Aiden Markram, leading South Africa in the absence of Temba Bavuma, had to leave the field during the 31st over of England’s innings due to discomfort in his right hamstring. As per an update from Cricket South Africa (CSA), Markram would not return to the field for the remainder of the innings and would only bat if absolutely necessary.
In his absence, Heinrich Klaasen stepped in as the stand-in captain. Given that South Africa was already in a commanding position, they opted not to take any risks with Markram’s fitness. However, the Proteas camp will be hoping his injury isn’t serious, especially with the all-important Champions Trophy semifinal just around the corner.
South Africa have already been dealing with fitness concerns, with regular skipper Temba Bavuma and Tony de Zorzi sidelined due to illness. The team, which has displayed exceptional form in the tournament, would not want their campaign to be derailed by injuries at such a crucial stage. Fortunately, their semifinal qualification was sealed in the first innings itself, as they bowled England out for a paltry 179.
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For Afghanistan to qualify in place of South Africa, they needed England to secure an improbable 207-run victory—an outcome that was ruled out once England struggled to post a competitive total. With that, South Africa became the fourth and final team to book a spot in the Champions Trophy semifinals.
🚨 UPDATE FROM CSA: Aiden Markram is dealing with right hamstring discomfort and won’t take the field for the rest of the innings. He’ll bat only if needed.
Meanwhile, Heinrich Klaasen takes over as South Africa’s captain for the remainder of the match. 🏏🔥
#SAvsENG pic.twitter.com/WmHH3QCd4O— Ganesh 🇮🇳 (@GaneshVerse) March 1, 2025
As for the match, England had won the toss and opted to bat first, but their batting lineup crumbled under pressure. Marco Jansen and Wiaan Mulder picked up three wickets each, while Keshav Maharaj chipped in with two, ensuring South Africa maintained their dominance.
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England (Playing XI): Philip Salt, Ben Duckett, Jamie Smith(w), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jos Buttler(c), Liam Livingstone, Jamie Overton, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Saqib Mahmood
South Africa (Playing XI): Tristan Stubbs, Ryan Rickelton, Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram(c), Heinrich Klaasen(w), David Miller, Wiaan Mulder, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi
