A slip in place for Rabada...
Afghanistan have to believe. Of course, to chase this they'll need everything to go their way. But they have to believe. And they'll need a flier from Shahzad for a start. Can't emphasize enough of how big a player he is right now. The South African bowlers are out on the field early to warm up on the practice wickets. Plenty to correct from that England mauling. This pitch is still a beauty though. That won't change. If anything, it will get better once the lights start taking effect..
The pitch seems to have gone a bit (only a bit) slow and the odd ball is holding (Please don't judge it on the basis of that eventful 17th over). Day game means that there won't be any dew to assist the stroke-making. The plan from du Plessis's boys is expected to be a little un-South African and we might see Tahir and Duminy helming the proceedings. Afghanistan are no England but once you have failed to defend more than 200, panic can creep in anytime, even against an unheralded side. Chase to follow soon...
Not often in a batsman's career comes that phase where anything he hits tends to go in the gap. Quinton de Kock is going through that phase and making the most of it. So when South Africa piled up 66 in the powerplay with him at the crease and ABD to follow, restlessness became apparent in the Afghan camp. However, with pacers finding it tough to contain the run-flow, Nabi and Rashid Khan turned things a bit. Danger was far from over though and complacency popped its head out when Samiullah Shenwari let a caught and bowl chance of ABD slip out. The first lesson in cricket across the world these days is NEVER DROP ABD. The drop would go on to haunt the Afghans in the 17th over when de Villiers hit 29 runs off teenager Rashid Khan.
19.6 -
Dawlat Zadran to Duminy, SIX, South Africa end on a high. 20 runs off the last over. The leg-cutter from Dawlat, Duminy spotted it early, delayed the shot and smacked it over the long-on fence. Just about cleared the rope
David Wiese, right handed bat, comes to the crease
19.5 -
Dawlat Zadran to D Miller, out Caught by Naib!! Miller goes for after a cameo. It was well bowled by Dawlat. Doesn't offer pace on this length delivery, Miller is early into the heave, the top-edge skies towards extra cover, Naib moves to his left and reverse cups it. D Miller c Naib b Dawlat Zadran 19(8) [4s-2 6s-1]
Dawlat Zadran to D Miller, THAT'S OUT!! Caught!!
19.4 -
Dawlat Zadran to D Miller, FOUR, 200 comes up. It was a better delivery. In the blockhole, just outside off, Miller makes room, bends down and brings his bat down to carve it to the right of backward point
19.3 -
Dawlat Zadran to D Miller, SIX, Dawlat misses the yorker length, but Miller doesn't miss, clears his front leg to free his arms, smashes it over long-on for a maximum. Nice clean strike that!
19.2 -
Dawlat Zadran to Duminy, 1 run, no pace on the short delivery, sat up nicely for Duminy, who finds the deep square leg fielder with the pull, missed out on a scoring opportunity
19.1 -
Dawlat Zadran to Duminy, 2 runs, fullish and outside off, just short of yorker length, Duminy slices it on the bounce to sweeper, hares back for the second and makes it easily in the end
Mid-on back and mid-wicket in...
19.1 -
Dawlat Zadran to Duminy, wide, low full toss outside off, Duminy can't reach it and it is well away from the tramline
Dawlat Zadran [2.0-0-26-0] is back into the attack
Can Afghanistan keep them under 200? That would be a job well done. Dawlat has the repsonsbility. Decides to come round the wicket...
18.6 -
Shapoor to D Miller, FOUR, unlucky! That was a decent delivery. Short and around off, Miller pulls and gets a top-edge which goes fine. Third man was inside the ring as well. Excellent over under these circumstances
Can he finish well? Has only gone for 6 runs so far.
18.5 -
Shapoor to D Miller, 2 runs, full and speared in at the stumps, Miller can't get under that and squeezes it to deep mid-wicket. A better throw at the bowler's end would have had Duminy in trouble
18.4 -
Shapoor to Duminy, leg byes, 1 run, cramps the batsman for room with a short of length delivery, Duminy was backing to leg, misses the pull and copes a blow on the tummy. That would sting
18.3 -
Shapoor to D Miller, 1 run, no pace on the ball, Miller has to generate it on his own, drives to sweeper cover
18.2 -
Shapoor to Duminy, 1 run, Najib cuts the angle and keeps it to one. Full and tailing in, Duminy flicks it wide of long-on, Najibullah runs to his left and doesn't allow Duminy to get back on strike
18.1 -
Shapoor to D Miller, 1 run, just short of yorker length, Miller jams the drive to extra cover. Nice start to the over
Shapoor Zadran [2.0-0-19-1] is back into the attack
17.6 -
Nabi to D Miller, 1 run, hurled into the blockhole, Miller squeezes it to deep mid-wicket. Nabi ends a good spell, with a pitch like this, he has gone for under 9-an-over, 4-0-35-1
17.5 -
Nabi to Duminy, 1 run, slower and bowled with a round-arm, Duminy taps it towards cover and has to settle with one
17.4 -
Nabi to Duminy, FOUR, poor delivery from the experienced bowler, sprays it down leg, Duminy tickles it fine and teases Stanikzai all the way, the skipper chases, slides and all that effort goes to vain
David Miller, left handed bat, comes to the crease
17.3 -
Nabi to de Villiers, out Caught by Najibullah!! The carnage has come to an end. Afghanistan will breathe a sigh of relief seeing the back of AB. He comes down the track, Nabi drags the length back, the batsman heaves it to deep mid-wicket, got plenty of height but not the distance, Najibullah was the man patrolling the rope, he kept his eyes on the ball and took it just inside the rope. A well-judged catch that. de Villiers c Najibullah b Nabi 64(29) [4s-4 6s-5]
Nabi to de Villiers, THAT'S OUT!! Caught!!
17.2 -
Nabi to de Villiers, no run, a late shout for caught behind. Quicker and bit of extra bounce, de Villiers swings to leg and is beaten on the top-edge. He was undone by the bounce on that occasion. Optimistic shout from Shahzad
17.1 -
Nabi to de Villiers, SIX, even Nabi is not going to be spared. Once AB decides to go, who will be spared? Teased up on off, de Villiers moves across, kneels down and sweeps it over backward square. Way back into the stands
16.6 -
Rashid Khan to de Villiers, 1 run, quicker and close to off, de Villiers wrists it to long-on to keep strike
16.5 -
Rashid Khan to de Villiers, SIX, fourth six of the over and Rashid Khan is taking a hammering. Tosses it up on off, de Villiers gets underneath that and lofts it over long-on. The length was there to be hit and AB de Villiers is not going to miss out
16.4 -
Rashid Khan to de Villiers, SIX, fifty for de Villiers. What a shot to get there. Spare a thought for the young leggie. He is being carted all around the ground. Again fraction short and de Villiers is quick to latch onto it, moves back and smashes the pull over deep mid-wicket. The fielder is a mere spectator
16.3 -
Rashid Khan to de Villiers, SIX, fantastic shot! Flighted on off, de Villiers races down, gets to the pitch of the ball and lofts it straight back over the bowler's head. It ended up in the dressing room
16.2 -
Rashid Khan to de Villiers, FOUR, did that carry? Yes, it did. Again the length is short and on the stumps, de Villiers rocks back and pulls it flat towards deep mid-wicket. Shenwari was late to react, rushes forward and dives, the ball hits his hands and escapes. Trickles to the fence
16.1 -
Rashid Khan to de Villiers, SIX, you can't bowl a half-tracker to AB de Villiers and expect to get away with it. de Villiers was quick to use the depth of the crease, goes right back and smokes the pull into the stands at deep mid-wicket
Rashid Khan [3.0-0-22-0] is back into the attack
15.6 -
Nabi to Duminy, no run, how clever is Nabi? Gives nothing away and reads the game well at this stage. Slows this up considerably and follows the batsman, Duminy can't meet with the nudge, wears it on the thigh pad. If not for the three wides, only 4 runs would have come off the over
15.5 -
Nabi to de Villiers, 1 run, dipping low full toss around off, de Villiers moves across and flicks to deep backward square leg
15.4 -
Nabi to Duminy, 1 run, speared into the blockhole, Duminy squeezes it down to long-on
15.3 -
Nabi to de Villiers, 1 run, there comes the reverse scoop, de Villiers set himself for that shot, but got it high on the bat and towards the vacant backward point region
15.3 -
Nabi to de Villiers, 3 wides, darted outside off, well away from the tramline. Shahzad doesn't glove it cleanly and two more added to the total
15.2 -
Nabi to Duminy, 1 run, the square leg umpire doesn't even bother to go upstairs. He knows how quick AB is. Duminy dropped it to the right of the bowler and took off, AB responded. Nabi ran across, picked up the ball and fired to Shahzad. A direct-hit would have made things interesting
15.1 -
Nabi to Duminy, no run, slower and tucks the batsman for room with the angle from round the wicket, tapped back down the wicket
Mohammad Nabi [2.0-0-16-0] is back into the attack
14.6 -
Shenwari to Duminy, 1 run, quicker and outside off, Duminy reverse scoops it to short third man. The idea was right but not the execution, couldn't get it fine to beat the fielder
14.5 -
Shenwari to de Villiers, 1 run, dropped! Flatter and outside off, de Villiers slaps it back to the bowler, Shenwari seemed to have been taken by surprise. Wasn't expecting the ball, just puts his hands up and the ball bursts through them. How costly would that be?
14.4 -
Shenwari to de Villiers, FOUR, smart improvisation. Floated up outside off, de Villiers kneels down and reverse sweeps it fine. Beats short third man and Shenwari looks on disbelief
14.3 -
Shenwari to de Villiers, 2 runs, very full and outside off, de Villiers stoops low and squeezes the drive square on the off-side, placed it to the left of sweeper and picked up two
Shenwari has hurt himself. The physio is out there tending to him. Seems to be fine. Will continue bowling. Adjusts the long-on fielder and resumes. Meanwhile, the crowd goes "AB, AB, AB"
14.2 -
Shenwari to Duminy, 1 run, repeat of the previous ball, but Duminy hit it harder and hence Shenwari wasn't able to make a clean stop. The ball deflects towards mid-wicket and the duo complete the single
14.1 -
Shenwari to Duminy, no run, flatter and just outside off, Duminy flat-bats it back to the bowler, AB was backing up and Shenwari decides not to throw at the stumps
13.6 -
Rashid Khan to de Villiers, FOUR, another full toss from Rashid Khan and de Villiers is too good a batsman to miss out on those, goes down on one knee and sweeps it wide of deep mid-wicket, collects four more
13.5 -
Rashid Khan to Duminy, 1 run, googly just outside off, Duminy strides forward, taps it gently towards cover-point
13.4 -
Rashid Khan to Duminy, FOUR, bad delivery and it deserved the treatment. Low full toss on off, Duminy picks his spot, flicks it wide of long-on, Dawlat moves to his left and dives, all in vain
13.3 -
Rashid Khan to de Villiers, 1 run, Duminy comes in the way. Might have denied few runs to de Villiers, who hit it uppishly towards the non-striker, Duminy is not quick enough. The ball hits his bat and deflects towards long-on
13.2 -
Rashid Khan to Duminy, 1 run, flighted outside off, Duminy drives it to long-off
13.1 -
Rashid Khan to de Villiers, 1 run, almost did AB de Villiers with the googly. He read it off the surface. AB was shaping for the pull, but sees the ball keep low and turn back, adjusts well to bend down and hit it behind square
Rashid Khan [2.0-0-10-0] is back into the attack
12.6 -
Shenwari to Duminy, 2 runs, Nabi saved a couple there. Shortens the length on off, Duminy goes back and whips it towards deep mid-wicket, was racing away to the right of the fielder, Nabi sprints across, dives and makes a fine save
12.5 -
Shenwari to de Villiers, 1 run, floated up outside off, de Villiers drives to long-off
12.4 -
Shenwari to de Villiers, 2 runs, he is so good in picking the gaps. Flighted just outside off, opens the bat face at the last instant and drives it square on the off-side, comes back before sweeper hunts it down
12.3 -
Shenwari to Duminy, 1 run, flatter and on off, Duminy works it through mid-wicket
12.2 -
Shenwari to de Villiers, 1 run, very full and around off, de Villiers squeezes the drive to long-off
12.1 -
Shenwari to de Villiers, FOUR, top notch! Looked like a gentle whip to leg, but the timing was so good that it raced away to the fence, splitting deep mid-wicket and long-on. It was quicker and helped AB's cause
11.6 -
Amir Hamza to de Villiers, 1 run, tossed up around off, de Villiers eases it down to long-off
11.5 -
Amir Hamza to Duminy, 1 run, straightaway Duminy steps out and wrists the flighted delivery to long-on
Jean-Paul Duminy, left handed bat, comes to the crease
11.4 -
Amir Hamza to de Kock, out Caught by Mohammad Shahzad!! Taken on the second attempt. Afghanistan are fighting back. Two wickets in quick succession. This was beautifully bowled. Very, very slow through the air, de Kock kneels down to play the sweep, is early into the shot and also had to fetch it from way outside off, gets a feather to Shahzad, who stays low and does well to take it with the help of his thighs. Replays suggest that the ball got stuck in Shahzad's thighs and QdK got it off the toe-end. de Kock c Mohammad Shahzad b Amir Hamza 45(31) [4s-6 6s-2]
Amir Hamza to de Kock, THAT'S OUT!! Caught!!
11.3 -
Amir Hamza to de Villiers, 1 run, quicker and outside off, de Villiers drives off the back foot to sweeper cover
11.2 -
Amir Hamza to de Villiers, 2 runs, that was a risky second run. de Villiers whips towards deep mid-wicket, Noor Ali moves to his left and rifles a throw to the bowler. Hamza takes the bails off, but a desperate dive from QdK allows him to survive
Once again Ravi called into action. QdK the man in question. He has made it in. Not Out!
11.1 -
Amir Hamza to de Villiers, no run, flatter and just outside off, punched off back foot to cover
10.6 -
Shenwari to de Kock, no run, once again is hit on the pad, Shenwari is not offering any room, de Kock fails to clip it and wears it on the pad
10.5 -
Shenwari to de Kock, no run, Shenwari errs down leg, de Kock goes for the sweep, doesn't bend down enough to make connection, the ball brushes the pad and goes to short fine leg
10.4 -
Shenwari to de Villiers, 1 run, tossed up outside off, de Villiers plays a whip from there through mid-wicket
10.3 -
Shenwari to de Villiers, no run, this time also to the same fielder, but much harder and faster, the fielder does well to get his body behind the ball
10.2 -
Shenwari to de Villiers, no run, flighted around off, de Villiers pushes it gently to cover
10.1 -
Shenwari to de Kock, 1 run, huge shout for LBW from Shenwari. Nothing from Shahzad. Clear inside edge. de Kock moves across, squirts it off the inside edge onto the pad and the ball rolls to short fine. If not for the wood, de Kock was a goner
Samiullah Shenwari, right-arm leg break, comes into the attack
9.6 -
Amir Hamza to de Kock, 1 run, angled across the left-hander, de Kock steers it to short third man, almost played it from the keeper's gloves
9.5 -
Amir Hamza to de Villiers, 1 run, faster and around off, de Villiers waits for the ball to arrive and eases it square of the wicket on the off-side
AB de Villiers, right handed bat, comes to the crease
9.4 -
Amir Hamza to du Plessis, out du Plessis Run Out!! That was a bit too casual from the skipper. He was worried about his partner and instead of getting back into the crease, was standing out and waiting for de Kock to make his crease. Skips out and punches it to extra cover, Nabi gets his body behind and stops the ball, sees Faf wandering out and fires to Shahzad, who whips the bails off in a flash. de Kock was quick to say "NO" but Faf took ages to turn back and dive. Not sure what he was doing watching the ball. du Plessis run out (Nabi/Mohammad Shahzad) 41(27) [4s-7 6s-1]
Amir Hamza to du Plessis, THAT'S OUT!! Run Out!!
Has Faf been run-out? Yes, he is a few inches short of the crease. Ravi is the third umpire and he will make the simplest of calls. OUT!
9.3 -
Amir Hamza to du Plessis, FOUR, lovely use of the feet, Hamza fired it outside off, Faf was up for it, reaches out by stooping low and drives it inside out to the right of extra cover, long-off had no chance
9.2 -
Amir Hamza to de Kock, 1 run, fraction short and outside off, de Kock slaps it to sweeper cover
9.1 -
Amir Hamza to du Plessis, 1 run, quicker and around off, du Plessis backs away and eases it through cover
Amir Hamza [1.0-0-12-0] is back into the attack
Rashid Khan has been such a revelation for Afghansitan. He along with Nabi have been the strike bowlers for the Asian side. The leggie, who usually bowls a number of googlies, has been hard to pick in this tournament. And once more has caused problems to the South African duo..
8.6 -
Rashid Khan to du Plessis, 1 run, very full and on off, du Plessis jams it to long-on
8.5 -
Rashid Khan to de Kock, 1 run, shortish and outside off, de Kock waits and dabs it to short third man
8.4 -
Rashid Khan to de Kock, no run, googly with extra bounce, de Kock plays down the wrong line, is beaten on the inside edge. Mohammad Shahzad is also undone by the bounce, doesn't glove the ball cleanly
8.3 -
Rashid Khan to du Plessis, 1 run, shortens the googly, du Plessis is cramped for room, ekes out an inside edge onto the pad, the ball drops to leg and the pair sneak in a quick single
8.2 -
Rashid Khan to du Plessis, FOUR, Shapoor never looked like getting there. Tossed up just outside off, was the wrong 'un but the length allowed Faf to get down and sweep it square on the leg-side, Shapoor was never in the chase from deep backward square
8.1 -
Rashid Khan to de Kock, 1 run, flighted on middle, de Kock kneels down and sweeps to deep backward square leg
7.6 -
Nabi to du Plessis, no run, low full toss outside off, du Plessis thought it was a wide and let it go. Few inches inside the guideline and Nabi ends the over well
7.5 -
Nabi to du Plessis, no run, once again follows the batsman, du Plessis tries to get inside the line to earn a wide, is late and is struck on the thigh pad
7.4 -
Nabi to du Plessis, no run, du Plessis backed away early and Nabi fired it well outside off, just inside the tramline. Shows you how clever Nabi is
7.3 -
Nabi to du Plessis, SIX, superb shot! That is such a difficult shot to play. Against the turn and with one hand coming off the handle. Flatter and just outside off, du Plessis makes room and punches it in the air over extra cover, timed it beautiful to collect six
7.2 -
Nabi to de Kock, 1 run, round the wicket and a half-tracker down leg, de Kock swivels and pulls to backward square leg, a fumble and the duo scamper across for a quick single
7.1 -
Nabi to du Plessis, 1 run, dragged down on off, du Plessis backs away and pulls to long-on, on the bounce to the fielder
Mohammad Nabi [1.0-0-8-0] is back into the attack
6.6 -
Rashid Khan to du Plessis, 1 run, flighted outside off, it was the googly, du Plessis slices it off the outer half of the bat, lands just in front of short third man
6.5 -
Rashid Khan to du Plessis, no run, again the length is slightly short and outside off, du Plessis cuts and picks out backward point. The fielder did well to get his body behind the ball
6.4 -
Rashid Khan to du Plessis, no run, trifle short and around off, Faf delays his dab and taps it gently in front of point
6.3 -
Rashid Khan to de Kock, 1 run, needless. Another wrong 'un, de Kock wanted to whip through mid-wicket, ekes out an inside edge onto pad and the ball goes to short third man. de Kock was getting back to the crease and Shapoor fires a wayward throw and lets him off strike
6.2 -
Rashid Khan to de Kock, no run, googly on off, de Kock had no clue about that, he just hung his bat in defence, the ball takes the outer half and rolls to backward point
6.1 -
Rashid Khan to de Kock, no run, speared into the blockhole, de Kock jams it back to the bowler
Rashid Khan, right-arm leg break, comes into the attack
South Africa once again have made use of the powerplay. 66/1 and de Kock is going great guns at one end...
5.6 -
Dawlat Zadran to du Plessis, no run, this is much better from Dawlat. Takes the pace off after seeing the batsman advance, no room to free his arms, mistimes the pull to mid-on
5.5 -
Dawlat Zadran to du Plessis, no run, short and down leg, du Plessis was backing away and is cramped for room, doesn't connect properly with the pull, finds Shapoor at short fine
5.4 -
Dawlat Zadran to du Plessis, FOUR, how fast is this outfield? That looked like a couple, but kept going away from the fielder. Slower delivery which is short in length, Faf delays the back cut, gets it to the left of backward point, third man is beaten comfortably
5.3 -
Dawlat Zadran to de Kock, 1 run, shortens the length and hurries de Kock on the pull, mistimed towards mid-on, Stanikzai tumbles to his left and saves some runs for his side
5.2 -
Dawlat Zadran to de Kock, SIX, even better, this young lad makes batting look utterly easy. Moves to the leg-side to open up the off-side, the length is full and he gets under it, lifts it inside out over extra cover
5.1 -
Dawlat Zadran to de Kock, SIX, fabulous shot! Geez this guy is in some form. Not a bad delivery. Fuller and just outside off, de Kock goes through the line, lofts it handsomely over the bowler's head for a maximum
Dawlat Zadran [1.0-0-9-0] is back into the attack
4.6 -
Shapoor to du Plessis, FOUR, that's a clean strike. Almost went the distance. du Plessis charges down, Shapoor seeing that drags it back, Faf goes through with the pull and hammers it over mid-wicket, hits the ad cushions on the half-volley
4.5 -
Shapoor to de Kock, 1 run, short and outside off, de Kock cuts it in the air, just wide of the backward point fielder. Third man moves to his left and cleans up
4.4 -
Shapoor to de Kock, no run, de Kock gives a bit of room, Shapoor follows him and cramps him up, de Kock gets an inside edge on the heave, the ball deflects off the pad towards mid-wicket
4.3 -
Shapoor to de Kock, FOUR, de Kock shimmies down, takes it on the full and creams it through extra cover, good use of the feet to get to the ball and those quick hands took care of the rest
4.2 -
Shapoor to du Plessis, 1 run, to mid off, Faf steps out and converts it into a full length delivery, drives to the left of mid-off. Stanikzai moves across and keeps it to one
4.1 -
Shapoor to de Kock, leg byes, 1 run, stifled appeal for lbw. Back of a length and zipping off the surface, de Kock is rooted to the crease, is beaten on the inside edge and rapped on the pads. Sliding down leg and the batsmen sneak in a leg-bye
3.6 -
Nabi to du Plessis, FOUR, good use of the feet. Not to get to the pitch of the ball, but backs away to give himself the freedom to loft, plays it beautifully over mid-off for a one bounce four
3.5 -
Nabi to du Plessis, no run, flatter, quicker and on the stumps, du Plessis steps out, isn't to the pitch and hence taps it to leg
3.4 -
Nabi to du Plessis, FOUR, very full and almost in the blockhole, du Plessis moves to the leg-side, squeezes the drive through the cover region, no protection in the deep and that's four more
3.3 -
Nabi to du Plessis, no run, Faf shuffles across and Naib follows him with a quicker one, turned to mid-wicket
3.2 -
Nabi to du Plessis, no run, Nabi almost did him there. Watched the batsman advance and fired it down leg, Faf knew he was in trouble, got his pad in the line of the delivery. Clever cricket from both
3.1 -
Nabi to du Plessis, no run, tossed up on off, du Plessis lunges forward in defence
Mohammad Nabi, right-arm off break, comes into the attack
2.6 -
Shapoor to du Plessis, 1 run, touch too straight, on middle and leg, tucked square on the leg-side for a single
2.5 -
Shapoor to du Plessis, FOUR, wow! He played that almost after the ball had passed him. There was no slip in place. Back of a length delivery slanted well wide of off, Faf waits until the last second to steer it down to third man, gets it fine and beats the fielder in the deep
Faf du Plessis, right handed bat, comes to the crease
2.4 -
Shapoor to Amla, out Caught by Stanikzai!! There's the wicket. Afghansitan would have wanted an early wicket and they have got one. Shapoor making a comeback to the side provides the breakthrough. Fullish and outside off, was there to be driven, Amla moves across to go over mid-off, looked like the ball stopped on him and he spooned it to mid-off. Stanikzai took the simplest of catches. Amla c Stanikzai b Shapoor 5(5) [4s-1]
Shapoor to Amla, THAT'S OUT!! Caught!!
2.3 -
Shapoor to Amla, FOUR, Amla shuffles across and Shapoor tries to keep it outside off, that makes Amla's job easier, throws his bat on the drive, hits it uppishly to the right of backward point, who dived and couldn't get a hand
2.2 -
Shapoor to Amla, no run, good length ball just outside off, Amla drives on the up, not much feet movement, just the fast hands and the ball travels to backward point
2.1 -
Shapoor to Amla, no run, on a length and angled across off, Amla presses it to cover-point after striding forward
Shapoor Zadran, left-arm fast medium, comes into the attack
1.6 -
Dawlat Zadran to de Kock, FOUR, de Kock is dealing in boundaries. In fact, all his runs have come in fours. Very full and outside off, de Kock bends down, reaches out for the ball and slices it over backward point. Ends the over on a high
1.5 -
Dawlat Zadran to de Kock, no run, drags the length back slightly, de Kock was winding up for a swipe towards cow corner, the ball doesn't bounce as much as he expected, ends up being beaten on the under-edge
1.4 -
Dawlat Zadran to de Kock, no run, good length ball on off, de Kock closes the bat face on the drive, ends up dragging it to mid-wicket
1.3 -
Dawlat Zadran to de Kock, no run, Dawlat gets away with a leg-stump half-volley, de Kock doesn't get bat on the clip, the ball brushes the pad on the way to Mohammad Shahzad
1.2 -
Dawlat Zadran to de Kock, FOUR, excellent cricket from the batsman and bowler. A top delivery and equally top shot. Curling into the blockhole, de Kock brings his bat down and squeezes the flick past the diving mid-wicket fielder
1.1 -
Dawlat Zadran to Amla, 1 run, low full toss and hint of swing away from the batsman, Amla waits, opens the bat face and steers it down to third man to open his account
Dawlat Zadran, right-arm fast medium, comes into the attack
0.6 -
Amir Hamza to de Kock, no run, closer to the off-stump, de Kock doesn't have the room to free his arms, pats it softly to the off-side. Once again a blazing start from de Kock
0.5 -
Amir Hamza to de Kock, FOUR, not missing out this time. Again, short and outside off, de Kock gets into a good position - back and across before slapping it in front of square, nobody bothered to chase it down. Third boundary of the over and South Africa are off to a flier
0.4 -
Amir Hamza to de Kock, no run, flatter and outside off, there to be put away, de Kock goes hard and chops it to the right of the bowler
0.3 -
Amir Hamza to de Kock, FOUR, consecutive boundaries for de Kock. Bit of air on this one, is on the stumps, de Kock kneels down and nails the sweep to deep backward square leg, no one in the deep to stop that. Hamza is not happy with the field placing
0.2 -
Amir Hamza to de Kock, FOUR, de Kock is off and running. The angle became a disadvantage for Hamza, offers width outside off, de Kock waits and cuts it behind square, no one at backward point and the Wankhede outfield is one of the fastest
0.1 -
Amir Hamza to de Kock, no run, round the wicket and goes on with the angle, de Kock shuffles across and taps it gently to the leg-side
de Kock and Amla are at the crease. de Kock is on strike. Amir Hamza will open the attack
Shahzad thrilled, raised hopes, but couldn't prolong his knock enough. He had to be the one with a quick 80-90. But Morris proved to be too good for him. And one can argue, that was the match. Anyway, there's a lot to take from Afghanistan's performance. The way they've grown has been so heartening to see. And we can only imagine the leaps they can take with more and more exposure. South Africa have hung on to an important win here to keep things in their hands, but they aren't looking the invincible side they can be. That's it from us for this game. Meanwhile, the battle lines have been drawn at the Chinnaswamy where Gayle is fantasising. Foaming at the mouth to have a bat on his adopted home ground. I'm not betting against him. Live visuals show him doing some pushups. Switch to the other tab for more of his theatrics. This is Sagar Chawla bidding goodbye on behalf of our scorer Mani and co-commentator Akshay Maanay. (*Rushes to the stadium*)
Stanikzai: "The total was too high. But the wicket is good for batting. Unfortunately, when the game tilted towards us, we lost wickets. Shahzad started very well and it was good for us. But we gave the wickets too early. That's why we lost the match. We'll try our best to play good cricket as we go along."
Faf du Plessis: "To be completely honest, yes it was deja vu at the start. Shahzad put a lot of pressure with some really good shots. Tough to start like that to be put under pressure straightaway. And then you need someone to step up and luckily Morris did. Just a bit of aggression at the top, need the quick bowlers to stand up. That's what SA pride themselves on, pace and aggression. Need to do better in the first 3 overs. Our batting was solid again. They bowled well on a good wicket. But we still ended up giving extras. Little bit of improvement. Still a lot of work to be done. Obviously we move to a different continent now for the next game. We pride ourselves to be smart and make the right decisions."
Morris: "Very happy with the performance. Always nice as a bowler to not go for too many especially on a wicket like this. Very similar wicket to the Wanderers. I just focussed to run in, bowl quick and hit my natural lengths and fortunately it came off. I thought all our bowlers bowled well today. On these pitches, it happens that you can disappear on some days. Happy with the performance but more happy that we got the first win of the WC. As a bowler your job is to restrict runs and take wickets. People come to watch sixes, no one comes to see wickets being taken. So it's a batsman's game for sure. Obviously we have to work on different skills when we move around in the country. First we'll recuperate and then be ready to go come next game."
Chris Morris is Man of the Match
South Africa could not acquire the services of Duminy, who hurt his hamstring while fielding, but Tahir was too good, plugging away by keeping it well below the required run-rate. Morris, on the other hand, too was impressive as he made the first incision and then wiped the tail off as the Afghans tried to force the issue. Afghanistan did really well to take it close. They might have run out of steam in the end but not before they had given South Africa the scare of their life. Failing to defend a total of more than 200 for the 2nd time in the tournament won't only have almost chucked them out of the tournament but also dented their morale. First England and now Afghanistan have showed that chasing against the Proteas is not going to be a bad idea as the tournament progresses. Presentation follows...
“It always hurts more to have and lose than to not have in the first place.” wrote Khaled Hosseini in 'The Kite Runner'. The Afghan-born novelist's words echo what his brethren must be feeling today. Asghar Stanikzai's men were in the chase halfway through the mark - 103/2. From there, it was more about handling the pressure than skills. And the Afghans failed the final test, until then they had done everything right. It started with Shahzad showing scant respect to Rabada and Co. 19-ball 44 is exactly what the Associates needed to derive inspiration from. Usually any middle order would thrive on such a blistering start but South Africa pulled things back with regular wickets.
Shahzad walks out and is cheerfully shaking hands. He's box-office, this lad. The attitude on-field. And off it. The way he just enjoys his game. Has a blast (literally).
19.6 -
Rabada to Shapoor, out Bowled!! Finishes it with a beaut. Bang into the blockhole and Shapoor ... well ... he isn't playing that. Grazes leg-stump and Afghanistan are done for. South Africa win by 37 runs and are alive. And Afghanistan will need to depend on other results to go their way. But they have given a good account of themselves. Shapoor b Rabada 1(2)
Rabada to Shapoor, THAT'S OUT!! Bowled!!
19.5 -
Rabada to Amir Hamza, 1 run, length ball outside off, slapped to sweeper cover
19.4 -
Rabada to Amir Hamza, no run, short of length delivery, looping off the pitch with Rabada rolling his fingers across, sails over Hamza's slash
19.3 -
Rabada to Shapoor, 1 run, short of the yorker by 6 inches, squeezes the flick through square leg
19.2 -
Rabada to Amir Hamza, 1 run, near yorker just outside off, Hamza is late to get his bat down, just about does so and runs it off the toe-end to third man
19.1 -
Rabada to Amir Hamza, no run, cuts back in from a length outside off and sneaks past the inside edge of Hamza's cover drive
Kagiso Rabada [3.0-0-34-1] is back into the attack
Shapoor Zadran, left handed bat, comes to the crease
18.6 -
C Morris to Dawlat Zadran, out Bowled!! The middle stump lies flat on the ground, it's wearing the face of a boxer who's been handed a knockout punch. Dawlat walks well across with his back foot stomped on the return crease to lap it away, it's too quick and through him. KO! Dawlat Zadran b C Morris 0(2)
C Morris to Dawlat Zadran, THAT'S OUT!! Bowled!!
18.5 -
C Morris to Amir Hamza, 1 run, moves across to off, gets inside the line of a short of length slower delivery, and short-arm pulls to fine leg
18.4 -
C Morris to Amir Hamza, no run, slower ball which shapes to be a full toss and then dips at the last minute into the blockhole, dug out
18.4 -
C Morris to Amir Hamza, wide, slips one down leg and is wided
Amir Hamza, right handed bat, comes to the crease
18.3 -
C Morris to Rashid Khan, out Bowled!! gone, timbah! The length is brilliant, the pace is spectacular, and Morris has been stunning. Rashid is down on his back knee after moving to leg to try and crunch it through the off-side, the ball tails back in and he chops it onto timber off the inside edge. Rashid Khan b C Morris 11(7) [4s-2]
C Morris to Rashid Khan, THAT'S OUT!! Bowled!!
18.2 -
C Morris to Rashid Khan, FOUR, now off the outside edge. The match is done and Rashid wants to have fun. Backs away to a length ball, swings, it soars away fine of third man
18.1 -
C Morris to Rashid Khan, FOUR, he's absolutely killed it over backward point. Short and wide, Rashid swings hard and skins the ball with a slash. Then admires his kill
Chris Morris [3.0-0-17-2] is back into the attack
17.6 -
Kyle Abbott to Dawlat Zadran, no run, it's beyond the tramline outside off but Dawlat has walked across a long way so the umpire rules it as a legal ball. Tries a scoop, then the reverse version. Connects neither
17.5 -
Kyle Abbott to Rashid Khan, 1 run, waits on a back of a length delivery outside off, and late-cuts it to third man
17.4 -
Kyle Abbott to Rashid Khan, no run, big swing and a miss outside off. All the enthusiasm has been sucked out of the match
17.3 -
Kyle Abbott to Rashid Khan, no run, very full, near yorker at a good clip outside off, Rashid is making room and then can't reach out as he tries to flay it away
17.2 -
Kyle Abbott to Rashid Khan, 2 runs, smacks a full ball wide of long-off after getting his front leg out of the frame, Miller runs round and cuts it off
Dawlat Zadran, right handed bat, comes to the crease
17.1 -
Kyle Abbott to Shenwari, out Caught by Wiese!! Cheeky...too cheeky. Moves across in a position to scoop, sees the line is well outside off, then tries a reverse-scoop and chips it straight to backward point. Afghanistan's rattling car has overheated. Shenwari c Wiese b Kyle Abbott 25(14) [4s-3]
Kyle Abbott to Shenwari, THAT'S OUT!! Caught!!
Kyle Abbott [3.0-0-33-1] is back into the attack
Rashid Khan, right handed bat, comes to the crease
16.6 -
Rabada to Najibullah, out Caught by de Kock!! That should be the end of Afghanistan's pursuit. They've fought hard but now running out of steam. Full ball angled wide of off, Najibullah once more aims the leg-side with a slog, it's not in his reach and nicks it behind. Najibullah c de Kock b Rabada 12(8) [4s-1 6s-1]
Rabada to Najibullah, THAT'S OUT!! Caught!!
16.5 -
Rabada to Najibullah, no run, wide of off, Najibullah premeditates the slog and can't put bat to ball
16.4 -
Rabada to Najibullah, no run, he's beaten for a pace with a short of length screamer, shapes to swing to leg but gets into a tangle and even he doesn't know what shot he ended up with
16.3 -
Rabada to Najibullah, FOUR, full on the pads and picked over short fine leg. Ordinary stuff from Rabada. And Najibullah's wrists do the rest. One bounce four
16.2 -
Rabada to Najibullah, SIX, heaved away and just over Amla at deep backward square. Slower ball on the stumps but again it's the length. The length. Allows Najibullah to pump it across the line
16.1 -
Rabada to Najibullah, no run, the length is ordinary but what Rabada does well is to slant it away wide of off. Drifts it out of Najibullah swinging reach
Kagiso Rabada [2.0-0-24-0] is back into the attack
It's gone away from Afghanistan you would think. Need 16 an over for the final four
15.6 -
Tahir to Najibullah, 1 run, flatter and hurries onto Najibullah's pull, he is late on the shot and flaps it through mid-wicket
15.5 -
Tahir to Shenwari, 1 run, no, you need to put those away. Full toss on off, Shenwari swings hard but can only swat it down to long-on
15.4 -
Tahir to Najibullah, 1 run, reads the googly and pats it with the turn through the point region
15.3 -
Tahir to Shenwari, 1 run, fired in very full, can't get underneath the swipe and squeezes it to long-on
15.2 -
Tahir to Shenwari, 2 runs, premeditates the sweep and swats it away despite the length being very full, it's wide enough of deep mid-wicket for a couple
Najibullah Zadran, left handed bat, comes to the crease
15.1 -
Tahir to Nabi, out Caught by de Villiers!! It's a really tame end to Nabi's innings which never took off. Didn't go through with the loft at all. Flatter on the stumps, it skids on from a length and Nabi simply chips it down AB's throat. Tahir has been brilliant. Nabi c de Villiers b Tahir 11(14) [4s-1]
Tahir to Nabi, THAT'S OUT!! Caught!!
Imran Tahir [3.0-0-18-1] is back into the attack
14.6 -
Wiese to Nabi, 1 run, darts in a yorker on leg, Nabi squirts it off the inside edge behind square
14.5 -
Wiese to Nabi, no run, slower ball again outside off, it's short and Nabi has a big flash but misses
14.4 -
Wiese to Shenwari, 1 run, slower ball on off, patted wide of the bowler and they scamper. Wiese flits across, dives, turns and releases the throw all in one motion. Doesn't hit the stumps. Shenwari was gone had he hit.
14.4 -
Wiese to Shenwari, wide, another slower bouncer, this time the tennis-ball like bounce takes it over Shenwari's pull and also over his head
14.3 -
Wiese to Nabi, 1 run, brilliant yorker on the toes, flicked to deep square leg
14.2 -
Wiese to Nabi, no run, slower short ball outside off, gets big on Nabi as he tries an upper-cut. Loops over him to the keeper
14.1 -
Wiese to Nabi, FOUR, ah Tahir. Tahir. Look away. Look away now. Slower short ball outside off, Nabi reaches out with a cut and hits it off the bottom of the bat towards short third man. Tahir is so reluctant to bend and doesn't get his body behind the ball. Allows it to sneak through
Excellent over despite the misfortune of an edgy boundary. But Afghanistan won't mind it too much. Play out Morris and belt the others.
13.6 -
C Morris to Nabi, 1 run, plants an angled bat on a short of length delivery outside off and skims it down to third man
13.5 -
C Morris to Nabi, no run, Nabi backs away a far way to leg, then lets a ball go through which isn't a million miles from taking off stump
13.4 -
C Morris to Nabi, no run, nippy back of a length delivery, softly pushed to the left of Morris
13.3 -
C Morris to Shenwari, 1 run, slower short of length delivery which lifts awkwardly outside off, Shenwari gets on his toes and glides it to third man
13.2 -
C Morris to Shenwari, FOUR, that will do. That will do just fine. Throws his hands to expansively drive a length ball outside off, can't quite reach it and runs it off a thick outside edge to beat third man
13.1 -
C Morris to Shenwari, 2 runs, very full on off, Shenwari tries to spank it down the ground, but ends up swatting it off the inside half towards his partner. Nabi sees the ball coming for him, doesn't bother to move out of the way and takes the pace off on the way to long-on enabling a second run
Chris Morris [2.0-0-9-2] is back into the attack
Faf has gone to his most impressive bowler. He will have one over left after this.
12.6 -
Wiese to Shenwari, 1 run, dabs an off-cutter in front of short third man for a single. 14 off the over
12.5 -
Wiese to Shenwari, 2 runs, full toss and it's been wristed to the left of long-on. AB runs across, slides and relays it to the converging long-off fielder but the batsmen are through for two
12.4 -
Wiese to Shenwari, FOUR, wow. Just wow. What power with those wrists. Swivels across to a back of a length slower ball on middle, and then whips the pull past short fine leg. Fruitful over so far
12.4 -
Wiese to Shenwari, wide, slower bouncer which sails over Shenwari's head and he doesn't even have to crouch
12.3 -
Wiese to Nabi, 1 run, slower short ball outside off, either side of backward point and it's four, but he hits the cut straight to Amla
12.2 -
Wiese to Shenwari, 1 run, back of a length on off, whipped wide of long-on. There is a thought given to two. But no. They abort
12.1 -
Wiese to Shenwari, FOUR, Afghanistan needed this. Needed this badly. The idea from Wiese is right with the slower ball wide of off, but he's dished out a half-volley. Shenwari bends his back knee and scorches the drive past a diving extra-cover
David Wiese [2.0-0-25-0] is back into the attack
11.6 -
Tahir to Shenwari, 1 run, dragged down on off, pulled to deep backward square
Samiullah Shenwari, right handed bat, comes to the crease
11.5 -
Tahir to Ali Zadran, out Stumped!! South Africa are taking control now. It's beautifully bowled from Tahir. Sees Zadran charging and slips in a flipper. It's intended to go between bat and pad and that's exactly what it does. Zadran is too far down the track and there is no hope of making it back in the event of de Kock gathering it cleanly. Gone! Ali Zadran st de Kock b Tahir 25(24) [4s-1 6s-1]
Tahir to Ali Zadran, THAT'S OUT!! Stumped!!
11.4 -
Tahir to Nabi, 1 run, drills a near yorker down to long-on
11.3 -
Tahir to Ali Zadran, 1 run, googly turning in towards off from a length, the amount of turn foils Zadran's attempted slog-sweep, and he chops it off the inside edge onto pad in front of mid-wicket
11.2 -
Tahir to Ali Zadran, no run, slog-sweeps from outside off, the length is there but it doesn't bounce as much as he wants. Sneaks under the bat
11.1 -
Tahir to Nabi, 1 run, loops up a full toss on off and Nabi has just nudged it to deep mid-wicket. I think Ali Zadran will be doing all the hitting now
Imran Tahir [2.0-0-14-0] is back into the attack
Afghanistan bat reasonably deep and have to ensure they don't lose momentum. The required rate is flirting with 12 an over now.
10.6 -
Kyle Abbott to Ali Zadran, no run, finishes off an excellent over with another one of those cutters. This one doesn't get up at all from a short of length and scoots under Zadran's attempted cut on a couple of bounces to de Kock
10.5 -
Kyle Abbott to Nabi, 1 run, looks like another slower short ball, which doesn't come on, Nabi splices the pull in front of mid-wicket
10.4 -
Kyle Abbott to Nabi, no run, dips in profusely from a length on off, Nabi plays it as late as possible while staying leg-side of the ball to keep his pads out of the way. Blocks it back
Mohammad Nabi, right handed bat, comes to the crease
10.3 -
Kyle Abbott to Naib, out Caught by de Kock!! Smart bowling, very smart bowling. Bangs it in short but rolls his fingers across the ball, compels the ball to hold up slightly and bounce more, takes the edge of Naib as he tries to slash it away and de Kock is left with a regulation catch before flinging it up in celebration. Naib c de Kock b Kyle Abbott 26(18) [4s-3 6s-1]
Kyle Abbott to Naib, THAT'S OUT!! Caught!!
10.2 -
Kyle Abbott to Ali Zadran, 1 run, tailing in on middle and leg on a fuller length, flicked to deep mid-wicket
10.1 -
Kyle Abbott to Naib, 1 run, off-pace back of a length delivery outside off, punched softly in front of extra-cover for a well judged run
Kyle Abbott [2.0-0-30-0] is back into the attack
9.6 -
Wiese to Naib, 1 run, clipped off the hips to deep mid-wicket
9.5 -
Wiese to Ali Zadran, 1 run, slower short ball which beats Zadran for lack of pace as he commits to the pull, has to hold the shot and helps it behind square
9.4 -
Wiese to Ali Zadran, SIX, picks a full ball from off and flogs it with furious wrists. It's straight down Morris's throat at deep backward square. But wait. He's standing 5 yards inside the fence. Then loses it in the sun and the ball bursts through his hands as he tried an overhead reverse cup. Looks all puzzled pointing to the sky. And that's when he's wearing glasses.
9.3 -
Wiese to Ali Zadran, no run, short outside off but it's the slower ball which bounces spongily and loops over Zadran's slash on the bounce to de Kock
9.2 -
Wiese to Naib, 1 run, very full outside off and drilled to long-off
9.1 -
Wiese to Ali Zadran, 1 run, back of a length off cutter just outside off, Zadran walks across the stumps to clip to leg, it holds up on him and the leading edge pops over Wiese's head down to long-off
8.6 -
Tahir to Naib, SIX, oh that's a magnificent shot. He had to move across to pick the ball which was well wide of off, could have been a wide, but the length is too tempting. Then bends his back knee and lofts it inside out over extra cover. All the way
8.5 -
Tahir to Ali Zadran, 1 run, quick full toss on the pads, flicked through mid-wicket
8.4 -
Tahir to Ali Zadran, 2 runs, flatter outside off and Zadran has hit the reverse sweep to the right of Amla at backward point. He flits across and takes an awkward bump while diving to stop. Can only get a hand and the batsmen hurtle back for two to beat a brilliant throw from Morris
8.3 -
Tahir to Ali Zadran, no run, doesn't pick the googly out of the hand, presses across and then reads it off the pitch. Initially shaped to drive through the covers. Checks his shot and chops it into the off-side
8.2 -
Tahir to Naib, 1 run, drifts it in on leg and into the blockhole, Naib squeezes the flick to short fine leg
8.1 -
Tahir to Naib, no run, tries to slog a leg-break from outside off, and swats it off the inside half to mid-wicket
7.6 -
Wiese to Ali Zadran, FOUR, oh a dolly. Full toss down leg and is tickled to the fine leg fence. They're getting a boundary almost every over and keeping with the rate
7.5 -
Wiese to Naib, 1 run, reaches out for a length ball outside off, and drives it down to long-off. Played it well in front of the body and chipped it in the air. Well in front of the fielder though
7.4 -
Wiese to Ali Zadran, 1 run, picks it off the hips and glances to fine leg
7.3 -
Wiese to Naib, 1 run, off-cutter gripping from a back of a length, tucked through square leg
7.2 -
Wiese to Naib, FOUR, that's further away from off and fuller, makes Naib stretch as he tries to go downtown. Hits it off the toe-end and it still travels a fair distance back over the bowler and beats long-on
7.1 -
Wiese to Naib, FOUR, carved over mid-off. Anything on a length has to go. The line is close enough to off, Naib clears the leg and slaps it over the infield. Lands just in front of the ropes
David Wiese, right-arm fast medium, comes into the attack
6.6 -
Tahir to Naib, 1 run, reaches out, takes it on the full and drives to long-on
6.5 -
Tahir to Naib, no run, flatter on off, Naib stays rooted and punches it back down the pitch
6.4 -
Tahir to Ali Zadran, 1 run, quick full toss on off, punched to long-on
6.3 -
Tahir to Ali Zadran, no run, turn and bounce from a length on off, Zadran drops his bottom hand in defence and pats it into the on-side
6.2 -
Tahir to Naib, 1 run, drags it way down, perhaps landed in his half of the pitch, Naib can only weakly pull to deep mid-wicket
6.1 -
Tahir to Ali Zadran, 1 run, darts a full ball on off, whipped to long-on
Imran Tahir, right-arm leg break, comes into the attack
5.6 -
C Morris to Naib, no run, tailing back into the blockhole on the stumps, Naib is already on the move as he shuffles to leg, digs it out cleanly
5.5 -
C Morris to Naib, FOUR, more shots. Moves to leg slightly to make room for a clean swing, the length is there and he swings through the line. Think he was aiming on-side. But ends up slicing it straight back over Morris's head. Trickles into the fence
5.4 -
C Morris to Naib, no run, it's past him. Short and rising over the right shoulder of Naib. He sees the length, backs away and swings with a pull. The ball whirs past the top edge
5.3 -
C Morris to Naib, no run, pacy length ball angled in on off, punched back down the pitch
Gulbadin Naib, right handed bat, comes to the crease
5.2 -
C Morris to Stanikzai, out Caught by de Kock!! And Morris has struck again. Extra pace, extra bounce for the tall bowler and this Wankhede track is responding. Lifts sharply from a back of a length, Stanikzai sees the width and flashes hard but is undone by the bounce. Gets a feather through to de Kock. Stanikzai c de Kock b C Morris 7(6) [6s-1]
C Morris to Stanikzai, THAT'S OUT!! Caught!!
5.1 -
C Morris to Stanikzai, no run, length ball just outside off, Stanikzai is late on the drive and chops it into the off-side
Just the start the Afghans needed. Only if they had Shahzad still there. They need an innings like the one Joe Root played the other day
4.6 -
Kyle Abbott to Stanikzai, 1 run, fired on leg, too full and on the pads, flicked away to the left of fine leg who skirts across and cuts it off
4.5 -
Kyle Abbott to Stanikzai, no run, backs away and is followed by a short of length delivery which rushes on to him, swats the pull to mid-on
4.4 -
Kyle Abbott to Stanikzai, no run, short of length delivery on off, defended back down the pitch after standing tall
4.3 -
Kyle Abbott to Stanikzai, SIX, and Afghanistan keep going. First ball for Stanikzai, it's short and wide, and he blazes it over the square third man fence
4.2 -
Kyle Abbott to Ali Zadran, 1 run, steers a back of a length delivery down to third man
4.1 -
Kyle Abbott to Ali Zadran, no run, length ball outside off, skids on to the centre of the bat as it is driven to cover
Asghar Stanikzai, right handed bat, comes to the crease
Kyle Abbott [1.0-0-22-0] is back into the attack
3.6 -
C Morris to Mohammad Shahzad, out Bowled!! That's a ripping delivery, whoa, he needed one to get it through Shahzad. Completely opened up in defence. Angled in on a good length on off, then straightens past the outside edge and clatters the furniture. Morris isn't done. He gives Shahzad a send-off and Ali Zadran is furious. Faf has a hand on his shoulder to calm him down. Anyway, Morris's antics don't take anything away from the ball. Clocked it at 149ks. Unplayable. If anything, Shahzad is slightly guilty of not pressing forward. But geez, the pace on the ball made put paid to that thought. Mohammad Shahzad b C Morris 44(19) [4s-3 6s-5]
C Morris to Mohammad Shahzad, THAT'S OUT!! Bowled!!
3.5 -
C Morris to Mohammad Shahzad, no run, goes slashing at a short and wide ball but fails to reach out
3.5 -
C Morris to Mohammad Shahzad, wide, South Africa have been rattled with this onslaught. Morris bangs it very short and sails over Shahzad's head
3.4 -
C Morris to Ali Zadran, 3 runs, similar length outside off, this time Zadran leans across further and drives it off the bottom of the bat to thread it past two diving fielders in the covers. Faf gives chase from mid-off and flicks it in a yard inside the ropes with a slide
3.3 -
C Morris to Ali Zadran, no run, ah, Zadran is looking all at sea with the pace and bounce and movement. Pounded on a good length outside off, draws Zadran into a loose off-drive and moves enough off the deck again to foil his attempt
3.2 -
C Morris to Ali Zadran, no run, squared up completely. Had to play at a back of a length delivery angled in, then nips away sharply to skirt past the edge
3.2 -
C Morris to Ali Zadran, wide, very wide outside off, good bounce from a length and beats Zadran's attempted on the rise drive. But it's well beyond the tramline. Wided
3.1 -
C Morris to Ali Zadran, no run, darts away from a short of length outside off, Zadran plays away from the body to angle it down to third man, beaten by the movement
Chris Morris, right-arm fast medium, comes into the attack
Wow. What a throbbing start. He's done a Jason Roy, has Shahzad. Can he do it for longer. He needs to.
2.6 -
Rabada to Mohammad Shahzad, 2 runs, slashes hard at a length ball outside off, and slices it over the covers. The bat twisted in his hands but got it over the infield. Easy couple before it's hounded down
2.5 -
Rabada to Mohammad Shahzad, SIX, full on the pads, Shahzad plonks his back foot right back, almost a yard within the stumps and whips it over short fine leg. Just clears the fence. South Africa, well, deja vu...
2.4 -
Rabada to Mohammad Shahzad, FOUR, this is carnage from Shahzad. Now he connects with the ramp. Short of length and closer to him. He leans back, and helps it over de Kock's head
2.3 -
Rabada to Mohammad Shahzad, no run, a belated upper cut attempted after arching his back to a short of length lifter outside off. Too late
2.2 -
Rabada to Mohammad Shahzad, no run, hurtles in a brilliant yorker on middle, Shahzad tries to hit it hard but can only squeeze it to mid-wicket
2.2 -
Rabada to Mohammad Shahzad, wide, slips in a bouncer but strays down leg, and Shahzad is pretty dramatic while ducking underneath as well. His bat comes down like a fly swatter and hits the pitch
2.1 -
Rabada to Ali Zadran, 1 run, short of length delivery just outside off, Zadran opens the bat-face and runs it down to third man
1.6 -
Kyle Abbott to Mohammad Shahzad, FOUR, Shahzad has dug into the chest of Abbott, ripped his heart out and stomped on it. 22 off the over. Short and wide and poof! Rocks back and lashes it with a late-cut behind backward point. Afghanistan are racing
1.5 -
Kyle Abbott to Mohammad Shahzad, SIX, third six off the over. Nothing length trying to follow Shahzad as he backs away. Sits up for the pull and is walloped over square leg
1.4 -
Kyle Abbott to Mohammad Shahzad, no run, lifts nicely from a short of length wide of off, Shahzad tries to glide it down to third man but is beaten
1.3 -
Kyle Abbott to Mohammad Shahzad, SIX, oh Shahzad. This is exhilarating stuff. He's not even following the path of the ball. Looking down on the pitch. What swagger. Abbott pitches it full again looking for swing, there isn't any and drifts on middle. Shahzad moves his leg out of the way and merely punches it over wide long-on. Massive
1.2 -
Kyle Abbott to Mohammad Shahzad, no run, stays leg-side of a back of a length delivery on off, pats it to backward point
1.1 -
Kyle Abbott to Mohammad Shahzad, SIX, oh god. Oh god. That ball is drunk. On red bull. It has wings. Full around off, Shahzad clears his front leg and heaves it over deep mid-wicket. Way back into the stands
Kyle Abbott, right-arm medium, comes into the attack
0.6 -
Rabada to Mohammad Shahzad, leg byes, 1 run, angled in on the pads, rushes Shahzad and beats him for pace to deflect away in front of square leg off the thigh
0.5 -
Rabada to Mohammad Shahzad, no run, brisk and curling away from a back of a length outside off, left alone
Duminy clutched his hamstring after giving chase from backward point the ball before. He's hobbled off the field.
0.4 -
Rabada to Mohammad Shahzad, no run, follows him as he moves to leg, pacy length ball and it cuts him in half as he still tries to carve it through the off-side
0.3 -
Rabada to Mohammad Shahzad, FOUR, right. We are in for some entertainment. Backs away to a length ball and slices it over backward point, the fielder gives chase but the ball escapes him
0.2 -
Rabada to Mohammad Shahzad, SIX, same ball, pitched up, and whack! Shahzad winds up big time and slogs hard but is undone by the movement which finds the edge. Flies away over third man
0.1 -
Rabada to Mohammad Shahzad, no run, floats it up outside off and finds swing away from the right hander, Shahzad takes an early sighter and leaves
Mohammad Shahzad and Ali Zadran are at the crease. Mohammad Shahzad is on strike. Rabada will open the attack