South Africa escaped a shock upset against Afghanistan in an astounding match that featured two Super Overs for the first time in T20 World Cup history.
Afghanistan miraculously sent the game to a Super Over after a calamitous last over – including three extras – from Kagiso Rabada allowed the underdogs to match South Africa’s total of 187 with the last ball of the match.
Afghanistan’s total of 17 after one Super Over looked strong, but a last-ball six from Tristan Stubbs unbelievably sent the game to a historic second Super Over.
Afghanistan opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz hit three sixes to almost save the game after the Proteas scored 24, but spinner Keshav Maharaj sealed the win with a last-ball wicket to win it.
The loss means that Jonathan Trott’s Afghanistan lose both of their first two matches in group D, while South Africa remain second, in prime position to qualify for the Super 8 stage.
How Afghanistan pushed South Africa to first double super over in T20 World Cup history
Afghanistan almost pulled off a great shock
Fifties for both Ryan Rickelton and Quinton de Kock, in 23 and 34 balls respectively, put South Africa in a commanding position at 111-1 in their innings, but their scoring slowed after a late bowling flurry for Afghanistan saw 4 wickets fall for just 35 runs and leaving South Africa 187-6 at the end of their 20 overs.
The underdogs, though, shocked Lungi Ngidi in a 13-run first over and got off to a flying start, notching 50 in the first four overs and putting the pressure back on South Africa.
Gurbaz notched an incredible 84 off 41 before being caught behind after edging a drive, swinging the momentum back in the favour of the favourites, and moments later a misunderstanding between wickets led to a calamitous run out, leaving Afghanistan looking well-beaten at 121-5.
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A late run-rate increase kept Afghanistan in the game as they battled back to only need 13 off the final over, but the wicket of late-order dangerman Noor Ahmad was ruled out after Rabada stepped over the line for a no-ball. The bowler followed that calamitous mistake with a wide, and a third extra in the last over left Afghanistan needing just two off three balls.
Noor’s cover drive gave him the chance to go for the winning runs, but the third umpire judged Fazalhaq Farooqi’s bat to be a millimeter short of the line, meaning a last-wicket run-out sent the game, unbelievably, to the first Super Over of the tournament thus far.
South Africa’s Kagiso Rabada looks on with a ball as he run out Afghanistan’s Fazalhaq Farooqi
Afghanistan’s heroics continued immediately – star Azmat Omarzai scored 10 off Ngidi’s first two balls to put the underdogs in control, and Rabada dropped a third huge drive on the boundary to give the Afghanistan all-rounder 16 runs in a huge 17-run Super Over total.
Dewald Brevis gave his side life with 7 runs off the first two in South Africa’s super-over, but Farooqi caught the South African out with a brilliant slower ball. Replacement Tristan Stubbs, though, produced a miraculous six to send the game to a second Super Over for the first time in T20 World Cup history.
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Stubbs picked up where he left off with another maximum, and David Miller matched his compatriot with two huge sixes in as many balls to give South Africa a commanding score of 24 after their second super over innings.
Miller’s early catch from Mohammad Nabi left Afghanistan reeling and needing 4 maximums off 4 balls. Gurbaz – in a feat beyond belief – produced three straight sixes, with just a four needed to send the game to a third super over, but spinner Keshav Maharaj’s last-ball wicket sealed the win for South Africa after a mind-boggling match.
