South Africa secured their place in the Champions Trophy semi-finals with a dominant performance against England in their Group B clash at Karachi’s National Stadium. The Proteas bowled out England for just 179 runs, ensuring their qualification regardless of the result in Saturday’s final match.
The result means South Africa joins Australia, India, and New Zealand in the semi-finals. With net run-rate keeping them safely above third-place Afghanistan in the pool, their position is secure ahead of Sunday’s final group-stage fixture between Afghanistan and the United Arab Emirates in Dubai.
South Africa now sets their sights on finishing at the top of the group, needing 180 runs to seal victory and further enhance their standing.
England’s woeful tournament continued as they struggled to build partnerships, despite the pitch appearing to offer good conditions for batting. Joe Root top-scored for the English side with 37 runs, while captain Jos Buttler, in his final innings before stepping down from the captaincy, managed only 21 runs.
While South Africa’s bowling performance was not flawless, they were still able to dismiss England for just 179 in 38.2 overs. Wiaan Mulder led the attack with impressive figures of 3-25, while Marco Jansen contributed with 3-39, ensuring the Proteas had enough of a total to chase down in their quest for a place at the top of the group.
The final fixture in Group B remains crucial, but South Africa has already done enough to secure their semi-final berth.
