De Kock leads South Africa to narrow win over valiant USA as Super Eight stage gets underway

Gous and Harmeet give USA reasons to dream

Gous was the stalwart for the USA as they endeavoured to make in-roads into the target of 195.

He lost his fellow opener Steven Taylor in the fourth over of the innings, caught by Klaasen off Kagiso Rabada for 24.

And Aaron Jones followed for a disappointing duck off five balls, caught by De Kock off the bowling of Keshav Maharaj after an edge behind, leaving USA on 56/3 after seven overs.

Corey Anderson went for a run a ball 12, bowled by Anrich Nortje’s delightful full delivery, and Shayan Jahangir was dismissed for 3 off the first ball of Tabraiz Shamsi’s spell.

It was Harmeet Singh who joined Gous at the crease in the 12th over, with USA on 76/5. Between them, they gave the rowdy fans at North Sound something to cheer – and with Shamsi’s final over going for 22, including three sixes, they must have had hope of a famous win.

However, with Rabada’s first delivery of the penultimate over luring Harmeet only into the hands of Stubbs and ending an innings of 38 off 22 balls, the dreams were ended.