South Africa secured a crucial victory in their second Super 8 encounter of the T20 World Cup 2024 by defeating England by seven runs at the Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium in Gros Islet, St Lucia.

The Proteas continue their unbeaten streak in the tournament with six consecutive wins, showcasing their dominance on the global stage.

Opting to bat first after winning the toss, South Africa got off to a blazing start thanks to Quinton de Kock, who smashed a 22-ball fifty, the joint-fastest of the ongoing competition. Despite de Kock's aggressive innings, England's Adil Rashid managed to dismiss Reeza Hendricks early on, restricting his contribution to 19 runs off 25 balls.

De Kock continued his assault but was eventually caught by England skipper Jos Buttler, who pulled off a spectacular catch. His innings of 65 off 38 deliveries, including eight boundaries, laid a solid foundation for South Africa.

England fought back with Buttler playing a pivotal role once again, this time with a crucial run out to dismiss Heinrich Klaasen for 9 runs off 13 balls. Rashid further dented South Africa's momentum by claiming the wicket of captain Aiden Markram for just 1 run off 2 balls. David Miller's aggressive batting in the later stages bolstered South Africa's total as he scored a vital 43 off 28 balls.

South Africa posted a competitive score of 163/6 in their allotted 20 overs. In response, England faced a challenging run chase and had a slow start after losing Phil Salt early in the innings for 11 runs off 8 balls. Jos Buttler and Jonny Bairstow attempted to stabilize the innings, but both fell after contributing 17 runs off 20 balls and 16 runs off 20 balls respectively.

Keshav Maharaj played a crucial role for South Africa with his effective bowling, which included the dismissals of Moeen Ali (9 off 10 balls) and breaking the partnership of Harry Brook and Liam Livingstone. Brook's resilient innings of 53 runs off 37 balls provided hope for England, but his departure marked a turning point in their chase, particularly after a stunning catch by skipper Aiden Markram.

Despite efforts from Livingstone, who scored 33 runs off 17 balls, England fell short of the target and finished at 156/6 in their 20 overs. Kagiso Rabada and Keshav Maharaj were the standout bowlers for South Africa, each claiming two wickets.