South Africa Clinches Thriller Against England in T20 World Cup

South Africa's captain Aiden Markram praised his bowlers for a seven-run victory against England in the T20 World Cup. Despite being under pressure, the bowlers executed their plans well, leaving England short in their chase. Quinton de Kock's notable batting performance also contributed to South Africa's win.

South Africa skipper Aiden Markram lauded his bowlers for securing a thrilling seven-run victory against England during a T20 World Cup Super Eight match held on Friday. Despite being under considerable pressure, the bowlers managed to maintain their composure.

England required just 25 runs in the final three overs with six wickets to spare. However, tight bowling restricted them to 156/6 in their pursuit of 164 on an easy-paced wicket with even bounce.

''We faced a challenging situation in the last three overs, but our bowlers executed their plans effectively,'' said Markram, who acknowledged opener Quinton de Kock's impressive 65 off 38 balls as pivotal to their innings.

Reflecting on the game, Markram mentioned, ''If I may be greedy, we were 10-20 runs short after such a strong start. We haven't yet played a complete game of cricket, but we're on the right track.'' His praise was particularly directed at de Kock, whose performance marked South Africa's sixth consecutive win in the World Cup.

''Quinny (de Kock) has delivered commendable performances in the last two games. The final overs were indeed nerve-wracking, but our plans were sound, though the execution could have been better. I was thankful the catch (of Harry Brook) was held," he added.

England skipper Jos Buttler also acknowledged de Kock's enterprising batting. ''Quinton came in with aggressive intent, and we couldn't quite match that. While we managed to pull back and were optimistic about chasing the target, his innings remained the deciding factor.''

He further highlighted the remarkable partnership between Harry Brook and Liam Livingstone, which brought England close but credited South Africa for closing out the game successfully. De Kock, who secured his second 'Player of the Match' title in the Super Eight, mentioned his strategy of building on his confidence from the previous game.

''I aim to carry forward my confidence from one game to the next. Our powerplay bowling was particularly strong, enabling us to control the game well. Defending 160 on a decent wicket is a commendable effort,'' de Kock remarked.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)