Canada medium-pacer Dilon Heyliger took a stunner in front of the boundary during his team’s T20 World Cup match against South Africa, which saw skipper Aiden Markram’s 59-run knock come to an abrupt end at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Canada paid the price for an early dropped catch as South Africa capitalised on Ansh Patel’s miss in the third over. Star wicketkeeper-batter Quinton de Kock, given a reprieve, partnered with the skipper to score 66 runs in the powerplay.
Although Canada struck back with their first breakthrough in the seventh over, South Africa kept the momentum going through a steady stand between Markram and Ryan Rickelton.
Markram was in sublime touch after reaching his fifty off just 28 deliveries and took on left-arm
spinner Ansh Patel in the 12th over. He drove a four off the second delivery before attempting an ambitious aerial shot over long-on on the very next ball.
The ball looked destined for the ropes, but Heyliger sprinted to his left from long-on, timed a full-stretch leap and clung on to the ball at the last moment. Watch the video here:
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Sent in to bat, Markram (59 off 32 balls) opened the floodgates with three fours off Heyliger in the second over.
De Kock (25 off 22 balls) followed suit, smashing Saad Bin Zafar for two successive boundaries, smacking the bowler over long-off.
The duo continued in the same fashion, picking up fours and sixes. They stitched 70 runs for the opening partnership in less than seven overs.
South Africa were dealt the first blow in the form of De Kock as he was cleaned up by Canada captain and right-arm pacer Dilpreet Bajwa.
Markram was in ominous form as he brought up his half-century with a boundary off Bajwa in just 28 deliveries in the 10th over.
