Ahmedabad, Feb 9 (NationPress) The 2024 T20 World Cup runners-up achieved a remarkable 57-run victory against Canada in the ninth match of Group D at the Narendra Modi Stadium, showcasing an impressive batting performance and a fierce bowling display from Lungi Ngidi, who ensured that there were no late-game jitters.

South Africa started strong with Aiden Markram leading the charge with his aggressive batting style. His opening partnership with Quinton de Kock produced an impressive 70 runs, reflecting excellent match control from the very beginning. De Kock contributed with 25 runs from 22 balls, while Markram shone brightly, scoring 59 runs off just 32 balls and crossing the 50-run mark, giving South Africa a solid lead.

During the middle overs, South Africa maintained a steady rhythm despite Dewald Brevis's struggles, who only managed to score 6 runs. However, Ryan Rickelton kept the pressure on Canada with a solid 33 runs off 21 balls. The innings took a decisive turn once David Miller entered, leading to a shift in momentum.

Miller finished the innings calmly with steady contributions alongside Tristan Stubbs, instead of relying on aggressive swings. Miller remained not out at 39 runs, while Stubbs added an impressive 34 runs, helping South Africa wrap up their innings at a strong total of 213/4 in 20 overs. Canada's best bowling performance came from Ansh Patel, who took 3 wickets for 31 runs, while Dilpreet Bajwa claimed another wicket.

In their batting response, Canada struggled significantly, as Lungi Ngidi dismissed Dilpreet Bajwa for a duck with the very first ball, putting Canada immediately on the back foot. A brief counter-attack from Yuvraj Samra saw him hit three boundaries off Ngidi, but the South African bowler ultimately had the last word by taking out Samra. By the end of the Powerplay, Canada found themselves in deep trouble, having lost both Nicholas Kirton and Shreyas Movva to Ngidi’s bowling, with Ngidi claiming three wickets out of four in that phase.

During the middle overs, there was slight resistance with Navneet Dhaliwal and Harsh Thaker forming a 69-run partnership for the fifth wicket. Nevertheless, Canada was still behind the required run rate, which at one point exceeded 17 runs per over by the start of the 14th over, and they never looked poised to make a comeback. Ngidi returned for his fourth over, where he dismissed Thaker for 33 runs, effectively sealing the match.

Dhaliwal fought valiantly to finish as Canada’s top scorer with 64 runs from 49 balls. However, his dismissal in the final over epitomized Canada's struggles, as they ended their innings at 156 runs, losing by 8 wickets.

Ngidi was the standout bowler, finishing with an impressive 4 wickets for just 31 runs from his four overs. Marco Jansen supported him with two wickets, while Kagiso Rabada and Corbin Bosch added one each.

Brief scores: South Africa 213/4 in 20 overs (Aiden Markram 59, David Miller 39 not out; Ansh Patel 3-31, Dilpreet Bajwa 1-40) defeated Canada 156/8 in 20 overs (Navneet Dhaliwal 64, Harsh Thaker 33; Lungi Ngidi 4-31, Marco Jansen 2-30) by 57 runs.