Marco Jansen and Tabraiz Shamsi each captured three wickets, propelling South Africa to dismiss Afghanistan for just 56 in Trinidad on Wednesday. This led to a decisive nine-wicket win in the initial Twenty20 World Cup semi-final.
The Proteas secured their first semi-final triumph after several setbacks in seven prior semi-finals in 1992. They now anticipate the outcome of the semi-final between India and England to determine their opponent for Saturday’s final.
Despite previous struggles, South Africa swiftly dismantled Afghanistan’s batting lineup, confining them to their lowest T20 international score at Brian Lara Stadium in under 12 overs.
While South Africa’s batting has been inconsistent, Fazalhaq Farooqi dismissed Quinton de Kock early. Nonetheless, Reeza Hendricks and Aiden Markram led the team to victory within nine overs without additional setbacks.
In their inaugural semi-final appearance, Afghanistan, buoyed by a recent win against Bangladesh, opted to bat first. However, their key batsmen, Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran, were quickly neutralized by Jansen and Kagiso Rabada, significantly undermining their efforts.
Jansen’s early strikes and continued pressure from Rabada and Anrich Nortje significantly restricted the Afghan side. Shamsi’s effectiveness in clearing the lower order underscored Afghanistan’s challenges, making them the first team to score below 100 in a semi-final of this tournament.
Despite the odds, the Afghan bowlers demonstrated resilience, ensuring the South Africans had to work for their runs. Nevertheless, Hendricks and Markram efficiently navigated the innings, with Hendricks sealing the win with a six and a four, extending their winning streak to eight games.
