South Africa’s Legends have decisively turned the tables on their rivals, crushing Pakistan by nine wickets in the final of the World Championship of Legends at Edgbaston in Birmingham on Saturday night. This emphatic victory not only brought home a prestigious trophy but also served as a symbolic reconciliation for South African fans still yearning for redemption after a painful World Cup semi-final loss to Australia in 1999.
Pakistan, winning the toss and electing to bat first, put forth a challenging score of 195 for five in their allotted 20 overs. Opener Sharjeel Khan led the charge with a spectacular innings, scoring 76 runs off just 44 deliveries. His brilliance was aided by valuable contributions from teammates Umar Amin and Asif Ali, who added 36 and 28 runs respectively, keeping the scoreboard ticking at a healthy pace.
However, it was South Africa’s seamers who dominated the bowling attack, with Hardus Viljoen and Wayne Parnell each claiming two wickets, making it difficult for Pakistan to establish a firm foothold as the innings progressed.
The Proteas’ response was as fierce as it was efficient, led by captain AB de Villiers, who electrified the crowd with a breathtaking unbeaten 120 runs from just 60 balls. De Villiers showcased his class throughout the tournament, amassing 429 runs and securing both the Player of the Match and Player of the Series awards for his outstanding performances. His innings was a masterclass in power hitting, dispatching Pakistan’s bowlers to all corners of the ground.
Support came from JP Duminy, who contributed a quickfire half-century in just 28 deliveries. Duminy scored the winning runs, guiding South Africa to victory with more than three overs to spare, solidifying their dominance in this final.
Expressing gratitude towards his teammates, De Villiers said, “To the boys out here, I want to thank every one of them for their commitment. We all know it’s not a big men’s World Cup but they came here and decided to take it seriously. We wanted to be competitive out there, we wanted to make South Africa proud and hopefully, the people who witnessed this back home are proud of us because we gave it our absolute best.” His words resonated with a nation that has long desired such victories on the international stage.
The triumph not only comes with a splendid trophy but also sees the South African Legends pocket more than R3 million in prize money, a fitting reward for their efforts. For fans, this victory in Edgbaston, paired with the nail-biting one-run win over Australia in the semi-final, can be seen as poetic retribution, bringing closure to past disappointments and igniting hope for the future.
