South Africa’s Proteas defeated Afghanistan by nine wickets to reach their first-ever T20 World Cup final.
Proteas vs Afghanistan match highlights
Afghanistan, batting first, were dismissed for a mere 56 runs in 11.5 overs.
Marco Jansen and Tabraiz Shamsi were the standout bowlers for South Africa, taking three wickets each.
Jansen’s early breakthroughs set the tone, removing Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Afghanistan’s top run-scorer in the tournament, in his first over. The Afghan innings quickly unravelled, with the score at 28-6 within the first few overs.
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Shamsi capitalised on the initial damage, finishing with figures of 3-6, while Jansen ended with 3-16.
Despite the difficult pitch conditions, which provided excessive seam movement and bounce, South Africa managed to control the game from the start.
Questions were raised about the suitability of the pitch for such a crucial match, but South Africa’s bowlers exploited the conditions expertly.
In their chase, South Africa also faced challenges due to the pitch. Quinton de Kock was bowled early on after being struck on the body.
However, with a modest target and no pressure to score quickly, the Proteas managed their chase calmly.
Reeza Hendricks scored 29 runs off 25 balls, and Aiden Markram contributed 23 runs off 21 balls, guiding South Africa to 60-1 in 8.5 overs and securing a nine-wicket victory.
Who will South Africa face in the T20 World Cup final?
With this victory, South Africa advanced to their first T20 World Cup final, set to take place on Saturday in Barbados.
They await the winner of the second semi-final between England and India, which will be held in Guyana.
The match between England and India is highly anticipated, and the winner will face South Africa, who remain unbeaten in the tournament.
South Africa’s journey to the final has been marked by overcoming previous semi-final heartbreaks.
Known for their past struggles in World Cup semi-finals across formats, this victory marks a significant milestone for the Proteas.
The team’s previous semi-final exits include notable instances such as the rain-affected match in 1992, the dramatic tie against Australia in 1999, and the last-over defeat to New Zealand in 2015.
