South Africa scored 115/7 in 20 overs, where as Nepal scored 114/7 in 20 overs.
So, finally South Africa beat Nepal by 1 run.
Nepal fell agonizingly short of a historic victory as South Africa picked up two more points thanks to Tabraiz Shamsi’s double-wicket over, the composure shown by Ottneil Baartman at the death, and some ricochet luck on the very final delivery.
Nepal found themselves on course in the chase of South Africa’s 115/7, needing 18 off 18 with the 23-year-old Aasif Sheikh leading the way.
Shamsi then cleaned up Dipender Singh and Aasif in a two-run over, leaving the lower order needing 16 off 12.
Sompal Kami and Gulshan Jha dragged it to 2 off 2 when Baartman bowled two short balls that Jha swiped at and missed.
On the second, the batters ran, and Quinton de Kock threw towards the stumps at the non-striker’s end, only for the ball to hit Jha.
The ball, however, went straight to Klaasen, who broke the stumps and caught Jha short of his crease.
With that one-run defeat, Nepal’s T20 World Cup campaign came to an end.
Where was the game won?
At the death.
Nepal almost matched South Africa’s Power Play returns and fared far better through the middle, but the death overs brought their downfall.
South Africa struggled in this phase with the bat too but ended up getting 35 runs, which proved just about enough in the end.
The death-overs difference
| Parameters | South Africa | Nepal |
|---|---|---|
| Runs | 35 For 4 | 23 For 4 |
| 4s/6s | 2 and 1 | 1 and 1 |
| Run Rate | 7 | 4.6 |
South Africa
Power Play: Quinton de Kock falls early again in slow start
Phase score – 38/1 [RR: 6.34, 4s/6s: 6/0]
In just the second match of the World Cup in Kingstown, Nepal opted to bowl, and there was early evidence why.
South Africa openers Quinton de Kock and Reeza Hendricks struggled to middle the ball for half the Power Play overs before de Kock once again flattered to deceive, falling to Dipendra Singh for an 11-ball 10.
Hendricks hit a couple of boundaries off Karan KC on either side of the wicket, but batting continued to be a struggle.
Nepal wrapped up a tight Power Play with the first sign of spin through Kushal Malla.
Middle-overs: SA struggle against spin
Phase score – 42/2 [RR: 4.67, 4s/6s: 3/1]
Sandeep Lamichhane returned and immediately lifted the quality of Nepal’s bowling attack.
He started with a two-run over, getting the ball to dip and turn, troubling the batters.
Aiden Markram was scratchy at the start, but Hendricks went after Malla in his second over, hitting the first of only two sixes in the South African innings.
Malla was immediately replaced with leg-spinner Kushal Bhurtel, who was stingy and put a leash on the South African scoring.
South Africa limped to 57/1 at the halfway stage, but Bhurtel put down a sitter to offer Hendricks a reprieve in the 11th over.
However, he made instant amends, getting Markram to play one onto his stumps and depart for a forgettable 15 off 22.
Lamichhane nearly had Heinrich Klaasen early when the South African went for a switch hit, but the leaping backward point couldn’t hold on.
Nepal kept coming at South Africa with spin, as Bhurtel took out Klaasen in the next over, caught – just about with a couple of juggles – by Karan at extra cover.
Death-overs: Nepal bowlers dig in further
Phase score – 35/4 [RR: 7.00, 4s/6s: 2/1]
Between the 11th and the 16th over, Nepal kept South Africa from scoring a boundary for 33 deliveries.
Even when the streak was broken, it didn’t turn the game around too dramatically for South Africa as run-making was still tough.
Dipendra Singh returned in the 16th over to end Hendricks’s stay on 43 off 49, taking a return catch off a top-edge.
Lamichhane bowled his fourth tight over to finish with figures of 0 for 18, including 11 dots.
The need to ramp up the scoring took out David Miller in the 18th over – from Dipendra – when an outside edge went to Lamichhane at short third man.
Dipendra finished with 3 for 21 in 4 overs, with 9 dot balls.
Tristan Stubbs gave hopes of a late flourish when he started the 20th over with a six down the ground, but Bhurtel gave away just three more runs and capped off the over with two wickets – of Marco Jansen and Kagiso Rabada.
He bowled 12 dots on his way to figures of 4 for 19.
Nepal
Power Play: A slow but wicketless start to chase
Phase score – 32/0 [RR: 5.34, 4s/6s: 5/1]
Nepal were largely circumspect, but in parts adventurous, to pick out five boundaries – a couple streaky – in the first six overs to set themselves up for the chase.
More importantly, they didn’t lose a single wicket and kept the pressure on South Africa.
Kagiso Rabada had the best chance of the early exchanges when he got under a top-edge from Aasif Sheikh, only to let it slip right through his palms.
Middle-overs: Aasif Sheikh, Anil Sah give Nepal hope
Phase score – 59/3 [RR: 6.56, 4s/6s: 4/2]
Tabraiz Shamsi dented Nepal’s resolve with a double-wicket over in the eighth, when he cleaned up Bhurtel, who went for a reverse sweep and missed, and then disturbed the stumps of Nepal captain Rohit Paudel.
Nepal were meandering away at the halfway stage before Anil Sah and Aasif Sheikh plotted their recovery.
After the drinks break, a switch was flicked on by the Nepal batting pair, starting with Sah hitting two fours off Anrich Nortje in a 12-run over.
Sah then saw through a wrong’un from Shamsi and deposited it over wide long off.
Sheikh then welcomed Rabada into the attack with a swivel-pull for four, before smashing one in the same region for a six.
Nepal rose from 48/2 in 10 overs to 82/2 in 13, getting back on course to pick two massive points.
Aiden Markram dismissed Sah to drag South Africa back into the contest, but Nepal went into the death overs needing 25 more.
Death-overs: Nepal fall short by a run
Phase score – 23/4 [RR: 4.60, 4s/6s: 1/1]
For the second time in the chase, a double-wicket over from Shamsi derailed Nepal.
This time it was for good, as they couldn’t recover enough to push for the two points in play.
Sheikh’s dismissal turned the tables on Nepal after he steered his side through the middle phase, as the lower order struggled for runs.
Sompal Kami pulled Nortje for a 105m six over square leg to take the chase to the final over where Gulshan Jha hit a four to drag it further down.
But Baartman did well to hold his nerve on the last two balls, ensuring South Africa finished the group stage without a blemish.
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