duckett, Phil Salt, Jamie Smith (wkt), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jos Buttler (captain), Liam Livingstone, Jamie Overton, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Saqib Mahmood.

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