[WATCH] Saurabh Netravalkar draws first blood for USA against South Africa by dismissing Reeza Hendricks in T20 World Cup 2024 Super 8 match
Saurabh Netravalkar was once again spot on with his line-lengths to secure a crucial breakthrough for USA in their Super 8 clash of T20 World Cup 2024 against South Africa on Wednesday (June 19). The Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua is hosting this exciting contest.
In his first over, Netravalkar was impressive, bowling in an area of uncertainty and conceding only three runs. In his second over, the left-arm pacer's good-length ball saw Hendricks coming down the track, and trying to play a lofted shot.
However, the ball could only make a connection with the bottom of the bat. It went up in the air and was caught by Corey Anderson at mid-off. Hendricks made his way to the dugout after scoring 11 off as many balls, with a maximum.
Watch the dismissal here:
Netravalkar is USA's finest bowler in the T20 World Cup, having already secured his fifth wicket in his fourth appearance. His scalps include key players like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Mohammad Rizwan.
T20 World Cup 2024: Quinton de Kock powers South Africa in powerplay against USA
After the dismissal of Hendricks in the third over, the Proteas needed a push in the powerplay overs, with the Antigua pitch offering strong support to the batters. In the fourth over, Aiden Markram and Quinton de Kock joined forces to slam three sixes and two fours to make it a 28-run over.
The southpaw continued his onslaught to help South Africa finish the powerplay with 64 runs on the board. At the time of writing, De Kock completed his half-century off 26 balls while Markram has also delivered some good hits and is looking dangerous.
If the duo can continue their dominance in the next few overs, the USA side will certainly be under pressure. A total of 200 is on the cards, with incoming batters like David Miller, Heinrich Klaasen and Tristan Stubbs available.