ICC Men's World Cup: South Africa pound England at Wankhede

Chasing 400 to win the game, England were bowled out for 170 by South Africa at Wankhede. This is their third loss in four games at the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023.

With this, South Africa have overcome a shock loss to Netherlands in Dharamsala and brought their Cricket World Cup campaign back on track.

The South Africa pace attack was in top form at Wankhede, where they ran through the England batting line-up under lights. Chasing a mammoth target of 400, England crumbled in the 22nd over itself. Gerald Coetzee (3/35), Lungi Ngidi (2/26), and Marco Jansen (2/35) were the main wicket-takers for South Africa.

In the first innings, a phenomenal century from Heinrich Klaasen led the South Africa charge in Mumbai. He top-scored for the Proteas with his 109, while receiving a good hand from Marco Jansen. Earlier, Reeza Hendricks and Rassie van der Dussen contributed with their own fifties.

All England bowlers were dispatched for runs, with Reece Topley (3/88), Gus Atkinson (2/60) and Adil Rashid (2/61) among wickets.

Both sides made changes to their line-up for this Cricket World Cup encounter in Mumbai. While regular South Africa skipper Temba Bavuma missed out due to an illness, England were boosted by the return of Ben Stokes.

The Proteas pacers thrived under light and derailed the England batting innings before it could even take off.

Harry Brook's 17 was the best among England's top six batters, even as a number of batters tried to go for aggressive strokes and lost their wickets.

Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Gerald Coetzee and Marco Jansen were all among the wickets. Rabada also pulled off an absolutely stunning catch off the bowling of Lungi Ngidi to send David Willey packing.

After the upper and middle order failed to get going, lower order batters Mark Wood and Gus Atkinson showed some fight and hit some lusty blows out of the park.

Their 70-run-stand off 32 balls entertained the crowd but couldn't help England avoid their third loss in four games.

After the 25-over mark in the South Africa innings, Aiden Markram and Heinrich Klaasen came together around the middle-over mark and helped South Africa go on at a positive rate. They added 69 runs off 58 balls before Markram fell to a brilliant catch from Jonny Bairstow in the deep.

Topley struck once again, in the 37th over to account for David Miller. He was caught at the mid-off by Ben Stokes.

He got good support from Marco Jansen, who picked up pace to match Klaasen's fury in the death overs. Klaasen's century came off 61 balls in the 47th over, whereas Jansen's half-century came off 35 balls in the very next over.

The duo added 151 runs from merely 77 balls to help South Africa close in on 400.

Quinton de Kock began with a four off a drive for South Africa, but was sent back to the pavilion off the very next ball. He went for a drive but ended up edging Reece Topley to the keeper, Jos Buttler. The umpire didn't agree, and England went up for a review. A nick was detected, and de Kock walked back for four.

The South Africa innings revived on the back of Reeza Hendricks and Rassie van der Dussen's intent. The duo hit nine boundaries in the first Powerplay. For England, there was troubling news in Reece Topley's finger injury, which forced him off the field in his fourth over.

Hendricks and van der Dussen kept South Africa's charge going in decent batting conditions, even as the England bowlers searched for answers. They accumulated 30 runs from the first three overs of Mark Wood's spell and hit 10 runs off Adil Rashid's first over.

However, Rashid struck back in the next over. Rassie van der Dussen top-edged straight to mid-wicket. Reeza Hendricks continued attacking from his end and hit three big sixes during his innings.

However, he too fell to Rashid around the mid-innings mark. England's fears around Topley's fitness were somewhat assuaged when the lanky pacer returned back to the field.(UNI)