South Africa defeated England by seven wickets in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, securing a spot in the semifinals while eliminating Afghanistan. Rassie van der Dussen scored 72 not out, leading his team to victory. England, already out of contention, faced a seventh consecutive ODI defeat, prompting captain Jos Buttler to resign.
In the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, South Africa secured a convincing seven-wicket victory over England in Lahore, thus advancing to the semifinals while also eliminating Afghanistan from contention. Rassie van der Dussen showcased his exceptional skills by scoring an unbeaten 72 runs off 87 balls, leading the Proteas to a final score of 181 runs for three wickets in just 29.1 overs, easily surpassing England’s meager total of 179 all out in 38.2 overs.
The match marked a disappointing end for England, who had already been ousted from the tournament after consecutive losses to Australia and Afghanistan. Jos Buttler, England’s captain, announced his resignation following the team’s poor performance and disappointing results in recent competitions, notably the 2024 T20 World Cup and the 2023 Cricket World Cup. South Africa’s victory also placed them at the top of Group B, with Australia qualifying alongside them for the semifinals.
In the early stages of England’s innings, fast bowler Marco Jansen made a significant impact by taking three wickets, contributing to England’s dismal performance. Joe Root managed to top-score with 37 runs, but the English batting lineup struggled, losing their last seven wickets for only 80 runs. Buttler expressed his frustration after the match, stating, “It was a really disappointing performance, and we were short of our mark today,” reflecting the overall struggles of the England team.
Despite a rocky start in their chase, South Africa’s middle-order batsmen, including van der Dussen and Heinrich Klaasen, stabilized the innings and successfully chased down the target. Van der Dussen’s innings consisted of six fours and three sixes, while Klaasen supported him with an impressive 64 runs off 56 balls. Aiden Markram, the stand-in captain, did not bat due to a hamstring injury sustained in the field.
As a result of this match, Afghanistan’s hopes of progressing were extinguished, as they required England to win by a significant margin to stay in the tournament. Australia’s progression, following their favorable results, solidifies their position in the semifinals alongside South Africa. The match highlighted the stark contrast in performance between the teams and set the stage for an exciting conclusion to the tournament.
In summary, South Africa’s decisive victory over England in the ICC Champions Trophy secured their place in the semifinals while eliminating Afghanistan from the competition. Rassie van der Dussen’s outstanding performance with the bat and the effective bowling attack led to England’s dismal defeat. With this result, South Africa topped Group B, and significant changes are on the horizon for England, particularly under the leadership of Jos Buttler who has announced his resignation following a disappointing tournament run.
Original Source: www.aljazeera.com
