The equation was simple for South Africa and West Indies following England’s qualification on Sunday evening. The team that won the fixture in Antigua would join the defending champions in the last four.

South African players celebrate the wicket of West Indies’ Shai Hopeduring the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup cricket match between the West Indies and South Africa at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in North Sound, Antigua and Barbuda. ( AP | PTI)

It was South Africa that came into the game with all the pressure, especially as to how they would front up this aggressive West Indies side. When the rain break arrived early during South Africa’s chase, they were still in command as a washout would have taken them through. Even the revised DLS target didn’t alter the dynamics, but still somehow South Africa managed to induce life into a game that appeared dead.

“A lot of relief to get through to the semi-final…not going to be brain-washed by that,” South Africa captain Aiden Markram said. “We would have liked to be more convincing with bat in hand. After the rain break, the wicket was playing nicely. Did not get the partnerships to kill the game. Tried to kill the chas too early. Massive for us and fantastic for the change room but hopefully we can avoid those tricky situations”

Unbeaten Proteas

The Proteas have been unbeaten so far in the tournament, but close wins against Bangladesh, Nepal and the US still kept the doubts around. And after the three-wicket win against West Indies, concerns about their top order still remain. Unless the top-order comes out of the slump, they could struggle to go all the way.

In these tight, narrow wins, however, one thing has stood out about this South African side – their spunkiness. Instead of wilting under pressure, they have found a way to get past it and throughout their match against the West Indies, South Africa would do the same.

When West Indies were surging ahead, it was their spinners Tabraiz Shamsi and Keshav Maharaj who restricted the home side to 135/8. And when they were in a spot of bother chasing it, it was Heinrich Klaasen, Tristan Stubbs and the all-around skills of Jansen that kept their dreams of lifting a World Cup trophy alive.

When Klaasen’s characteristic 10-ball 22 ended in the eighth over, South Africa had 77 already on board. With enough batting depth and the required rate of less than run a ball, it headed for a smooth finish.

South Africa’s Heinrich Klaasen hits a six during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup cricket match between the West Indies and South Africa at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in North Sound, Antigua and Barbuda. (AP)

But despite that, somehow South Africa managed to press the panic button to lose the wickets of David Miller and Stubbs at crucial moments as West Indies crawled their way back. Given the sort of impact Roston Chase made with the ball, why the off-spinner wasn’t used earlier is a question that would hurt the hosts. It was his three wickets that turned the game on its head.

When Chase came on to bowl the first over of the night, South Africa needed 31 off 36 deliveries with Stubbs and Miller still at the crease. And from there on the required run rate went over run a ball before Kagiso Rabada’s timely boundary off the last ball of the penultimate over brought it under control. Thereafter, Jansen enhanced his reputation of being an ice-cool finisher, similar to what Lance Klusener was in the late 90s.

Nortje, Shamsi the trump cards

But there was little-to-no doubt over who the player of the match was. After losing the wickets of Shai Hope and Nicholas Pooran in the first couple of overs, West Indies led their charge through Kyle Mayers and Chase.

The left-right combo consolidated at first before freeing their arms as they went about setting the ideal launch pad for their fiery finishers. But one thing that has stood out about this Proteas’ bowling unit is the attacking options they use in the middle overs with Anrich Nortje’s pace and Shamsi’s wrist spin being the trump card.

South Africa’s Tabraiz Shamsi celebrates with teammate Aiden Markram after taking the wicket West Indies’ Sherfane Rutherford during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup cricket match between the West Indies and South Africa at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in North Sound, Antigua and Barbuda. (AP)

In the first three overs between them, they conceded just 10 runs before Mayers and Chase were made to go after Shamsi’s second. Mayers would find a boundary and Chase followed it with a six, but by the end of that over it was Shamsi who was celebrating by the end of that over having outfoxed the left-hander.

As Rovall Powell came on, Markram would bring back Maharaj, who responded by sending the Windies captain for 1. In the next over, Shamsi would make Sherfane Rutherford edge one to the slip as West Indies started to slide. And when Shamsi removed the well-settled Chase for 52, there were none to arrest the West Indies slide. On a slow pitch, where the ball gripped and turned, Shamsi didn’t hesitate to give more air to the ball as his spell of 4-0-27-3 proved to be game-changing.

Such was Shamsi’s impact that Markram – who himself bowled four overs straight-up – delayed Rabada’s introduction till the 18th over. “We picked Shamsi, wanting to have a mystery spinner. We identified a possible opportunity. Wanted some spin in the powerplay and saw it turn. Wanted as much spin as possible (thereafter) and bowled as many overs of spin. When KG only bowls two overs, it speaks of how the wicket played,” Markram said.

West Indies’ lone hope at that stage was Andre Russell, whose back-to-back sixes of Nortje in the 17th over made them breathe easy a bit but when he was run-out of the first ball of the 18th over, the writing was very much on the wall for the hosts.