Sat Mar 01 10:40:00 UTC 2025: ## South Africa Storms into ICC Champions Trophy Semi-Finals After Dominant Win Over England
**Karachi, Pakistan:** South Africa secured their place in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 semi-finals with a resounding victory over England in a Group B encounter on Saturday. England, winning the toss and electing to bat first, were bowled out for a paltry 179 runs in 38.2 overs, a performance that effectively ended Afghanistan’s hopes of progressing to the next stage.
South Africa’s bowlers delivered a clinical performance, with Marco Jansen dismantling England’s top order, claiming the wickets of Phil Salt (8), Ben Duckett (24), and Jamie Smith (0). Wiaan Mulder proved equally devastating, bowling Joe Root (37) and dismissing tail-enders Jofra Archer (25) and Adil Rashid (2). Keshav Maharaj chipped in with crucial wickets of Harry Brook (19) and captain Jos Buttler (21), while Kagiso Rabada added Jamie Overton (11) to his tally.
This victory, coupled with Australia’s earlier qualification and a washed-out Australia-Afghanistan match, cemented South Africa’s position in the top four, despite Afghanistan’s earlier hopes. South Africa had previously defeated Afghanistan by a significant margin, establishing a strong net run rate.
While technically Afghanistan still had a chance before the match, South Africa’s dominant bowling performance dashed those hopes. The point table now stands with Australia leading Group B, followed by South Africa, Afghanistan, and finally England. Group A already has India and New Zealand qualified for the semi-finals.
First Piper 