Desk Report –
Gutsy In a thrilling rain-affected encounter on Thursday at the Sydney Cricket Ground, Pakistan defeated South Africa by a score of 33 runs to maintain their tenuous Twenty20 World Cup aspirations.
After their initial goal of 186 was reduced to 142 due to a weather delay, South Africa, who is still on track to advance to the semifinals, came out strong, needing 73 runs in just five overs.
However, the asking rate was too high, and they were dismissed for 108-9 at the conclusion of a thrilling game that featured a variety of events, including terrible weather, strong bowling, and lost catches.
With their victory, Pakistan still has a chance to advance to the World Cup semifinals if they triumph over Bangladesh in their final game on Sunday and other things go their way.
But they have to hope that South Africa or India lose their last games. While the Proteas play the Netherlands, India takes on Zimbabwe.
With nine overs remaining, the players were forced from the field as heavy rain started to pour after falling softly on and off for the majority of the Sydney match.
When they came back, South Africa had a target of 73 runs in five overs, which was too lofty.
India leads the group with six points, followed by South Africa with five. The top two alone advance to the semifinals.
Bangladesh is fourth and Pakistan is third. Each player has four points, but Pakistan has a higher net run rate.
