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Afghanistan made life tough for South Africa but in the end, the Proteas won the historic double super over by a whisker. Kagiso Rabada’s criminal double no-ball final over and Noor Ahmad’s heroics took the game into Super Over. South Africa erred and then made up for it by edging past Afghanistan, not letting them avenge the defeat of the previous edition’s semifinal. Miller and Stubbs became South Africa’s heroes in super overs, taking their team to a thrilling win over Afghanistan leaving a spirited Rahmanullah Gurbaz heartbroken.
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Final over drama
In the final over, Afghanistan needed 13 runs to win with one wicket in hand. Noor was on strike and Rabada got his wicket off the first ball. The game was done and dusted but then the no ball hooter’s sound lifted Afghan fans in the stadium. Rabada followed it up with a wide down the leg side. On the free hit delivery, Noor couldn’t clear the fence. On the second legitimate delivery of the over, Noor hit a six over deep square-leg, just teasing the fielder patrolling the boundary.
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Five runs were needed off the final four deliveries. Noor hit it towards long-on and opted not to take a single. On the next ball, Noor managed to hit it in the gap and ran for a couple of runs. To add to South Africa's problems, Rabada had overstepped again.
On the fourth ball, Noor hit the ball in the gap again. Fazalhaq Farooqi was not quick enough between the stumps and Marco Jansen's throw found Rabada. The pacer took off the bails, taking the game into super over.
Gurbaz goes berserk
Earlier, Afghanistan’s run chase got off to a good start. Gurbaz dictated terms and often hit the ball over the fence. Lungi Ngidi halted the momentum with the wickets of Ibrahim Zadran and Gulbadin Naib in the fifth over. Then, Rabada dismissed Sediqullah Atal for a three-ball duck. After powerplay overs, Afghanistan were 56/3.
In the eighth over, Rabada got to his fifty from 26 deliveries. He continued to dominate the run chase in the middle overs. But, Proteas made a comeback as Keshav Maharaj got him caught by George Linde. The opener scored 84 runs from 42 deliveries, featuring four fours and seven sixes. In the same over, Darwish Rasooli was run out for a 17-ball 15 after a terrible mix-up with Azmatullah Omarzai.
Mohammad Nabi departed cheaply but Rashid Khan and Omarzai kept the run chase alive. Ngidi dismissed Omarzai and then Rashid fell to Marco Jansen. In the end, Noor's heroics and Rabada's faux pas took the game into super over.
Rickelton, De Kock score fifties but Proteas miss 200-run mark
Rashid won the toss and opted to bowl first. Aiden Markram was dismissed cheaply by Farooqi in the third over. Quinton de Kock and Ryan Rickelton took the score to 43/1 after six overs. The boundaries continued to flow. Then, Noor conceded 23 runs in the over. South Africa were 98/1 at the halfway stage.
In the next over, De Kock reached his fifty from 34 balls. Also, Rickelton raced to his fifty from just 23 balls. Rashid halted the momentum by dismissing De Kock and Rickelton in the 13th over. De Kock scored 59 runs from 41 balls. Rickelton contributed with a 28-ball 61.
In the slog overs, South Africa lost Dewald Brevis and Tristan Stubbs in a space of five deliveries. In the penultimate over, Farooqi conceded 17 runs. In the final over, 11 runs were scored as South Africa posted 187/6.
Super over
Afghanistan sent Omarzai and Gurbaz to bat in the super over. Lungi Ngidi was hit for a four and a six on the first two overs by Omarzai. A total of 17 runs were scored in the super over.
For South Africa, Brevis and Miller walked out to bat. Miller took a single off the first ball. On the next ball, Brevis hit Farooqi for a massive six over deep mid-wicket. The left-arm pacer took the pace off and Brevis could only manage a top edge. Gurbaz didn’t make a mistake and took the catch. On the fourth ball, Stubbs got an outside edge which went for a boundary. Farooqi followed it up with a dot delivery. Stubbs hit a six off the last ball to take the game into another super over.
Gurbaz heartbroken after 2nd super over
In the second super over, Stubbs and Miller walked out to bat. Omarzai took the ball and was hit for a six on the first ball. A single was taken off the next ball. Miller followed it up with a couple of runs and a couple of sixes. A single came off the final ball and South Africa set a target of 24 runs.
Mohammad Nabi and Omarzai walked out to bat. Markram handed the ball to Maharaj. The left-arm spinner started off with a dot ball. Nabi was caught at backward point by Miller. Gurbaz walked out to bat and hit three consecutive sixes to rattle the Proteas. Maharaj took his time and delivered a wide. On the last ball, Gurbaz couldn’t get under the ball and South Africa won by four runs in super over.
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