Karachi, Mar 1 (UNI) England suffered a crushing blow in their final group-stage match of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, folding for a paltry 179 in 38.2 overs against South Africa at the National Stadium here on Saturday.
The lowest total in this edition of the tournament came at an inopportune moment, marking the end of Jos Buttler’s tenure as white-ball captain on a disappointing note.
The early setback for England came in the very first over when Philip Salt, after striking two boundaries, fell to Marco Jansen. Jamie Smith departed for a duck in similar fashion, attempting an ambitious pull shot outside off-stump. Joe Root (37) and Harry Brook (19) tried to consolidate, but Brook perished while taking on Keshav Maharaj. The next over, Root misjudged a straight delivery from Wiaan Mulder and was bowled, leaving England in dire straits.
Skipper Buttler’s struggles at the crease epitomised England’s woes. Unable to find fluency, he was further burdened by Liam Livingstone’s ((9) rash shot selection. Jofra Archer attempted to counter-attack after being struck on the arm by a short ball from Kagiso Rabada, but his brisk 25-run knock ended as he edged one to the fielder. Buttler, having endured a frustrating stay, even played out a maiden from Maharaj before eventually chipping a catch to mid-off after scoring 21 off 43 balls.
South Africa's bowlers put on a clinical display against England in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, with Marco Jansen leading the attack in the powerplay. His figures of 3/29 in the first 10 overs placed him among the best South African bowlers in Champions Trophy history to achieve such a feat. Makhaya Ntini remains the only bowler to take five wickets in the first 10 overs of a Champions Trophy innings, a record set against Pakistan in 2006.
Keshav Maharaj (2/35) also was instrumental in dismantling the English lineup, with Mulder (3/25) and Lungi Ngidi (1/33) chipping in effectively. The Proteas were outstanding in the field, with Jansen and Ngidi pulling off spectacular catches. Despite Aiden Markram's temporary absence due to a hamstring injury, South Africa ensured England never found momentum.
With the pitch offering decent assistance for batting, South Africa will look to chase the target with ease and enter the semifinals on a high. The result also means Afghanistan are eliminated from the tournament.
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