South Africa convincingly defeated England, who fell short in their pursuit of a daunting 400-run target, managing only 170 runs. This loss marked England’s third defeat in four matches at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 (CWC23).
South Africa, determined to bounce back after a surprising setback against the Netherlands in Dharamsala, made a strong statement at Wankhede. The South African pace attack, led by Gerald Coetzee (3/35), Lungi Ngidi (2/26), and Marco Jansen (2/35), tore through the England batting lineup, leaving them in tatters.
In the first innings, Heinrich Klaasen played a stellar role, smashing a remarkable century with 109 runs, well-supported by Marco Jansen. Reeza Hendricks and Rassie van der Dussen also contributed with their half-centuries.
England’s bowlers struggled to contain the Proteas’ batsmen, with Reece Topley (3/88), Gus Atkinson (2/60), and Adil Rashid (2/61) among the wicket-takers.
Notably, both teams made adjustments to their line-ups for this crucial Cricket World Cup clash in Mumbai. South Africa missed their regular skipper, Temba Bavuma, due to illness, while England welcomed back Ben Stokes.
Under the floodlights, South Africa’s fast bowlers wreaked havoc, derailing England’s batting early on. Among England’s top six batters, Harry Brook was the top scorer with 17 runs, as several others attempted aggressive shots and lost their wickets.
Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Gerald Coetzee, and Marco Jansen all made significant contributions to South Africa’s bowling effort. Rabada’s stunning catch, off Lungi Ngidi’s delivery, sent David Willey packing.
Despite the early setbacks, England’s lower-order batsmen, Mark Wood and Gus Atkinson, provided some resistance and entertained the crowd with powerful hitting. Their 70-run partnership off 32 balls added some excitement but couldn’t prevent England from suffering their third loss in four games.
As the South Africa innings progressed beyond the 25-over mark, Aiden Markram and Heinrich Klaasen combined forces during the middle overs, accumulating 69 runs off 58 balls before Markram’s dismissal, thanks to a brilliant catch by Jonny Bairstow in the deep.
Reece Topley struck again in the 37th over, accounting for David Miller, who was caught at mid-off by Ben Stokes. However, Klaasen unleashed a flurry of scintillating shots to boost South Africa’s run rate.
Klaasen’s century came off just 61 balls in the 47th over, while Marco Jansen reached his half-century in the very next over, facing only 35 balls. The dynamic duo put on a remarkable 151-run partnership in just 77 balls, propelling South Africa close to the 400-run mark.
Quinton de Kock’s innings began with a four, but he was dismissed off the very next ball, edging Reece Topley to the keeper, Jos Buttler. A review confirmed the nick, and de Kock departed after scoring four runs.
Reeza Hendricks and Rassie van der Dussen showcased their intent in the early overs, hitting nine boundaries in the Powerplay. Despite England’s bowlers searching for answers, Hendricks and van der Dussen continued to build South Africa’s momentum. They amassed 30 runs from Mark Wood’s first three overs and added 10 runs off Adil Rashid’s opening over.
However, Rashid struck back, as van der Dussen top-edged a catch straight to mid-wicket. Hendricks continued to attack, smashing three big sixes before falling to Rashid in the mid-innings phase. England’s concerns about Topley’s fitness were eased when the tall pacer returned to the field.
In the early stages of the match, England’s captain Jos Buttler chose to field first in Mumbai. The team made three changes following their loss to Afghanistan, with Ben Stokes, David Willey, and Gus Atkinson coming in for Liam Livingstone, Chris Woakes, and Sam Curran.
Notably, South Africa had to cope with the absence of their regular captain, Temba Bavuma, who missed the game due to illness, with Aiden Markram taking up the captaincy role. Bavuma was replaced by Reeza Hendricks in the lineup.
Both teams came into this clash following the unexpected defeats to teams with less international experience. England was shocked by Afghanistan in Delhi, while South Africa faced an upset at the hands of the Netherlands in Dharamsala.
England’s loss to Afghanistan left them with just two points from three games, and the defending champions are keen to make a comeback before it’s too late. On the other hand, South Africa aims to prove that their loss to the Dutch was merely a minor hiccup in their campaign.
