Polished Proteas push past T20 World Cup group stage with comprehensive victory over UAE

With their place in the Super Eights secured, the Proteas rotated Kwena Maphaka, Corbin Bosch and Anrich Nortje into the side.

The Proteas were not at their best in the field. They dropped two catches and started inaccurately with the ball, but ultimately the pace attack was too hot to handle as they kept UAE to 122/6 and powered to the target in 13.2 overs in a relatively polished performance.

In the chase, the Proteas enjoyed a rollicking start thanks to captain Aiden Markram. He dispatched Haider Ali for 18 runs off the first five balls of the third over, only to be undone by turn on the last. Markram departed for 28 off just 11. 

At the other end, de Kock seemed to be struggling with his timing. He clubbed back-to-back boundaries, but holed out at deep backward point for 14 off 16 as an elated Muhammad Jawadullah celebrated. The wicket rounded out the powerplay with South Africa at 56/2.

Ryan Rickelton and Dewald Brevis then went about their work nicely. Brevis was the dominant partner as they put together 49 off 30 balls before Rickelton targeted Muhammad Farooq's spin to the deep square boundary, only to get caught. 

With the bulk of the chase taken care of, Brevis continued on his merry way with sparkling boundaries. But he lives by the sword and dies by it, fluffing one to mid-off for his 36. Tristan Stubbs and Jason Smith jogged home to keep South Africa's undefeated record intact. 

Earlier, UAE were not overawed by the occasion. Openers Aryansh Sharma and captain Muhammad Waseem took advantage of some wayward bowling from Maphaka and Kagiso Rabada, racing to 30 off the opening three overs. 

But a change of pace did the trick for the South Africans as George Linde's spin trapped Waseem (22 from 12) right in front. Seamer Bosch dismissed Sharma (13) the following over, rushing him for pace. 

UAE enjoyed some boundaries as Anrich Nortje came charging in, but Bosch produced another corker and all Sohaib Khan (6) could do was find the edge to de Kock, and UAE were 64/3 in the tenth over.

Nortje finally got just reward towards the back end of the innings. The UAE middle-order were unable to deal with his pace, resulting in rushed shots and two catches for Maphaka in the deep.

Bosch scooped his third in the final over when Muhammad Arfan holed out in the deep. Smith took the catch as Player of the Match Bosch finished with tidy figures of 3/12.