Despair for Nepal as South Africa remain unbeaten with final-ball triumph

Heinrich Klaasen pulled off a run out from the final delivery to help South Africa remain unbeaten at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup and knock Nepal out of contention for a spot in the Super Eights with a thrilling one-run triumph over the Asian side in St Vincent on Friday.

Nepal needed two runs for victory from the final ball to keep their hopes alive of reaching the Super Eights and Klaasen kept his cool to run out Gulsan Jha at the non-strikers end as the match appeared headed to a Super Over.

It was a cruel way to finish for Nepal, who were the better side for much of the thrilling contest as their spinners dominated with the ball to reduce South Africa to 115/7 and their top-order looked in control in reply when they reached 85/2 in the 14th over and the required rate well within reach.

But South Africa spinner Tabraiz Shamsi (4/19) turned the game the Proteas’ way and pace duo Anrich Nortje (1/27) and Ottneil Baartman (0/20) held their nerve when bowling the final two overs as South Africa held on to deny Nepal their first ever international victory over a full ICC member side.

South Africa will need to improve during the next phase of the tournament if they want to match it with the competition heavyweights as they were well below their best for much of the Nepal match.

Opener Reeza Hendricks (43) was their only player to spend a lengthy time in the middle, while Tristan Stubbs (27* off 18 balls) was their sole batter to finish with a strike rate in excess of 100 as Nepal’s spinners dominated as the Proteas posted a total barely over 100.

Kushal Bhurtel (4/19) and Dipendra Singh Airee (3/21) shared seven wickets between them and Nepal’s chase appeared well in control until Shamsi’s late spell left eight runs required from the final over.

Gulsan found the boundary from the third ball of the final over, but Klaasen came up with the game winning play at the end to allow South Africa to prevail.