England go down fighting by 3 runs against South Africa

CHITTAGONG: South Africa recorded a three-run narrow win in an exciting match against England in the Group-1 match of the Super-10 Series in the World Twenty20 here at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium on Saturday.

This win takes South Africa into the semi-finals of the tournament.

Chasing a huge total of 197, England batsmen fought with courage but gave up the battle in the last over just four runs short of the target.

They made 193 for seven in reply to South Africa’s 196-5.

England’s main scorers were Alex Hales (38), Jos Buttler (34) and Ravi Bopara (31).

For South Africa, left-arm pacer Wayne Parnell claimed three and leg-spinner Imran Tahir took two wickets.

The highest successful chase against South Africa in any T20 was only 169, by New Zealand in East London, the additional 28 runs needed here a powerful indication of England's task.

AB de Villiers returned to South Africa's Twenty20 captaincy in inspirational fashion by producing his country's fastest fifty and assuring his side of a place in the semi-finals of World T20. England were eliminated, foundering in the face of the biggest total of the tournament, their batsmen never really threatening to win it but doing well to take the game so close.