Corbin Bosch shines with ball as South Africa beat UAE to remain unbeaten

Ashok Kumar

New Delhi: Fine bowling by ‘Player of the match’ fast bowler Corbin Bosch (4-0-12-3) helped South Africa win their fourth consecutive match in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 group stage by defeating the UAE with six wickets and 40 balls to spare.Corbin Bosch also surpassed 100 T20 wickets.

South Africa restricted UAE to 122-6 in 20 overs and after that their key batsmen Dewald Brevis and Ryan Rickelton anchored the successful chase in 13.2 overs for the loss of four wickets.

South Africa rested key players, such as David Miller, frontline spinner Keshav Maharaj, Marco Jansen, and Lungi Ngidi. for the match, showcased strong squad depth and advanced to the Super 8s as Group D leaders with a perfect 4-0 record.

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.

Put into bat, UAE looked fluent for the first four overs, but South Africa pegged them back with a couple of wickets. From 36/0 after four overs, UAE slipped to 44/2 at the end of Powerplay, with openers Aryansh Sharma and Muhammad Waseem back in the pavilion.

Pacer Corbin Bosch was the one who provided the breakthrough and led the South African fightback in a brilliant spell of 3/12 in four overs. Anrich Nortje claimed 2/28, while George Linge chipped in with a wicket to hold UAE to 122/6.

Alishan Sharafu, who has come up with some vital contributions this World Cup, was once again the top-scorer for UAE, notching 45 off 38 balls. But the UAE middle and lower order was put under pressure by South Africa in overcast conditions in New Delhi.

In the morning at ArunJaitley Stadium, South Africa’s bowlers wasted no time in asserting their authority. Veteran pacer Corbin Bosch was the standout performer, returning figures of 3-12 from his four overs and earning the Player of the Match award. Anrich Nortje, another pillar of South Africa’s pace attack, chipped in with 2-28. The UAE, despite a spirited effort from opener Alishan Sharafu, who top-scored with 45 off 38 balls, could only muster 122-6 from their 20 overs.

Rain showers delayed the start of South Africa’s reply, and the opening over yielded just a single run, hinting at tricky conditions. But if the first over was cautious, the next few overs saw South Africa shift gears rapidly. Thirteen runs came off the second over, and 18 more followed in the third, as the Proteas’ top order flexed their muscles. Markram himself blazed to 28 from just 11 balls, with all but two of his runs coming via boundaries, before being bowled by Haider Ali in a rare bright spot for the UAE bowlers.

Dewald Brevis, a rising star in the South African lineup, anchored the chase with a composed 36 from 25 balls, including a flurry of boundaries and three sixes. Ryan Rickelton added a steady 30, giving the chase further momentum. The Proteas ultimately reached 123-4 in just 13.2 overs, with Jason Smith and Tristan Stubbs calmly taking singles to see out the final runs. The last seven runs were accumulated in singles, a testament to their control and game awareness.

The victorious captain of South Africa – Aiden Markram said, ” 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.it was great to see them grabbing those chances with both hands. it gave the group confidence, knowing that every player in the 15 is in a good space.The conditions were slightly different, with rain and weather affecting play. Pitch as a bit tacky in the morning with slightly lower bounce, but it was a valuable experience in such conditions.”

The captain of UAE Muhammad Waseem said, “It was a tough outing as a batting unit, especially in the middle phase. We are in a learning process, and we need to learn from experienced players. Boys played excellent cricket throughout the tournament. Aryansh Sharma, Alishan Sharafu and others were exceptional.”

Scores: 

UAE: 122/6 in 20 overs. 

South Africa: 123/4 in13.2 overs.