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South Africa Crush Afghanistan to Reach T20 World Cup Final
ND
by News Desk
2024-06-27
South Africa Crush Afghanistan to Reach T20 World Cup Final

South Africa shattered Afghanistan’s T20 World Cup aspirations with a commanding nine-wicket victory on Wednesday, securing their spot in the final for the first time in history. The Proteas chased down Afghanistan’s meager total of 56 with more than 11 overs to spare at the Brian Lara Stadium.

The dismantling began with South Africa’s left-arm wrist-spinner Tabraiz Shamsi (3 for 6) and pacer Marco Jansen (3-16), who spearheaded the assault on Afghanistan’s batting line-up. Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje maintained the pressure, each taking two wickets, as Afghanistan collapsed to 56 all out in 11.5 overs.

In response, South Africa’s chase was briefly interrupted when Quinton de Kock fell early to Fazalhaq Farooqi, who secured his tournament-leading 17th wicket. However, Reeza Hendricks (29 not out) and captain Aiden Markram (23 not out) comfortably guided the Proteas to 60 for one in just 8.5 overs.

Man of the Match: Marco Jansen “We assessed pretty early that the wicket was giving us something to work with so it was just about sticking to our plans, keeping it simple, and getting the results,” Jansen said. His outstanding bowling performance effectively decided the match early on.

Afghanistan’s Struggles: Afghanistan’s innings saw only Azmatullah Omarzai reach double figures, scoring 10, while the highest contribution was 13 extras. This was a stark contrast to their thrilling victory over Bangladesh in the quarterfinals, which marked their first senior men’s World Cup semi-final appearance.

Afghan captain Rashid Khan reflected on the defeat, acknowledging the exceptional bowling by South Africa and the team’s batting failures. “It was a tough night for us as a team, but that’s how it goes in T20s. You need to be mentally ready for any kind of situation,” he said.

South Africa’s First Senior Men’s Final Since 1998: Captain Aiden Markram, who led South Africa to the Under-19 World Cup title in 2014, attributed the win to a collective team effort. “It’s not really the captain who gets you to this stage of a competition. It’s a massive squad effort involving those behind the scenes and off the field,” Markram stated.

South Africa will face the winner of the second semi-final between England and India in the final on Saturday in Barbados.

Looking Ahead: Despite the loss, Rashid Khan expressed pride in Afghanistan’s campaign, emphasizing their potential and growth. “We came here before the tournament and if you told us we would be playing the semi-final against South Africa, we would accept that,” Rashid said. “Next time when we participate in a tournament like this, we will have the belief. It’s about how you manage yourself in those pressure situations against tough teams.”

As the Proteas prepare for their first senior men’s final since the 1998 Champions Trophy, Afghanistan looks forward to building on their success and addressing their middle-order batting issues for future tournaments.
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