South Africa survived Kagiso Rabada’s final-over meltdown against Afghanistan and then a double Super Over drama before prevailing in a heart-stopping Group D match of the Twenty20 World Cup yesterday.
In a remarkable match of fluctuating fortunes, South Africa appeared to be in the box seat after half-centuries from Ryan Rickelton (61) and Quinton de Kock (59) powered them to a commanding 187-6.
Opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz smashed 84 off 42 balls in Afghanistan’s spirited reply before they were all out for 187 with two deliveries left in their innings.
Afghanistan milked 17 runs from the first Super Over sent down by South African pace bowler Lungi Ngidi.
This time South Africa tied the score with Tristan Stubbs hitting the final delivery from Azmatullah Omarzai for a six.
In the second Super Over, Afghanistan scored 19 before losing both the wickets in reply to South Africa’s 23.
New Zealand and South Africa remain on course to advance to Super Eight from this group after winning two in two. Afghanistan, having lost to both of them, are staring at elimination from the tournament.
On a day of relentless drama, South Africa appeared to be in control as the match headed into its 40th over with Afghanistan needing 13 runs with just one wicket in hand.
Rabada buckled under pressure and bowled two no-balls and a wide before managing to run out Fazalhaq Farooqi with the scores level. There was no dearth of drama even in the second Super Over.
Chasing 24 for victory, Afghanistan lost Mohammad Nabi to the second ball without a run being scored. Gurbaz walked in and smacked spinner Keshav Maharaj for three sixes in a row to inject fresh excitement into a contest, which already had the crowd at the Narendra Modi Stadium on the edge of their seats.
The fourth sixth did not materialise though and Gurbaz was caught at point in a poignant end to their lion-hearted display in a must-win contest.
l Australia launched their Twenty20 World Cup campaign with a commanding 67-run victory over Ireland in Colombo, powered by four-wicket hauls from Nathan Ellis and Adam Zampa.
Australia shrugged off the last-minute pullout of captain Mitchell Marsh to post 182-6 in 20 overs, after stand-in skipper Travis Head won the toss and elected to bat first on a slow and spin-friendly wicket at the R Premadasa Stadium.
Ireland’s chase got off to the worst possible start when captain Paul Stirling pulled up injured after darting for a run off the first ball, his premature retirement leaving them a man down in Colombo.
Harry Tector perished for a duck in the second over, bowled by Matthew Kuhnemann, before Ross Adair failed to make the most of his reprieve following a drop by Matt Renshaw and was bowled out by Ellis for 12 to leave Ireland in deeper trouble.
The writing looked to be on the wall when Ellis had Curtis Campher caught at mid-wicket for four, before he had Ben Calitz bowled for his third wicket inside the powerplay to leave Ireland reeling at 27-4.
Zampa (4-23) then made his mark as he picked up the next four wickets, including middle-order batter George Dockrell, who gave Ireland hope with a quick-fire 41 off 29 before he was stumped off a wide delivery when he gave the spinner the charge.
Barry McCarthy was caught at deep mid-wicket to give Ellis (4-12) his fourth wicket and with Stirling unable to bat again, Ireland were all out for 115.
Earlier, Josh Inglis went all guns blazing during his 17-ball 37 as Australia accumulated 64 runs in their six powerplay overs for the loss of Head and Cameron Green (21), but Ireland’s bowlers were in no mood to let the match slip away.
Some tight spells of bowling turned the screws on Australia, but a workmanlike 61-run stand between Renshaw (37) and Marcus Stoinis (45) for the fifth wicket laid a solid platform for the 2021 champions to build on.
Australia were rocked again when Renshaw was bowled by a quicker one from Matthew Humphreys while Stoinis survived being dropped at cover before perishing in the 18th over bowled by Mark Adair (2-44).
Lower-order batsmen Cooper Connolly and Xavier Bartlett (both 11 not out) then took Australia past the 180-run mark, a score that proved decisive in the end and ensured Australia sealed a comfortable victory to top Group B.
l Sherfane Rutherford struck a belligerent half-century and Gudakesh Motie produced a brilliant display of spin bowling as West Indies thumped England by 30 runs in Twenty20 World Cup Group C.
Rutherford smacked seven sixes in his unbeaten 76 off 42 deliveries to provide the bedrock of his team’s imposing total of 196-6.
Twice champions West Indies returned to choke their opponents with spin and bundled out England for 166 in 19 overs to top the group with their second successive victory. England slipped to third place, behind Scotland, after their first defeat in the tournament.
“Disappointing. It’s never nice to lose a game, but West Indies played outstanding,” England captain Harry Brook said.
“We thought it was a chaseable total for sure but it didn’t dew up as much as we expected and didn’t skid onto the bat.”
Put into bat, West Indies lost both openers in the first seven deliveries of their innings.
Shimron Hetmyer (23) and Roston Chase (34) steadied the ship before Rutherford walked in to light up the Wankhede Stadium.
He shared a 61-run stand with Jason Holder, who struck four sixes in his 33 off 17 balls, to take West Indies close to 200.
&uuid=(email))