England’s hopes of reaching the T20 World Cup semi-finals took a hit as they slipped to a seven-run defeat to South Africa in St Lucia.

Jos Buttler’s defending champions – who began their Super 8s campaign with an eight-wicket win over West Indies on the same ground – made only 156-6 chasing 164 for victory on a slow surface.

Harry Brook (53 off 37) and Liam Livingstone (33 off 17) revived England from 61-4 in the 11th over with a swashbuckling stand of 78 from 42 balls, cutting the ask to 25 from 18 deliveries.

However, both players then holed out – Brook to a stunning running catch from Aiden Markram off the first ball of the final over – as Kagiso Rabada, Marco Jansen and Anrich Nortje closed out victory for South Africa and put the Proteas on the brink of the last four with Markram’s men now two from two in the Super 8s after also beating USA.

Victory over USA in Barbados on Sunday could be good enough for England to reach the semi-finals but their progression may yet depend on net run-rate, the metric by which they edged Scotland to qualify for the Super 8s.

Earlier, Buttler took a superb one-handed catch leaping to his left to dismiss Quinton de Kock (65 off 38) before running out Heinrich Klaasen (8) with a direct hit at the non-striker’s end.

De Kock had powered the Proteas to 63-0 in the powerplay, with his innings including three boundaries in a row off Jofra Archer, but England then put the squeeze on, and fielded impeccably, to limit South Africa to 163-6.

Buttler (17 off 20) was one of a number of England batters to get in and get out, with Phil Salt (11 off 8) another – Salt failing to back up his match-winning 87 from 47 balls versus West Indies after falling to a fantastic sprawling catch from Reeza Hendricks at cover.

Dashing De Kock plays innings of the game

De Kock and David Miller – the latter who clubbed 43 from 28 balls before he was one of two players dismissed in Archer’s eight-run 20th over – were the only South Africa batters to find any fluency.

De Kock’s opening partner Hendricks (25 off 19) endured a torturous innings before he slashed Moeen Ali (1-25) to mid-on to be first out in the 10th over with the team score on 86.

England thought they had removed De Kock for 58 an over earlier when he swept Adil Rashid (1-20) to Mark Wood at deep backward square but the third umpire adjudged the ball hit the turf.

De Kock added seven more runs before he attempted to carve away a short slower delivery from Archer – the bowler he had tonked for two sixes and a four in the fourth over – and was caught by Buttler.

Two overs later, Buttler shot down the stumps at the bowler’s end after a mix-up between Klaasen and Miller, while South Africa were 113-4 in the 15th when Rashid forced Markram (1) to chop on.

Miller provided late impetus but, like De Kock and Klaasen, he fell victim to some fantastic England fielding, with Brook catching Miller on the run at long-off in the 20th over, one ball before Sam Curran pulled off a superb grab over his shoulder at cover to dismiss Jansen (0) and leave Archer on a hat-trick.

Brook, Livingstone stand not enough for England

The catching masterclass continued when England came out to bat as Hendricks pouched Salt off Rabada.

Klaasen failed to make the highlights reel after spilling Jonny Bairstow (16 off 20 on nine at deep third, but the same batter then chopped Keshav Maharaj (2-25) to backward point.

Buttler heaved Maharaj to Klaasen on the deep midwicket fence and when Moeen (9 off 10) holed out off Ottneil Baartman, England had lost 3-18 and were tottering.

Baartman, however, completely lost his radar later on, bowling four full tosses in the 17th over as Brook and Livingstone carted 21 runs – that over following an 18-run set from Rabada and Nortje conceding 13 as England plundered 52 runs in three overs.

But Rabada, Jansen and Nortje came up clutch, with Livingstone pulling Rabada to deep backward square in the four-run 18th over, Jansen shipping only seven from the 19th, and Brook then caught brilliantly by Markram at long-off at the start of the six-run 20th.

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Buttler: De Kock the difference

England captain Jos Buttler:

“I think we lost it in the powerplay, De Kock came out with a lot of intent and he really took on the powerplay and we couldn’t match that. His innings was the difference.

“It was still a good wicket but slower than we expected, I thought we came back well with the ball and Brook and Livingstone had a fantastic partnership to take us close.”

Markram: Win shows our bowlers’ skill and spirit

South Africa’s captain Aiden Markram:

“In those last three overs, it looked like the odds could be against us and for the bowlers to hang in there, execute their plans and get it right shows their skills and spirit.

“We probably wanted 10 or 20 runs more, if I’m being greedy, especially off the back of a good start. We knew we had to bowl well and save runs in the field but as a whole we’re getting closer to that complete game of cricket.”

What’s next?

England head to Barbados to play USA on Sunday (3.30pm UK and Ireland), while South Africa travel to Antigua to face co-hosts West Indies on Monday (1.30am).