Samson powers India to semifinals at T20 World Cup with 5-wicket win over West Indies

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KOLKATA, India (AP) — Defending champion and co-host India secured the last semifinal spot at cricket’s T20 World Cup after a five-wicket win over West Indies in the Super Eights on Sunday with four balls remaining.

After West Indies lost the toss and posted a challenging 195-4, opener Sanju Samson led India to 199-5 in 19.2 overs with a belligerent unbeaten 97 off 50 balls in front of a home crowd of 68,000 at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens.

“The way we played, it was a do-or-die game and the boys showed character,” Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav said.

India’s highest-ever successful chase at the T20 World Cup set up a semifinal clash against unpredictable England in Mumbai on Thursday.

New Zealand will meet 2024 runner-up South Africa in the first semifinal at Eden Gardens on Wednesday. South Africa stayed perfect at the tournament after beating Zimbabwe by five wickets earlier Sunday.

India finished second in Group 1 behind South Africa. West Indies failed to advance after finishing third in the group.

Jason Holder (37 not out) and Rovman Powell (34 not out) shared a 76-run unbroken partnership as every West Indies batter reached double figures. Opener Roston Chase top-scored with 40 runs off 25 balls, and Shimron Hetmyer smashed a 12-ball 27, with two of his team’s 10 sixes.

India pacer Jasprit Bumrah took 2-36 in four overs, including the wickets of Chase and Hetmyer.

Samson special

Samson stayed focused in a tall chase despite India losing two aggressive batters, Abhishek Sharma (10) and Ishan Kishan (10), inside the power play.

West Indies was sloppy in the field as Gudakesh Motie and Holder dropped sitters and the dewy ground saw preventable boundaries.

Samson reached his first half century in the tournament off 26 balls with six fours and three sixes when he square cut Motie to point boundary and kept the required rate under 10 an over.

Suryakumar added 58 runs with Samson before he was caught low at deep cover by Sherfane Rutherford before Tilak Varma’s quick-fire 27 off 15 balls further dented West Indies hopes of staging a comeback.

Despite losing Varma and then Pandya late in the chase, Samson sealed the game with a six and a four off Romario Shepherd in the final over.

“We knew 200 is always a good score to chase here with the dew and the ball coming on nicely,” Suryakumar said. “And the way the batters responded later on with small partnerships, that was the key.”

South Africa stays unbeaten

All-rounder George Linde – brought in for the game to rest Keshav Maharaj – picked up 1-22 in three overs and then scored a crucial 30 not out off 21 balls batting at No. 7 as South Africa continued its unbeaten run to the semifinals.

Dewald Brevis hit 42 off 18 balls with four sixes, while Tristan Stubbs anchored the innings home with 21 not out off 24 balls, as South Africa finished with 154-5 in 17.5 overs.

Earlier, Zimbabwe opted to bat and put up 153-7 (20 overs) thanks to skipper Sikandar Raza scoring 73 off 43 balls.

Raza rescued his side after the top-order stumbled to leave Zimbabwe down to 28-2 in 4.3 overs. He put on 38 off 23 balls with Dion Myers, even as the Proteas struck back in the middle overs.

Linde got the breakthrough, with Myers caught for 11. Raza, though, scored 50 off 29 balls, hitting five fours and three sixes.

Lungi Ngidi and Corbin Bosch (2-40) hit the middle order to reduce Zimbabwe to 87-5 but Raza found an able partner in Clive Madande. They put on 39 off 29 balls, before Kwena Maphaka finally accounted for Raza.

Madande’s 26 not out helped Zimbabwe cross 150.

South Africa too started poorly as Raza struck twice with his off-spin bowling counterpart Aiden Markram out for four, while Quinton de Kock was out caught for a two-ball duck.

Ryan Burl held a terrific catch in the deep to dismiss Ryan Rickelton (31) who put on 29 off 18 balls with Brevis.

The crucial partnership was 50 off 25 balls for the fourth wicket – Brevis and David Miller (22) did the job again for the Proteas.

But Zimbabwe just wouldn’t relent as Raza struck a third time to remove Brevis, while Blessing Muzarabani sent back Miller as South Africa was down to 101-5 in 10.4 overs.

Stubbs-Linde resisted with an unbeaten 53 off 43 balls to see their side home with 13 balls to spare.

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AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket