Key events
WICKET! Omarzai c Stubbs b Nortje (Afghanistan 28-6)
Nortje isn’t really light relief, but high stress doesn’t always lead to good decision making. Omarzai tries to follow his big hit the previous over. but can only loft him high and to deep cover where Stubbs takes the ball in a deep squat.
6th over: Afghanistan 27-5 ( Omarzai 10, Janat 0) The end of a disastrous power play for Afghanistan. A tiny squeeze of hope as Omarzai goes on the counter attack and pounds Rabada for four through the off side
“Well that escalated quickly….” taps Stephen Holliday,”here’s to an England – South Africa final???” It is hard to see how they get out of this one …
WICKET! Kharote c de Kock b Jansen 2 (Afghanistan 23-5)
5th over: Afghanistan 23-5 ( Omarzai 5) A bouncer down the leg side, Kharote could have left it, but he swings for glory and a kiss of glove goes through to de Kock.
4th over: Afghanistan 20-4 ( Omarzai 5, Kharote 0) Just a double wicket maiden in a world cup semi final. Afghanistan need to extremely quickly turn to the page in the fairy tale where they come up with a cunning plan.
WICKET! Nabi b Rabada 0 (Afghanistan 20-4)
And another! A pearler at high speed that screams through bat and pad.
WICKET! Ibrahim b Rabada 2 (Afghanistan 20-3)
Perfection in one delivery and through the gate. Oh dear, dear.
3rd over: Afghanistan 20-2 ( Omarzai 4, Ibrahim 2) In the dug-out, Gulbadin shakes his head with folded arms. Jansen nearly makes things worse with a brutish bouncer that Omarzai almost parries to a diving leg slip.
WICKET! Gulbadin b Jansen 9 (Afghanistan 16-2)
Jansen, implacable, throws in a couple of wides before pulling out a beauty that hits the back of a length and nibbles off stump. Gulbadin, feet set, can do nothing but look back in despair.
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2nd over: Afghanistan 10-1 ( Gulbadin 5, Ibrahim 2) Maharaj opens the bowling, for the first time in a T20 for South Africa since 2022. Gulbadin, pushed up the order, tucks into his second ball, sending it spinning down the ground, but is beaten by a beauty later in the over.
“I’d love to see Afghanistan go through, but it’ll surely be South Africa,” writes Andrew Benton. “The OBO certainly adds some unexpected zing to what will hopefully be a rather quiet Thursday morning in the office – will be following to the end!” Shout at me Andrew, if you think I’m falling asleep
WICKET! Gurbaz c Hendricks b Jansen 0 (Afghanistan 4-1)
1st over: Afghanistan 4-1 ( Ibrahim 1) Jansen has had a leg slip all through this tournament and is yet to get a catch there – comes the expert view. But leg slip remains, as does conventional slip, and the third ball is edged just to the right of slip . A couple of leg-side wides give Afghanistan a window to breathe but then Gurbaz drives at a half volley and Hendricks does the rest.
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The giant figures of Jansen holds the ball at the top of his mark…
Hello there Stephen Holliday! “This is going to be a step too far for Afghanistan isn’t it? Maybe? Am in Toronto so will watch the start of the game. Have two small kids so will be asleep for the end of the game. Not a huge fan of the format of this tournament but it has thrown up some good matches to watch and even if it has leaned heavily for India’s continued participation, at least they’re clearly the best team around right now so the help probably hasn’t been too much of a help. Still, business end ends of tournaments do funny things so here’s to an England – Afghanistan final!!”
I can’t rule it out! But I don’t know which of those two finalists is the more unlikely…
And here come the teams, hand in hand with the mascots! Huge smiles from Afghanistan as they walk out, and they belt out the anthem. Trott has his hands behind his back looking pensive from the sidelines. A nice bit of piano at the start of “Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika”. South Africa bookended by giant fast bowlers, look grimly determined.
The Afghanistan team coach, just in case it has slipped your mind, is ex England batter Jonathan Trott, appointed in July 2022. A classic case of fire and ice.
South Africa XI
South Africa: Quinton de Kock (wk), Reeza Hendricks, Aiden Markram (capt), David Miller, Heinrich Klaasen, Tristan Stubbs, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Tabraiz Shamsi
Afghanistan XI
Afghanistan:Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Azmatullah Omarzai, Gulbadin Naib, Mohammad Nabi, Karim Janat, Rashid Khan (capt), Nangeyalia Kharote, Naveen-ul-Haq, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi.
Afghanistan win the toss and will bat!
A beaming Rashid Khan: “We haven’t slept much, straight after the game we came here. A four-hour delayed flight makes it worse. Still, everyone’s pumped up – this game is huge for us, we just make sure we go with the right mindset and let the skills decide.” Aiden Markram would have batted too. Both sides are unchanged.
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If South Africa win today, they will be into their first final in international competition since making the final of the Champions trophy in 1998. Afghanistan have never been in the semis of a big ICC competition before, and only gained full member status in 2017. Though that status in itself is currently controversial, as the ICC constitution says full members should have a women’s side and Afghanistan’s was disbanded with the arrival of the Taliban.
Preamble
Good morning! It’s still heady with heat here in Manchester, jasmine and mock orange hanging in the air, so I’m currently feeling a kinship with those waking up in Trinidad ( indulge me here for a moment ).
This first semi-final is an unexpected gem, if not the game people were expecting. Firstly – no Australia. Secondly – Afghanistan! South Africa, their opponents, warmed up for today with seven successive wins. But can the famous tournament chokers do it on the day?
During the group stages the pitch at Brian Lara sStadium proffered variable bounce – though the builders were sent in since to switch it off and odd again in the hope things will reset. I’m going to quickly grab an hours’s sleep – back soon with news of the toss.
