In a thrilling match at Arnos Vale ground, South Africa’s clinical performance saw them claim the top spot in Group D and advance to the knockout stage with a perfect record. Their tense one-run victory over Nepal was a testament to their skill and determination, while for Nepal, despite their efforts, it was not enough to take them past the tournament’s group stage.

Nepal needed 116 to claim a victory. However, their batting side let them down in the closing stages. Asif Sheikh’s 42 and Anil Sah’s valuable 27 gave some hope. However, the brilliance of the Proteas bowlers was unstoppable.

South Africa, who batted first, scored a relatively sedate 115 on the board, which can be considered low on any surface. Riza Hendricks scored 43 runs, which were essential for the team. Last but not least, Tristan Stubbs built the final nail of 27 runs, with the help of which the Lions won the match. Nepal’s bowlers, specifically Kushal Bhurtel, who took 4 wickets, stood out, while Dipendra Singh Airee had 3.

Nepal’s campaign began feebly, with a six-wicket loss to the Netherlands and failure to produce results on the wet ground of Sri Lanka.

With this stunning defeat, you can now forget about Nepal’s dream of winning the World Cup qualification. On the other hand, South Africa proceeded to the next round undefeated.