South Africa defeat England by seven runs to edge closer to T20 World Cup semis

South Africa's Quinton de Kock scored his second straight fifty, and Anrich Nortje bowled a tight final over to help his team edge England by seven runs on Friday, moving closer to a semi-final spot with back-to-back wins in the Super Eight.

The victory in Gros Islet propelled South Africa to the top of the group with four points from two matches. England, in second place with two points, can still advance to the semi-finals.

South Africa's openers, De Kock (65 off 38) and Reeza Hendricks (19), got the team off to a good start, scoring 63 runs in the powerplay as an in-form De Kock scored a half-century in just 22 balls, his second consecutive fifty.

"I've played a few (Caribbean Premier League) games here," player of the match De Kock said, crediting his league experience for his knowledge of the playing conditions at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground.

South Africa added only 29 runs in the next six overs, with both openers dismissed by Moeen Ali (1-25) and Jofra Archer (3-40), while Adil Rashid (1-20) kept the scoreboard under control.

However, under pressure, David Miller (43 off 28) stepped up to get the runs flowing again, helping South Africa reach a competitive 163-6.

As England began their chase, Kagiso Rabada (2-32) dismissed Phil Salt (11) early on, followed by Keshav Maharaj (2-25), who took out Jonny Bairstow (16) and Jos Buttler (17), leaving the champions at 61-4 in the 11th over.

But Harry Brook (53 off 37) and Liam Livingstone (33 off 17) stabilised their innings, and with 77 needed from the last six overs, they went for the big hits, scoring 54 runs in the next three overs before Livingstone was bowled by Rabada.

England required 14 from the final over, but Nortje (1-35) got Brook out on the first ball and allowed only six runs, reducing England to 156-6.

"Getting to those last three overs, the odds looked heavily against you," South Africa captain Aiden Markram said. "But the bowlers coming back it shows a lot of skill but it also shows the fight inside."

"As a whole, I'd say we're getting closer to that complete game of cricket."

South Africa, who are unbeaten in the tournament, will play hosts West Indies in their final Super Eight match on Sunday, while England will face the United States.

SportsLigue