SA vs ENG, Champions Trophy: South Africa qualify for semis with 7-wicket win vs England in Karachi

England's disappointing run in the Champions Trophy ended with yet another humiliating defeat. The team struggled to perform with the bat in Jos Buttler's final match as captain of the white-ball side. In their clash against South Africa at the National Stadium in Karachi, England faced a 7-wicket loss while defending a paltry total of 179 runs. Despite missing key players Temba Bavuma and Aiden Markram, South Africa successfully chased down the target, led by Heinrich Klaasen and Rassie van der Dussen.

Klaasen, returning from an elbow injury, played a vital innings, scoring 64 runs off 56 balls, while van der Dussen remained unbeaten on 72 runs, steering South Africa to victory.

England's bowling attack, already hampered by Mark Wood's injury, initially put up a strong fight in the first 15 overs. Jofra Archer took two wickets during the powerplay, dismissing Ryan Rickleton and Tristan Stubbs. However, once Klaasen and van der Dussen found their rhythm, South Africa's win became a formality as they reached the target in just 29.1 overs.

Joe Root was England's top scorer, managing 37 runs off 44 balls, but the innings concluded at just 38.2 overs.

Marco Jansen was a standout for South Africa, claiming 3 wickets early on. Keshav Maharaj controlled the middle overs with figures of 10-1-35-2, while Wiaan Mulder finished off the innings with 3 wickets.

With this victory, South Africa secured a place in the semi-finals at the top of Group B, boasting an impressive Net Run Rate of +2.395. They will face the loser of the match between India and New Zealand on Sunday, March 2nd.

Also read| India vs New Zealand, Champions Trophy: Head-to-head record and stats in ODIs - All you need to know