South Africa moved closer than ever to ending their long World Cup title drought with a commanding nine-wicket victory over first-time semifinalists Afghanistan at the global Twenty20 cricket tournament on Wednesday in the match that saw Marco Jansen and Kagiso Rabada deliver devastating opening spells of pace bowling, reducing Afghanistan to a precarious 20-4 within the first four overs. Afghanistan struggled to recover and was eventually bundled out for a mere 56 runs.
In response, South Africa chased down the target with ease, losing just one wicket in the process. Reeza Hendricks played a pivotal role, remaining unbeaten on 29 from 25 balls, supported by skipper Aiden Markram who finished not out on 23. Their partnership sealed the victory with a comfortable margin, reaching 60 for 1 in the ninth over.
“We just wanted to come out in this game and hit our straps, the way we’ve been doing throughout the entire tournament,” said Kagiso Rabada, reflecting on South Africa’s dominant performance with the ball. “And today it just happened for us.”
South Africa’s journey to the final has been marked by resilience and determination, overcoming tough contests against formidable opponents. They will now face either defending champions England or India in the final showdown at Barbados on Saturday.
“We’ve never been there (in a final) before, and there’s nothing to be scared of,” remarked Captain Aiden Markram in a post-match interview. “It’s an opportunity that we’ve never had, and we’ll be really excited about that opportunity.”
- Tags: Afghanistan, Cricket, South Africa, World Cup
