ICC Champions Trophy 2025: South Africa Enters Semifinal After Beating England

Image credits: एक्‍स स्पोर्ट्स

South Africa has confirmed its spot in the semifinals of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 after a convincing 7-wicket win over England in their last league match. England, who were already out of the semifinal race, needed to win by at least 207 runs to give Afghanistan a chance to qualify, but they failed to do so. The English team was bowled out for just 179 runs in 38.2 overs, with Marco Jansen taking three crucial wickets. In response, South Africa chased down the target with ease, losing just three wickets in 29.1 overs, thanks to a 127-run partnership between Rassie van der Dussen and Henrik Klaasen.

The match was played at the National Stadium in Karachi, where England captain Jos Buttler won the toss and chose to bat. However, his decision backfired as Jansen struck early, taking three wickets in the first seven overs. England's top order collapsed, with the score reading 37/3 in the seventh over. The English team struggled to recover from the early losses and were eventually bowled out for a below-par total. South Africa's bowlers, including Jansen, Vian Mulder, and Keshav Maharaj, put pressure on the English batsmen, making it difficult for them to score runs.

The list of scores from the match is as follows:

• England: 179/10 (38.2 overs)
• South Africa: 183/3 (29.1 overs)

The win takes South Africa to the top of Group B with five points, while England finishes their campaign without a single win. The semifinal line-up is now complete, with South Africa and Australia from Group B joining India and New Zealand from Group A. Afghanistan, who were relying on England to win by a big margin, are now out of the tournament.

South Africa's victory was set up by their bowlers, who restricted England to a low total. Jansen was the pick of the bowlers, taking three wickets for 39 runs. Mulder and Maharaj also chipped in with three and two wickets, respectively. In response, van der Dussen and Klaasen played match-winning innings, scoring 72 and 64 runs, respectively. The partnership between the two batsmen took the game away from England, and South Africa eventually won by seven wickets.

The tournament has now reached its business end, with the semifinals scheduled to take place soon. The teams will be looking to fine-tune their strategies and make the necessary adjustments to win the coveted title. With South Africa and Australia from Group B and India and New Zealand from Group A, the semifinals promise to be exciting and closely contested matches.

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