New Delhi, Feb 18 (NationPress) Corbin Bosch and Anrich Nortje combined to take five wickets, while Dewald Brevis and Ryan Rickelton both contributed quick 30s, as South Africa secured their unbeaten streak with a six-wicket victory over the UAE in their concluding Group D match of the 2026 Men's T20 World Cup at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Wednesday.

The outcome confirmed the Proteas advance to the Super Eights as the only unbeaten team from their group, concluding with four victories in four matches. They will next face the defending champions, India, in their opening Super Eights encounter at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday.

Amidst overcast conditions and with floodlights illuminated, Bosch capitalized on the dampness and effectively utilized short balls to claim figures of 3-12, while Nortje added 2-28. Left-arm spinner George Linde maintained the pressure with 1-17, as the UAE's innings lost momentum after a solid start, finishing at 122/6.

South Africa's aggressive strategy during the powerplay, hitting 11 boundaries and a six to reach 58/2, decisively shifted the match in their favor. Although they lost Aiden Markram early, who scored 28 off just 11 balls, Rickelton stabilized the innings with a smooth 30 off 16 balls. Brevis made his mark with a four and three sixes, scoring 36 off 25 balls, as the Proteas achieved the target in 15.4 overs to keep their unbeaten record intact in the league stage.

After winning the toss and opting to bat, Kagiso Rabada showcased pace and bounce, although Aryansh Sharma managed to hit him for a six in the first over. A change in Rabada's bowling strategy backfired as Muhammad Waseem hit him for three consecutive boundaries. The pair put together 36 runs for the first wicket before Linde's introduction in the fifth over yielded the breakthrough for South Africa as he trapped Waseem lbw for 22.

Bosch tightened his grip on the game by dismissing Aryansh with a short ball, caught at mid-wicket by Quinton de Kock for 13. He struck again shortly after, sending the in-form Sohaib Khan back for just six, edging behind to de Kock.

Linde and Nortje continued to apply pressure on the UAE, with Linde taking out Syed Haider via a top-edge caught in the mid-wicket area. During this stretch, Alishan Sharafu entertained the crowd of 14,400 with five fours and a six, making 45 off 38 balls. He had a couple of close calls but Nortje ultimately dismissed him when he pulled a shot to mid-wicket, where a teammate managed to avoid a collision.

Sharafu's wicket meant the UAE couldn't find the momentum needed for a strong finish, as Bosch returned to dismiss Muhammad Arfan for 11. After the power-play, the UAE could only manage 25 runs in the final five overs.

South Africa's innings commenced after a 45-minute rain delay. Following a tight opening over from Dhruv Parashar, Markram broke free with two boundaries against Junaid Siddique, and de Kock connected with a third boundary over mid-wicket.

Markram continued his assault on Haider Ali, accumulating three fours and a six until Haider claimed his wicket, sending Markram back for 28 off just 11 balls.

De Kock then took over, pulling and cutting boundaries to maintain the scoring pace. Rickelton joined in, hitting Parashar off the back foot for four and slicing Muhammad Jawadullah for two consecutive boundaries. However, Jawadullah shifted the momentum by dismissing de Kock, who sliced a catch to deep backward point.

With Rickelton still at the crease, Brevis made an impressive entry with a series of aggressive shots—including an edge for four and a massive six over mid-wicket that amazed the crowd. He followed up with another six over extra cover against Haider, while Rickelton also hit two sixes off Muhammad Farooq.

Though Rickelton fell to a mistimed pull for 30 off 16 balls, Brevis continued to dazzle with a nonchalant smash over long-on, before mis-timing a slog to long-off.

Tristan Stubbs and Jason Smith completed the chase, ensuring South Africa entered the Super Eights with another emphatic win. Despite dropping four catches, the Proteas successfully finished their group stage with an unbeaten record.

Brief Scores: UAE 122/6 in 20 overs (Alishan Sharafu 45, Muhammad Waseem 22; Corbin Bosch 3-12, Anrich Nortje 2-28) lost to South Africa 123/4 in 13.2 overs (Dewald Brevis 36, Ryan Rickelton 30; Muhammad Arfan 1-16, Muhammad Farooq 1-19) by six wickets.