South Africa's David Miller celebrates with captain Aiden Markram after taking a catch to dismiss Afghanistan's captain Rashid Khan. Photo / AFP
South Africa prevailed in a double super over thriller as Afghanistan came up agonisingly short of a famous victory after their T20 World Cup clash ended in a tie on Wednesday.
Afghanistan were 187 all out after South Africa scored 187-6 in the Group D encounter in Ahmedabad.
The teams were tied again after a breathless first super over saw them both score 18, before South Africa won off the final ball of a heart-thumping second sudden-death showdown.
After South Africa bludgeoned 23 from their second super over and Afghanistan lost a wicket off the second ball of theirs, Rahmanullah Gurbaz was left needing four sixes off four balls for an unlikely victory.
Gurbaz sensationally launched Keshav Maharaj into the crowd three times with some huge blows.
A wide off the fifth ball meant Afghanistan still needed six to win but now a four would send it, incredibly, to a third super over.
With nerves jangling and pulses racing, the left-arm spinner held his nerve to bowl a wide yorker that Gurbaz smacked into the grateful hands of David Miller at point as he looked to hit a boundary.
Afghanistan – semi-finalists in 2024 – also lost to the group’s other heavyweights, New Zealand, leaving their chances of advancing as one of the top two teams all but over.
“The boys did an amazing job, especially with the way they started with the bat,” said Afghanistan skipper Rashid Khan.
“To restrict them under 190 was amazing. So, so unlucky to be part of a losing team.”
It was South Africa’s second win. New Zealand have also won both their matches and are top of the group on net run rate.
“There’s areas we can improve,” said South Africa captain Aiden Markram.
“Small little phases, and it adds up to a lot in this format. You need to win games like this.”
A few minutes earlier, after Gurbaz scored a brilliant 42-ball 84 in the chase, Afghanistan had needed 13 off the last over of the match to win with one wicket in hand.
After Kagiso Rabada bowled two no balls and a wide and Noor Ahmad hit a six, Afghanistan needed two to win off three balls.
But after Noor turned for the second run that would have won the match, Fazalhaq Farooqi was run out at the non-striker’s end and the scores were tied.
South Africa pace bowler Lungi Ngidi was named player of the match after his 3-26 in four overs.
“I’ve lost so much weight today,” said a smiling Ngidi.
“Never been that stressed in my life in a cricket game. Happy to come out on the winning side.”
Quinton de Kock (59) and Ryan Rickelton (61) were the mainstays of South Africa’s innings as they put on 114 for the second wicket.
Left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie tore the heart out of England’s much-vaunted middle order as the West Indies won by 30 runs in Mumbai.
The West Indies scored 196-6 largely thanks to Sherfane Rutherford’s brutal unbeaten 76 and some late hitting from Jason Holder.
In reply England were all out for 166 in 19 overs.
They made a brisk start to the chase before Motie, who varies between left-arm orthodox and wrist spin, bamboozled Tom Banton, Jacob Bethell and captain Harry Brook in a brilliant spell of 3-33.
It pegged back England from a comfortable 85-2 in the eighth over to 131-5 in the 14th when Brook departed for 17.
Sam Curran kept them in the hunt with a brave unbeaten 43 off 30 balls before he ran out of partners.
It was the second win from two for the West Indies and puts them in pole position to qualify for the Super Eights from Group C.
England got off to the perfect start in their chase when opener Phil Salt carted Jason Holder’s first over for 24 with two sixes and three fours as they raced to 31-0 off 12 balls.
Salt fell for 30 in the fourth over, looping a catch to Rutherford when attempting another big hit, this time off Romario Shepherd.
England sped to 67-1 at the end of the six-over power play, with Jos Buttler on 15 and Bethell 20.
Buttler hit a six off Roston Chase but perished trying to repeat the damage, caught in the deep by Rovman Powell for 21.
Banton (2) was out cheaply for the second successive match and when Bethell (33) followed soon after, both to Motie, England were in bother at 90-4.
Motie then captured the prize wicket of Brook, caught and bowled for 17, in his final over to leave England 131-5 off 14 and the damage had been done.
For the West Indies, sixth-wicket pair Rutherford, who hit seven sixes and two fours, and Jason Holder (33, four sixes, one four) hammered 61 in 32 balls in the dying overs.
Jofra Archer had struck in the first over of the match when captain Shai Hope slapped him straight to Banton at cover.
It was soon 8-2 when Brandon King tried to smash Curran’s first ball but could only find Salt at deep cover.
Chase hit spinner Will Jacks for three fours and Shimron Hetmyer joined in with a colossal six as the fifth over was despatched for 19 runs.
Hetmyer, on 23, top-edged Overton to Curran at fine leg to leave the West Indies 55-3.
When Adil Rashid trapped Chase, on 34, for his 400th wicket in T20 internationals, the Caribbean side had slipped to 77-4 in the 10th over.
Powell and Rutherford put on 50 in just 26 balls as the West Indies raced to 127-4 after 14 overs.
Rashid’s reintroduction immediately bore fruit as Powell holed out to Overton at long-off.
Rutherford sailed on and brought up his fifty in 29 balls with a four and a six off Overton.
Curran, the last-gasp hero against Nepal, was pummelled for 20 off his third over, including three sixes by Holder.
Rashid was the pick of England’s bowlers, taking a superb 2-16 off his four overs.