‘Lagta hai iss baar chokers jeetenge trophy’ – Fans react as South Africa beat England by 230 runs in ODI World Cup 2023 clash

South Africa displayed an amazing all-round performance in the 20th match of the ongoing ODI World Cup 2023 against England at the iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Saturday, October 21. They defeated the English side by a huge margin of 230 runs and marked a brilliant comeback after suffering an embarrassing loss to the Netherlands.

Talking about the match, England won the toss and opted to bowl first. Initially, it looked like Jos Buttler had taken the right decision as Reece Topley dismissed the in-form batter Quinton de Kock in the first over of the innings. However, the happiness didn’t last long for the English side as Reeza Hendricks, who got an opportunity to play in place of South Africa’s regular skipper, Temba Bavuma, stitched a brilliant partnership of 121 runs with Rassie van der Dussen.

However, Adil Rashid was successful in ending the partnership, eliminating Van der Dussen, who had valiantly scored 60 runs. Hendricks, filling in for the injured South Africa captain, Temba Bavuma, impressed with his robust batting style but eventually departed after contributing a remarkable 85 runs from 75 balls. Subsequently, Aiden Markram and David Miller followed suit, but it was Heinrich Klaasen who orchestrated a dramatic turnaround. 

Klaasen’s scorching performance, including a remarkable century in just 31 balls, completely shifted the momentum in South Africa’s favour. He concluded his innings with a dazzling 109 runs from 67 balls, marking his fourth ODI century. Partnered with the all-rounder Marco Jansen, they compiled a massive 151-run partnership in just 76 deliveries. This formidable collaboration propelled South Africa to an imposing total of 399 runs, presenting England with a challenging target in an electrifying contest.

Brilliant bowling performance by South Africa

Chasing the target, South African bowlers gave a hard time to the English batters. England lost their first 4 wickets on the score of just 38 runs and that too inside the first powerplay. The upcoming batters got a good start but couldn’t hold long on the crease as everything was going in the favour of the South African team. 

England started losing wickets at a regular interval of time and the situation also started getting worse for the team. They lost their 8 wickets on 100 runs. South African pacers were brilliant with the bowl, unlike English bowlers. However, England tailenders Mark Wood and Gus Atkinson showcased their batting skills and entertained the crowd in Mumbai with some huge sixes. However, it was too late for the team as they lost the match by 230 runs. 

Here’s how fans reacted:

https://twitter.com/PKMKB_93K/status/1715746144926695659