ICC World T20: South Africa down sprightly Afghanistan

South Africa’s Chris Morris celebrates the wicket of Afghanistan’s Mohammad Shahzad in their ICC World Twenty20 Super 10 match at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday. South Africa won by 37 runs. (Photo: AP)

South Africa survived a scare to open their account in this ICC World Twenty20 campaign with 37-run win over Afghanistan in a Group 1 clash at the Wankhede here on Sunday. The ICC associate nation gave good account of themselves by remaining in hunt for huge chase of 210 for major chunk of the innings.

They fell well short in the end, managing 172 with wicket-keeper batsman Mohammad Shahzad smashing 19-ball 44 at the top. A fiery Chris Morris (4/27) and miserly Imran Tahir (2/24) did the job for the Proteas on a good batting wicket.

Shahzad gave Afghanistan a blazing start to sent shockwaves into South African camp as their pacers were all over the place. He started with a six and a boundary off Kagiso Rabada (2/37) and followed it up with three sixes and a boundary off Kyle Abott (2/36). Morris rattled his stumps to bring his 19-ball cameo to an end. He hit five sixes and three boundaries. He also got a fiery send off from Morris. The opening partnership produced 52 runs in four overs. Skipper Asghar Stanikzai (7) lasted just six balls.

Noor Ali (25) tried to revive the chase along with Gulbadian Naib (26). Both found it hard after the porwerplay overs. But the eighth over of the innings bowled by David Wiese yielded 15 runs to bring the chase back on track. They were involved in partnership of 45, but fell in quick succession. Samiullah Sheniwari played a 25 run cameo but it wasn’t enough as other Afghan batsmen struggled.

Earlier, AB de Villiers continued his love affair with the Wankhede by smashing a 29-ball 64. His dominating partnership for the fourth wicket with J.P. Duminy yielded 76 runs in just 35 balls. De Villiers set himself up nicely and was on 29 in 20 balls before he doubled his score in the 17th over to spoil leg-spinner Rashid Khan’s (0/51) figures. He hit four massive sixes and a boundary to take 29 runs from Khan’s last over. The over gave momentum to the Proteas innings after it seemed the Afghan spinners will restrict them around 180.

De Villiers carried on it into next over by smashing Mohammad Nabi for a six but holed out to deep midwicket one ball later where Noor Ali took a good catch. Overall the champion batsman hit five sixes and four boundaries. Duminy 29 (20b) and David Miller (19) later ensured South Africa posted in excess of 200 for the second consecutive time in the tournament.

At the top, Quinton de Kock (45) and skipper Faf du Plesiss 41 (27b, 7x4, 1x6) gave South Africa a good start in the Powerplay despite losing Hashim Amla (5) early. The second wicket partnership produced 65 runs off 42 balls.

The Proteas had included all-rounder David Wiese in place of out-of-form Dale Steyn. Wiese didn’t get to bat and conceded 0/47 with the ball.

Scoreboard South Africa: Q. de Kock c Shahzad b Hamza 45, H. Amla c Stanikzai b Shapoor Zadran 5, F. du Plessis run out 41, A.B. de Villiers c Noor Ali Zadran b Nabi 64, J.P. Duminy (not out) 29, D. Miller c Naib b Dawlat Zadran 19, D. Wiese (not out) 0. Extras: (lb 2, w4) 6. Total: (for 5 wkts, in 20 overs) 209. FoW: 1-25, 2-90, 3-97, 4-173, 5-203. Bowling: Hamza 3-0-25-1, Dawlat 3-0-46-1 (1w), Shapoor 3-0-28-1, Nabi 4-0-35-1 (1w), Khan 4-0-51-0, Shenwari 3-0-22-0.

Afghanistan: M. Shahzad b Morris 44, N. Ali st de Kock b Tahir 25, A. Stanikzai c de Kock b Morris 7, G. Naib c de Kock b Abbott 26, M. Nabi c de Villiers b Tahir 11, S. Shenwari c Wiese b Abbott 25, N. Zadran c de Kock b Rabada 12, R. Khan b Morris 11, D. Zadran b Morris 0, A. Hamza not out 3, S. Zadran b Rabada 1. Extras: (lb 1, w 6) 7. Total: (in 20 overs) 172. FoW: 1-52, 2-60, 3-105, 4-109, 5-140, 6-156, 7-156, 8-167, 9-169, 10-172. Bowling: Rabada 4-0-37-2 (1w), Abbott 4-0-36-2, Morris 4-0-27-4 (3w), Tahir 4-0-24-2, Wiese 4-0-47-0 (2w).