By Zainab Shafiq 
South Africa continued their dominant form in the ICC Champions Trophy with a commanding seven-wicket victory over England in the 11th match of Group B at the National Stadium in Karachi. England, after electing to bat first, struggled against South Africa’s disciplined bowling attack and could only post a modest total of 179 in 38.2 overs. South Africa, led by an unbeaten 72 from Rassie van der Dussen and a blistering 64 from Heinrich Klaasen, chased down the target in just 29.1 overs, securing a crucial win with 125 balls to spare, consequently, qualifying for the semi-final.
England’s innings got off to a rocky start as Marco Jansen struck early, removing Phil Salt, Jamie Smith, and Ben Duckett within the first seven overs. Joe Root attempted to stabilize the innings with a fighting knock of 37 off 44 balls, but wickets continued to tumble at regular intervals. Harry Brook (19) and captain Jos Buttler (21) struggled to build momentum, and England’s lower order failed to put up any resistance against the South African attack.
Jansen was the standout bowler for South Africa, finishing with figures of 3 for 39, while Wiaan Mulder also claimed three wickets, conceding just 25 runs in his 7.2 overs. Keshav Maharaj provided crucial breakthroughs in the middle overs, dismissing Brook and Livingstone, while Lungi Ngidi and Kagiso Rabada picked up a wicket each. England’s innings came to an end in the 39th over, with only Jofra Archer (25) making a notable contribution in the lower order.
In response, South Africa lost Tristan Stubbs early for a duck, bowled by Archer, but Ryan Rickelton and van der Dussen steadied the innings. Rickelton played a fluent knock of 27 off 25 balls before Archer struck again to remove him, giving England a glimmer of hope. However, that hope was quickly extinguished as van der Dussen and Klaasen took control of the chase.
The duo put on a match-winning partnership of 127 runs for the third wicket, playing with a mix of aggression and composure. Klaasen was particularly destructive, smashing 11 boundaries in his 56-ball 64 before being dismissed by Adil Rashid. Van der Dussen remained unbeaten, guiding South Africa to victory with a composed 72 off 87 balls, including six fours and three sixes. David Miller provided the finishing touches with a quickfire 7* off 2 balls.
England’s bowlers struggled to make an impact on a good batting surface. Archer was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 2 for 55, while Rashid claimed one wicket for 37 runs. Jamie Overton, Saqib Mahmood, and Liam Livingstone went wicketless, as South Africa’s batters dictated terms.
Marco Jansen was named Player of the Match for his all-round performance, which included three wickets and three catches. His early strikes with the ball set the tone for South Africa’s dominance, and his fielding efforts further contributed to England’s downfall.
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