Highlights - T20 World Cup 2024 Super Eight - South Africa win their fifth, USA fight hard

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Another game, another close one for South Africa but they've got their first Super Eight points on the board. For a change, they were on a batter-friendly surface and the top-order came good, with Quinton de Kock's 74 and Aiden Markram's 46 setting them up for their 194.

USA came really close, closer than the margin may suggest, and did not disgrace themselves at all. They finished on 176 for 6, 18 runs short, and have shown they have what it takes to play at this level. In the end, the game was lost with ball in hand with five USA bowlers conceding 148 runs in 12 overs and not building on the work of the other two.

Which is the second highest partnership for the sixth-wicket in all T20Is. They threatened to take the game away from South Africa but Rabada had caught at mid-wicket to end that stand.

Welkom's Andries Gous is from the place as Dean Elgar and was part of the group of South Africans who took up offers to play in the Minor League. Now, he is playing against the country of his birth and letting them have it. Gous brought up 50 off 33 balls and this was him taking on Anrich Nortje!

Keshav Maharaj has bowled out and with figures of 1 for 24, has once again been difficult to get away.

He got two wickets in an over twice against Nepal and a wicket with his first ball here. Tough to see how South Africa can leave Tabraiz Shamsi out from here.

USA are making a fist of it but have a lot to do in the second half of the chase. They will need 122 runs in 10 overs to get their first Super Eight points.

Still some way to go for the USA but they've already achieved some great things at this tournament. Have a read of this from our great stats man Shiva Jayaraman.

It’s obvious that USA are punching much above their weight in this World Cup. While they have show more discipline in executing the basics than you would’ve expected from an Associate team playing their maiden World Cup, they haven’t lacked in skill as well. With Heinrich Klaasen and Tristan Stubbs in the middle and South Africa having six wickets in the hand, one would’ve expected more runs than the 41 they managed in the last-four overs. These two batters have come into the World Cup with superb batting form. Stubbs’ strike rate at death in the 2024 IPL was 297.33 and Klaasen’s was 238.02. They ranked No. 1 and 2 respectively in terms of strike rate among 13 batters to score at least 100 runs at death in the league. Overall, in 11 innings when Stubbs has batted at least 10 balls at death in 2024, his strike rate of 128.57 in this match is his lowest by far. Klaasen has been slower only once out of eight innings when he’s faced at least 10 balls at death this year. These are vastly different conditions from what was seen at the IPL, but to restrict these two batters is no mean achievement, nevertheless.

At the same stage, South Africa were 64 for 1.

So ...

Arguably it was between Ottneil Baartman, the last over hero against Nepal, and KG Rabada for this game since South Africa wanted to play two specialist spinners and so far, KG is doing the things. He hasn't been at his best this tournament and his first ball - a length delivery - was dispatched past him for four but two balls later, he held the length back, the ball caught the splice of Steven Taylor's bat and popped up to Heinrich Klaasen at mid-off.

South Africa's captain Aiden Markram has decided to share the new ball and Steven Taylor is having none of it. He dispatched his second ball for six and third for four to kick off the chase in imposing style.

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It's the first time in the tournament that South Africa have played on a batter-friendly pitch and they won't be too unhappy with this. They've posted the highest score in Antigua - 194 - and with an attack that has defended far less in the tournament so far, will back themselves to put their first Super Eight points on the board.

We'll want to see some USA's big hitters, especially after their "fifth" bowler let them down. Jasdeep Singh, Stephen Taylor and Corey Anderson, cost them 66 runs in four overs. The other four bowlers gave away 128 runs in 15 overs.

What a spell! Take a bow, Mr Tech.

A word on the USA fielding, which has been exceptional thus far. Corey Anderson took the skier off Netravalkar to end Hendricks' knock. Shayan Jahangir was on the boundary at cow corner and judged his catch to dismiss Quinton de Kock well and then Ali Khan was excellent on the deep point boundary, to take the catch that removed Aiden Markram, running forward.

Netravalkar has removed Aiden Markram on the stroke of the final five and though they're in a good position, the USA are not of this.

They've imposed themselves on a much-daunted middle-order and this was the result of the last few overs.

What do I know? Harmeet sent a slower ball to Miller first-up, who hit straight back to him, and was dismissed for first-ball duck.

So ... to come: Tristan Stubbs, Heinrich Klaasen, Marco Jansen

Quinton de Kock got his highest score of the T20 World Cup - 74 - but could not add a second century to his name after he hit a full toss from Harmeet Singh into the wind and to Jahangir on the boundary. So, you'd think USA should be relieved right? Right?

Well... to come David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Heinrich Klaasen

Remember his magical run through the fifty-over World Cup? He scored not one, not two, not three but FOUR centuries in a dream run for South Africa. Well, could this be the start of a similar patch for Quinton de Kock in T20Is. He has brought up his first fifty of the tournament, off 26 balls, and looks in sublime touch.

Here's his wagon wheel so far:

And over in India, South Africa's women's team took it to the last ball in a high-scoring ODI against India. Marizanne Kapp and Laura Wolvaardt both scored hundreds but neither could take their team over the line.

South Africa's previous highest PP score at the tournament was 38 against Nepal. They've done far better than that this time and it was largely thanks to this 28-run over from Jessy Singh that included a no-ball six!

is in this match... he is now on 26.

The man of the moment for the USA has inflicted another low score on Reeza Hendricks, who top-edged straight up into the air and Corey Anderson judged a swirling catch well.

Hendricks at the T20 World Cup: 4, 3, 0 43, 11

It's also been poor from South Africa's opening partnership at the tournament, who only have one stand over 22 at the event.

Shayan Jahangir prevented what should have been South Africa's first boundary when he intercepted Quinton de Kock's scythe through backward point. Bur Reeza Hendricks finally got one away when he hit the last ball of the second over over cover for six.

So its a new venue but there's a little bit of New York with a slow start first up.

And here's our pre-match show with special guests Anil Kumble and Andy Flower.

Monank Patel has not recovered from his shoulder injury to captain USA, so Aaron Jones will stand in for him. And he has chosen to bowl first. Have to say he bears an uncanny resemblance to South Africa's former captain Temba Bavuma.

Aiden Markram said he would have bowled first too but also wasn't sure exactly what to do. South Africa have gone in with two spinners which means Ottneil Baartman, who was talked up less than 15 minutes ago on this blog, has been left out.

South Africa: 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 Reeza Hendricks, 3 Aiden Markram (capt), 4 Tristan Stubbs, 5 Heinrich Klaasen, 6 David Miller, 7 Marco Jansen, 8 Keshav Maharaj, 9 Kagiso Rabada, 10 Tabraiz Shamsi, 11 Anrich Nortje

USA: 1 Steven Taylor, 2 Shayan Jahangir, 3 Andries Gous (wk), 4 Nitish Kumar, 5 Aaron Jones (capt), 6 Corey Anderson, 7 Harmeet Singh, 8 Jasdeep Singh, 9 Noshtush Kenjige, 10 Saurabh Netravalkar, 11 Ali Khan

Meanwhile over in India, South Africa's women's team are 1-nil down chasing 326 in an ODI. Have a look at that scorecard while we wait for the toss.

All the talk has been about Anrich Nortje's comeback, after questions over his inclusion in the squad in the first place, but the star of the show for me has been Ottneil Baartman, who has shown the quality South Africans so often lack in big tournaments: temperament. He defended 10 off the final over against Nepal and arguably more importantly (because South Africa were through irrespective of that result), gave away only 7 runs in the penultimate over against Bangladesh the game before. Calm under pressure is one thing but consider that Baartman had never been out of South Africa before this trip, nevermind playing a match away from home, and it's a whole different calm under a whole different kind of pressure.

He is also the South African seam bowler with the best economy rate: 4.18 and he is doing it all for the people back home in Oudtshoorn in the Western Cape. At least, it's a decent hour for his family to tune it, with the match kicking off at 4.30pm South Africa time, so there won't need to be a sleepless night. Read more here.