At Cardiff, South Africa finally registered their first win of the tournament against minnows Afghanistan, winning an easy encounter by 9 wickets.
Put into bat in overcast conditions & a rain truncated match, Afghanistan started with promise putting up 39 runs for the opening pair in 8 overs, before Rabada had Zazai caught in the deep & the batting then gradually imploded in between a couple of rain delays, as they lost four wickets in two overs to Imran Tahir & Phehlukwayo, slipping to 77 for 7 in just the 26th over. A cameo of 35 crucial runs in just 25 deliveries by late order Rashid saved them the blues of a below 100 score, as the Afghanistan batting collapsed to a 125 all out in just over 34 overs. Imran Tahir was the wrecker in chief with 4 wickets, while Phehlukwayo snapped 2 wickets & Morris took 3 - the South African bowling, along with Rabada did look menacing for once.
In chase, it was an easy win for the Proteas in the final outcome, with 21 overs to spare & losing only the wicket of Quinton de Kock, but not before he scored a sedate 68 off 72 deliveries.
It was despairing to watch veteran of many battles, Hashim Amla scratch for runs up the order & that too against a not so menacing Afghani bowling- his timing was completely off initially & so was his confidence. But he stuck on, grafting runs at one end, while de Kock batted with much more ease to keep the scoreboard ticking. de Kock raised his fifty in the 17th over, & the pair went onto put 104 runs, their first century partnership in almost two years. Amla used the opportunity grittily to spend time at the crease & get back some form, remaining unbeaten at 41, as Phehlukwayo, promoted up the order, scored freely & then smacked the only six of the match to mop up the win.
Despite this big win, South Africa though, have a lot to ponder. Their top order needs to soak up the pressure & score big, either batting first or chasing, & it will be upto de Kock & Amla to give a solid foundation. Then in the middle order, the likes of du Plessis & Dussen have to play anchor, while Miller, Phehlukwayo, Morris & others have to score briskly & consistently. The bowling which is now looking weak in the absence of injured Steyn & Ngidi, will have to rely heavily on Rabada & Tahir, with assistance from Phehlukwayo & Morris to get wickets, if the Proteas have to sniff any chance of a comeback in this tournament. The fielding also has to improve considerably. The players have looked out of sorts, & too pressurised to perform & retain their places, & the gay cavalier attitude seems ruefully missing.
For Afghanistan, its a lot of learning from all these losses, as they have the potential to upset & derail the top contenders.
Put into bat in overcast conditions & a rain truncated match, Afghanistan started with promise putting up 39 runs for the opening pair in 8 overs, before Rabada had Zazai caught in the deep & the batting then gradually imploded in between a couple of rain delays, as they lost four wickets in two overs to Imran Tahir & Phehlukwayo, slipping to 77 for 7 in just the 26th over. A cameo of 35 crucial runs in just 25 deliveries by late order Rashid saved them the blues of a below 100 score, as the Afghanistan batting collapsed to a 125 all out in just over 34 overs. Imran Tahir was the wrecker in chief with 4 wickets, while Phehlukwayo snapped 2 wickets & Morris took 3 - the South African bowling, along with Rabada did look menacing for once.
In chase, it was an easy win for the Proteas in the final outcome, with 21 overs to spare & losing only the wicket of Quinton de Kock, but not before he scored a sedate 68 off 72 deliveries.
It was despairing to watch veteran of many battles, Hashim Amla scratch for runs up the order & that too against a not so menacing Afghani bowling- his timing was completely off initially & so was his confidence. But he stuck on, grafting runs at one end, while de Kock batted with much more ease to keep the scoreboard ticking. de Kock raised his fifty in the 17th over, & the pair went onto put 104 runs, their first century partnership in almost two years. Amla used the opportunity grittily to spend time at the crease & get back some form, remaining unbeaten at 41, as Phehlukwayo, promoted up the order, scored freely & then smacked the only six of the match to mop up the win.
Despite this big win, South Africa though, have a lot to ponder. Their top order needs to soak up the pressure & score big, either batting first or chasing, & it will be upto de Kock & Amla to give a solid foundation. Then in the middle order, the likes of du Plessis & Dussen have to play anchor, while Miller, Phehlukwayo, Morris & others have to score briskly & consistently. The bowling which is now looking weak in the absence of injured Steyn & Ngidi, will have to rely heavily on Rabada & Tahir, with assistance from Phehlukwayo & Morris to get wickets, if the Proteas have to sniff any chance of a comeback in this tournament. The fielding also has to improve considerably. The players have looked out of sorts, & too pressurised to perform & retain their places, & the gay cavalier attitude seems ruefully missing.
For Afghanistan, its a lot of learning from all these losses, as they have the potential to upset & derail the top contenders.
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