* Proteas break 33 year long cursed spell – Semi Final (Match 53)
By Dwayne Ferreira.
In a historic match held in Trinidad, South Africa ended their 33-year long wait to contest an ICC World Cricket Cup final, when they went onto thrash Afghanistan by 9 wickets in the T20 World Cup semi final played on Wednesday. The Proteas bowled out the tournament dark horses for the lowest total ever recorded in a T20 knockout match and chased down the target with ease, thanks to stellar performances from Hendricks and skipper Markram.
The contest was initially expected to be a low-scoring affair due to the pitch’s unpredictable bounce and sharp spin, which heavily favored bowlers. Pundits advised against batting first, as three out of four teams that played at the venue had won batting second. Despite this, Afghanistan chose to bat first, hoping to set a competitive total and defy the odds.
Unfortunately, Afghanistan’s gamble backfired as they were steamrolled by the South African bowlers. Marco Jansen and Kagiso Rabada annihilated Afghanistan’s top order, taking five wickets for just 23 runs within the powerplay. Jansen led the charge with impressive figures of 3 for 16, but it was Tabraiz Shamsi who outshone with a remarkable 3 for 6 after the powerplay. Shamsi and Anrich Nortje wrapped up the remaining wickets within the next six overs, bowling Afghanistan out for a mere 56 runs.
They chased down the target quickly, losing only opener Quinton de Kock who scored just five runs. Skipper Aiden Markram remained unbeaten on 23, but it was Reeza Hendricks’ flamboyant 29 not out that stole the show. Their unbeaten partnership of 55 runs sealed the victory in just 8.5 overs, propelling the Proteas into the 2024 T20 World Cup Final with an undefeated record and an 8-match winning streak.
Chief Scores :-
Afghanistan – 56 for 10 in 11.5 overs (Azmatullah Omarzai 11, Gulbadin Naib 9, Rashid Khan 8, Tabraiz Shamzi 3 for 6, Marco Jansen 3 for 16)
South Africa – 60 for 1 in 8.5 (Reeza Hendricks 29*, Aiden Markram 23*, Quinton De Kock 9, Fazalhaq Farooqi 1 for 11, Rashid Khan 0 for 8)
Player of the Match – Marco Jansen
