After two crazily erratic Super Overs in Ahmedabad on Wednesday, South Africa managed to defeat a resilient Afghanistan in a T20 World Cup match that will go down in history as a classic.
South Africa reached 187/6 thanks to a spectacular century stand that featured quickfire fifties from Ryan Rickelton (61 off 28) and Quinton de Kock (59 off 41). Before some lustful hitting from the lower-order helped them tie the game in regular time, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (84 off 42) kept Afghanistan in the run chase on his own.
Following each ball, fortunes swung either way in an amazing sequence of two Super Overs. Tristan Stubbs smashed two sixes off Fazalhaq Farooqi, including off the final ball, to force another Super Over after Azmatullah Omarzai smacked Lungi Ngidi for two fours and a six to help Afghanistan reach 17 runs in the first Super Over.
When David Miller and Tristan Stubbs came in to bat in the second Super Over, they hit three sixes to reach 23 runs, a challenging total that Rahmanullah Gurbaz made appear extremely achievable. To cap off an incredible finale, the opening batsman hit veteran left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj for three straight sixes before being dismissed.
The Afghans launched an ambitious run chase in regulation time before losing the plot, although South Africa suffered greatly as a result of some outstanding hitting from Omarzai, Rashid, and Noor Ahmad as well as a terrible last over from Kagiso Rabada in which he gave away two no balls.
With Gurbaz (84 off 42; 4x4s, 7x6s) hitting Ngidi for two fours in the first over, Afghanistan got off to a strong start in their chase. Gurbaz persisted in his offensive strategy, hitting Rabada over the third man fence after boosting Marco Jansen over the slips for a maximum.
Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran attacked the opposition to reach 50 in only four overs after George Linde conceded 17 runs in his opening over. The pacer took a fantastic return catch to account for Gulbadin Naib a ball later, but Ngidi stopped the scoring by taking two wickets in the fifth over, including Zadran, who was cleaned up.
But Gurbaz was in threatening form, taking Afghanistan to 93 for 3 in 10 overs after hitting Linde for two sixes in the eighth over to reach his fifty in 26 balls. Before twin strikes in the 13th over altered the course of the match, Gurbaz was playing brilliantly. Before Noor Ahmed (15 not out off 9) hit two huge sixes to reduce the equation to 13 off the final six balls, Omarzai (22 off 17) and Rashid (20 off 12) kept Afghanistan in the hunt.
After Rabada’s mistimed no-ball in the first ball of the final over appeared to have cost South Africa the match, the batter punished the Proteas by clearing the bowler for a maximum. The match ended with equal scores, necessitating a Super Over when Rabada bowled another no ball on the fourth delivery before Ahmad was run out attempting the winning run.
Earlier, South Africa suffered a setback when captain Aiden Markram departed for 5. Quinton de Kock injected momentum in the fourth over, launching Mujeeb Ur Rahman for a six before adding a boundary. Ryan Rickelton then found his rhythm, striking Azmatullah Omarzai (3/41) for two fours as the Proteas reached 43/1 at the end of the powerplay.
After that, Rickelton and De Kock both pushed the throttle, delivering some lustful hits to take on the spin combo of Rashid and Mohammad Nabi (2/28). The duo took Ahmad to task after the spinner conceded 23 runs in his opening over.
Rickelton added salt to the bowler’s wounds with a maximum to hit a fine fifty of just 23 balls, and De Kock followed up with a boundary from Mujeeb to reach his fifth T20 World Cup fifty. With both de Kock and Rickelton leaving in the 13th over, it took some brilliant play from Rashid and bad shot selection to end the combination, which looked deadly.
De Kock was first removed by Rashid, who was caught by Ibrahim Zadran at deep midwicket. The Afghan captain then trapped Rickelton plumb in front of the wicket with a faster delivery that dragged on after pitching.
