South Africa registered a 5-wicket win over Afghanistan in what was both the team’s final round-robin stage clash at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The win by Proteas implies an end to a spirited campaign by Afghanistan as they will not proceed to the semis. South Africa, meanwhile, had already sealed a place in the knock out stage of the tournament.
Afghanistan won the toss and elected to bat first, knowing that their best chance of trying to push for a final four place as well as hoping to the league stage with a win was when they bat first. Even though it wasn’t as daunting a total, it was enough to keep their spinners interested for later in the game as the Men From The Rainbow nation bowled Afghanistan out for 244 in their 50 overs.
The fact that the Afghans managed to reach there was thanks largely to the effort of Azmatullah Omarzai who missed out on his maiden World Cup hundred and remained unbeaten on 97. Gerald Coetzee was the pick of the bowlers for the Proteas and finished with figures of 4 for 44. Keshav Maharaj and Lungi Ngidi scalped two wickets apiece while Andile Phehlukwayo got a solitary wicket.
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In response, South Africa got off to a great start with Quinton De Kock once again taking the charge and scoring 41 off 47. Temba Bavuma troubled stay at the wicket came to an end after he had faced 28 balls but not before he scored 23 and ensured the openers put on 64 runs for the first wicket. However, the star of the chase was Rassie van der Dussen who scored an unbeaten 76* off 95. Phehlukwayo played a good hand in the end as well and scored 39* off 37, taking South Africa across the line with 15 balls to spare.
The match ended Afghanistan’s campaign this World Cup which saw them win four out of nine matches and remain in contention for a place in the semis till their final match but that wasn’t to be this time. The campaign nonetheless would give a lot of encouragement and inspration to budding cricketers in the country as they will now look to take their team a step further and into the knockout stage of the competition.