T20 World Cup 2024 SA vs NEP: Match Highlights, Key Moments And Videos
Tabraiz Shamsi celebrating a Nepal wicket (x.com)
South Africa escaped with a one-run win over Nepal at Kingstown's Arnos Vale Ground on June 15 in match number 31 of the ongoing 2024 T20 World Cup. The outcome ensured that South Africa finished the opening round of the tournament with four wins.
Here's the timeline of how SA vs NEP panned out in Kingstown:
SA vs NEP Highlights: Hendricks, Markram Lead SA To Confident Start Despite QDK’s Early Exit
South African opener Quinton de Kock once again failed to provide his side a decent start as he chipped one back to Nepal off-spinner Dipendra Singh Airee at 22-1 in 3.4 overs.
Following his early dismissal, fellow opening batter Reeza Hendricks and captain Aiden Markram led South Africa's counterattacking response with a calculated second-wicket stand on a tough surface.
SA vs NEP Highlights: Kushal Bhurtel Gets Markram, Klaasen In Quick Succession
Amidst a brewing partnership between Reeza Hendricks and Aiden Markram (15 off 22 balls), Nepal's leg-spinner Kushal Bhurtel castled the latter before getting Heinrich Klaasen the following over.
Bhurtel's double strike hampered South Africa's run-scoring charge in the middle overs as the Proteas slipped to 74-3.
SA vs NEP Highlights: Bhurtel Takes Four, Airee Takes Three As SA Restricted To 115
In his return spell, Dipendra Singh Airee caught and bowled a well-set Reeza Hendricks (43 off 49 balls) and deceived dangerman David Miller to finish with figures of 3-21 from his four overs.
Tristan Stubbs (27* off 18 balls) clubbed a couple of boundaries and a six to add handy runs at the death before Kushal Bhurtel got the better of Marco Jansen and Kagiso Rabada in the final two balls of the innings to pick 4-19. Airee's three-wicket haul and Bhurtel's four-fer restricted the South Africans to just 115-7.
SA vs NEP Highlights: Shamsi Breaks Nepal’s Early Momentum
After Nepal reached 35-0 in seven overs in a small chase of 116, primary Proteas spinner Tabraiz Shamsi cleaned up opening batter Kushal Bhurtel and number three Rohit Paudel in the space of just three deliveries to lead South Africa back into recovery.
SA vs NEP Highlights: Nepal Collapse To Big-Stage Pressure As Shamsi Enforces SA Win
At 35-2, Nepal opener Aasif Sheikh (42 off 49 balls) and number four Anil Sah (27 off 24 balls) added 50 runs to the total before South African captain Aiden Markram toppled the former.
Regardless, Nepal held firm control at this stage, requiring just 31 runs from the remaining 38 deliveries of the match.
Tabraiz Shamsi, who picked two in his opening spell, grabbed two more wickets, including that of a well-set Aasif Sheikh, as Nepal slipped to a tense 100-5 in 18 overs.
Nepal's lower order failed to overcome death-over pressure and ended up falling short of creating major history.