United Arab Emirates vs South Africa Match 34 Full Commentary

Finally, the players are back on the field as it is time for South Africa's time to reply with the bat. The UAE players form a huddle near the ropes before they scatter across the park to take their spots. Aiden Markram and Quinton de Kock are the two South African openers. The UAE are starting off with spin as Dhruv Parashar has the new ball. Markram to take the strike. A slip in place. Here we go!

... The Run Chase ...

7.52 am GMT. Covers come off again - Positive visuals coming in from Delhi as the covers are now off and the super-sopper is making the rounds. Hopefully, there is no further drizzle and the game can resume at the earliest. According to a few sources, play is set to resume at 8 am GMT. So, strap in and get ready for the action.

7.38 am GMT. Another update coming in - The play is, or rather was, scheduled to resume at 7.40 am GMT according to a few sources. However, the drizzle has returned, and the covers that started to come off are back in place once again. A bit of a frustrating delay, stick around for more updates.

Group A on a knife's edge - Meanwhile, it seems to be raining in Colombo as well. Pakistan are scheduled to play Namibia in a do-or-die encounter at the SSC ground, but if the rain plays spoilsport, Pakistan will qualify for the Super 8 stage, as they will move one point ahead of USA, who currently are in 2nd position thanks to a superior net run-rate.

7.28 am GMT. Rain stops and covers coming off - Good news for cricket fans. The live visuals from the Arun Jaitley Stadium show that the covers are coming off and it looks like we will get a resumption time shortly. Stay tuned for the latest updates.

A quick resumption or a long delay? Unlikely rainy weather in Delhi this time of the year but it is what it is. For now, the covers are on and unless the drizzle completely stops, the second innings cannot start. South Africa will be itching to go out there and finish the group stage on a high. UAE won't mind this break as it gives them time to regroup and their pacers might enjoy bowling on a freshly drizzled pitch. Stick around as we bring you the latest updates regarding the resumption of play.

The broadcasters are in conversation with George Linde - Linde says the pitch did most of the work for him, and his job was simply to hit the right areas, which fortunately came off. He admits he was under pressure after the previous game. On the conditions, he notes the surface was low and skiddy, something the players had to adjust to. He adds that in a World Cup, you’re always excited to play whenever selected, and when you’re not, you focus on covering all bases in training. He also stresses the importance of winning this game to carry momentum into the Super 8 stage.

UAE's inconsistency with the bat - United Arab Emirates continue to struggle up top with the bat and it has really been a tournament to forget for their talismanic skipper, Muhammad Waseem. Waseem did get 22 quick runs today but it was still far from what he is capable of. Alishan Sharafu and Sohaib Khan have done the heavy lifting more often than not for the UAE and after Sohaib got out early today, Sharafu kept fighting through and was a bit unlucky to miss out on a half-century. In the end, the UAE bowlers have their work cut out if they are to make the Proteas sweat in what seems like a straightforward run chase.

Proteas test their bench strength - As the covers come on at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, the Proteas head into the break in prime position to make it 4 wins out of 4. South Africa opted to give a rest to their in-form bowlers and decided to make three changes in the bowling department. It wasn't the best of starts in the Powerplay, especially for Kagiso Rabada, but the Proteas pulled things back brilliantly in the middle overs. The likes of George Linde and Corbin Bosch were the best of the bunch, with the latter picking up 3 wickets as well. Anrich Nortje too got a couple of wickets but Rabada had a couple of catches put down off his bowling and ended wicketless. Despite a couple of really straightforward catches going down, they managed to restrict the UAE to a very sub-par total.

Game stopped due to : Rain Stoppage

Game stopped due to : Wet Ground Condition

Out goes Muhammad Arfan, in comes Muhammad Farooq.

Corbin Bosch (3-0-9-2) to bowl the final over. Can the United Arab Emirates get close to the 130 mark?

It has started to drizzle at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. The artificial lights are on. So far, it's light and we should probably see off this innings easily.

South Africa finally hold onto a catch. Dhruv Parashar is the next batter in, replacing Alishan Sharafu.

What's next? This game may have been a dead rubber, but the next one carries everything on the line. With a single spot left in the Super Eight stage from Group A, Pakistan face Namibia in an important clash. A win sends Pakistan through, while a loss would hand the spot to the USA, who are currently second in the group standings. Pakistan have opted to bat first at the Sinhalese Sports Club of Colombo. However, a bit of rain is predicted there as well. Let's hope that the contest is not affected by the unforgiving Sri Lankan weather. And remember, even a washout would send Pakistan through to the next stage. So do switch the tabs and follow all the live action from that game. From here, we sign off. Cheers!

A wrap on the dead rubber - So South Africa head into the Super Eights with all the momentum on their side. They will now move to Ahmedabad to lay the base for their Super 8 campaign, starting with their clash against India on Sunday, 22nd February, followed by the game against West Indies on Thursday, 26th February. Meanwhile, the UAE will head back home with a lot of learnings and a promise to perform better next time around.

The victorious captain of South Africa - Aiden Markram says it was all about testing the bench strength, adding that the boys were waiting to get an opportunity and get out there to perform for the team. Says that it was great to see them grabbing those chances with both hands. Highlights how well the bowling unit executed their plans on the wicket. He adds that it gave the group confidence, knowing that every player in the 15 is in a good space. Adds the conditions were slightly different, with rain and weather affecting play. He describes the pitch as a bit tacky in the morning with slightly lower bounce, but says it was a valuable experience in such conditions. He expects the team to reflect on what worked today and keep that in mind when they return for their next match. On the fielding lapses, Markram admits that the team let themselves down and fell short of the mark, particularly in terms of attitude. He notes that, fortunately, there is some time before their first Super 8 game, which will allow them to regroup and focus on backing their strengths when it matters most.

The captain of UAE - Muhammad Waseem says it was a tough outing as a batting unit, especially in the middle phase. Acknowledges they are in a learning process, and they need to learn from experienced players. Mentions that the boys played excellent cricket throughout the tournament. Aryansh Sharma, Alishan Sharafu and others were exceptional. Ends by appreciating the support they are getting and admits they won't be happy with the results, but still applauds the support.

PLAYER OF THE MATCH - Corbin Bosch gets the award for his fine spell of 4-0-12-3. Bosch starts by saying that it was all about keeping it pretty basic, trying to keep the plans nice and simple and there was nip early on to aid the pacers. Adds that he's got some great pacers coming in ahead of him, from whom he can learn a lot and the first couple of deliveries are always a bit nervy but once you get one in the right area, the nerves go out. Feels that they are well-versed with the conditions in Ahmedabad and are looking forward to the challenge. Reiterates that he tried to keep things very simple with the ball today. On surpassing 100 T20 wickets, Bosch says that he feels good to have achieved it but is focused on the games ahead.

... The Presentation Ceremony ...

Not enough on the board - From the UAE’s perspective, there simply weren’t enough runs on the board for their bowlers to make a real impact. On the bright side, Haider Ali claimed a wicket, which was the first by a UAE spinner in this World Cup, while Dhruv Parashar bowled a tidy and economical spell early in the innings. Ultimately, the game was decided by the boundary count, with UAE hitting only 12 and South Africa striking 18.

A modest chase - South Africa were chasing at just over a run-a-ball, and after a brief rain delay, Markram came out firing before Haider cut his innings short. Quinton de Kock never really got going and fell soon after. Even so, 56/2 in the Powerplay gave them a solid foundation, leaving the rest to a steady partnership to see the chase through. Brevis and Rickelton combined together for a quickfire 49-run stand to put the game to bed. Brevis couldn't finish the game, but his 36 off 25 would massively help him going in the Super Eights.

An inning that never really took off - The UAE burst out of the blocks with real intent, but the momentum dipped sharply after Muhammad Waseem’s dismissal. From there, scoring became a grind against a disciplined South African attack that kept tightening the screws. Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rabada, Corbin Bosch, and Kwena Maphaka maintained a firm grip, while the early move to bring on George Linde paid off instantly. What began with promise never truly evolved into a substantial innings. Alishan Sharafu held one end with 45, but partnerships were hard to come by. Linde kept things tight with 1/17, and Bosch made a telling impact, finishing with 3/12. Despite a slightly untidy effort in the field, South Africa stayed in control throughout on a subdued morning in Delhi.

A spotless record - Well, a very comfortable win for South Africa as they maintain a clean record in the group stage, winning four out of four. According to Shaun Pollock on air, under Aiden Markram’s captaincy, South Africa have now won 14 of 15 T20 World Cup matches, including this one. Their only loss under him came in the 2024 final against India, highlighting just how dominant Markram’s record has been. A tough and rather very underwhelming tournament for the UAE. Barring their win against Canada, they just couldn't produce a collective performance as they end their journey in this World Cup here. They batted first thrice in the competition, and lost all three, having very middling scores to defend.

Another wicket goes down as the Proteas look to finish things off in a hurry. Jason Smith will now get an opportunity to bat with 7 runs needed for the win.

With just 18 more needed for the win off 56 deliveries, Tristan Stubbs walks in at number 5.