The craziest game. It finished twice and then had to be finished again.
In the end, South Africa were the winners, though you wouldn’t tell from the celebrations. There was relief for those in yellow. Anguish for the courageous Afghans in blue.
South Africa won in a second “super over” — their 23 runs beating Afghanistan’s 19 — keeping the Proteas in contention for a top two finish in Group D, which would secure qualification for the second phase.
The journey was circuitous and ludicrous at times. The drama began at the end. With Kagiso Rabada failing to defend 13 runs in the final over, after delivering two no balls and a wide, the Proteas only reached the super over because Afghanistan panicked.
Instead of settling for the single off the penultimate ball, Fazalhaq Farooqi tried for the second and winning run and was run out, the only way to be dismissed off a free hit.
Lungi Ngidi, South Africa’s best bowler, was tasked with the first super over and conceded 17. The Proteas lost Dewald Brevis after he’d struck a six, but with seven needed off the last ball, Tristan Stubbs smashed a low drive over long off to keep the match going again.
Onto a second super over, with South Africa batting first this time and Stubbs clubbing another six, followed by two more from David Miller, leaving Afghanistan to score 24.
Keshav Maharaj had to bowl and started with a dot and the wicket of Mohammed Nabi — thanks to an excellent one-handed catch at point by Miller — seemingly putting the seal on a South African triumph.
But given the nature of the game, it was never going to be that simple. Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who’d played brilliantly earlier to score 84 off 42 balls, smashed three consecutive sixes. Another and his team would win.
Maharaj bowled a wide, and with a four needed to tie the game again, Gurbaz unfortunately shovelled a yorker to Miller, ending the contest.
This was always set to be a tricky game for the Proteas, with Afghanistan needing to win to keep alive their hopes in the tournament.
A partnership of 114 for the second wicket between Quinton de Kock and Ryan Rickelton laid a seemingly perfect platform for a total in excess of 200. But Rashid Khan dismissed the pair in the 13th over — De Kock caught at midwicket for 59 and Rickelton lbw for 61 — to change the course of the innings.
Miller, Brevis and Marco Jansen scratched together enough runs to ensure a competitive total of 187/6, but Proteas skipper Aiden Markram felt his team “left a few [runs] out there”.
Gurbaz gave the Afghans the perfect start, and they were ahead of the required run rate until they also lost a few wickets in one over.
Gurbaz, who struck seven sixes and four boundaries, was outfoxed by Maharaj bowling slower and wider and was beautifully caught by George Linde at short third man. Then Maharaj, De Kock and Miller combined to run out Darwish Rasooli to wrestle back the initiative for the Proteas.
Ngidi, who finished with 3/26, and Jansen seemingly set it up for South Africa’s champion quick bowler Rabada, but he produced that sloppy final over, which turned the heat up on his side.
“You’re already under pressure in these kinds of tournaments, so it doesn’t help when you put yourself under even more pressure,” Markram remarked afterwards.
South Africa would survive arguably the craziest game in World Cup history. They have plenty to improve, but they’ll be able to do so knowing they remain in contention.
TimesLIVE
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