South Africa win T20 World Cup thriller against Afghanistan

South Africa beat Afghanistan in one of the most remarkable and thrilling T20s match ever seen in Ahmedabad, India at the T20 World Cup earlier today. The Proteas needed two super overs to get the better of their opponents in a heart-stopping contest where both teams could have, and should have, won during regular play. The Citizenreportsthat as it is, South Africa have now won both of their group matches, having earlier also beaten Canada.

They face New Zealand on Saturday and end their pool play with a match against the United Arab Emirates next week. Aiden Markram and his side are now in a strong position to advance to the Super Eights, while Afghanistan, with two losses, look set to miss out. After the teams had tied on 187 runs each after regular play, the teams tied again on a total of 17 each after the first super over, Tristan Stubbs of the Proteas smashing a six off the last ball of the over to ensure the match would go to a second super over.

In the second super over, South Africa posted 23, with David Miller hitting 16 off four, including two sixes. Afghanistan were in early trouble with no runs, a wicket down and only four balls to go. Then, Rahmanullah Gurbaz struck three sixes to get his side to 18, with one ball to go.

[paywall]

He lost his wicket on the last ball, after Keshav Maharaj had also bowled a wide on his fifth ball. There was relief all-round in the South African camp, as they won the second super over by four runs, but while the watching world were thrilled by the two super overs, the match should have been done in regular play … Asked to chase down 188 to win, Gurbaz led Afghanistan’s charge with a thrilling 84 off 42 with a few other good contributions along the way. Needing 13 runs to win in the final over, Kagiso Rabada took what should have been the 10th wicket with his first ball, which should have ended the match with a win for the Proteas, but he stepped over the line and Afghanistan got a lifeline.

Rabada then bowled a wide and another no ball and with Afghanistan needing two runs to win with two balls remaining Marco Jansen and Rabada orchestrated the run-out of Fazalhaq Farooqi, leaving them all out for 187, and the scores tied. The South Africans’ bowling was poor; besides Rabada’s errors in the final over, they bowled too short and too many leg-side balls.

[/paywall]