AHMEDABAD, India (AP) — South Africa held off Afghanistan in a double tiebreaker Wednesday at the Twenty20 World Cup, with spinner Keshav Maharaj just holding his nerve in the second Super Over.
It was one of the tightest, most seesawing matches in elite cricket’s shortest international format.
Fazalhaq Farooqi’s runout ended Afghanistan’s chance to win it in regulation with two balls to spare, with his team finishing all out for 187 after 19.4 overs chasing South Africa’s 187 for six.
That meant it had to go to a tiebreaker — the so-called Super Over. Twice.
Afghanistan posted 17 in the first Super Over and Farooqi was in position to win it again, this time with his bowling. He restricted South Africa to 11 runs with one ball remaining until Tristan Stubbs plundered a six to level the scores again.
South Africa batted first in the second tiebreaker, posting 23 with David Miller and Stubbs combining for three sixes off Azmatullah Omarzai.
Maharaj seemingly gave the 2024 T20 World Cup finalists control with a wicket and two dot balls to start the second Super Over, leaving Afghanistan needing 24 runs from four balls. That would usually require clearing the boundary rope four times.
Enter Rahmanullah Gurbaz. With nothing to lose, the big-hitting opener — who earlier blazed 84 from 42 deliveries as Afghanistan chased down South Africa’s target — plundered three consecutive sixes to get the equation down to six runs off one delivery.
A wide from Maharaj lowered the target to 5 from one delivery, and raised the prospect of yet another tiebreaker. But the South African finished it off when he had Gurbaz caught out. It was game over.
Lungi Ngidi, who took 3-26 during the match and then bowled the first of the Super Overs for South Africa, was voted player of the match.
“I’ve lost so much weight today. I’ve never been that stressed in my life in a cricket game,” he said. “Being able to win two Super Overs with our hitters hitting like that … very happy.”
South Africa is 2-0 after winning its opening game over Canada. Afghanistan is now 0-2 after an opening loss to New Zealand and unlikely to progress to the Super Eights from a group containing three highly-ranked teams. Only the top two teams in each of the four groups will advance.
Australia opens with a win
In the second game Wednesday, an injury-depleted Australia beat Ireland by 67 runs in their first game of the competition played in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Australia were the latest starters playing their first game on the fifth day and fourteenth match of the tournament.
Travis Head stood in as captain after Mitch Marsh was ruled out. Marsh was hit in the groin in practice earlier in the week and Cricket Australia issued a statement just before the game saying scans showed internal testicular bleeding.
Batting first after winning the toss Australia made 182 for six helped by a top score from Marcus Stoinis, who made 45 off 29 balls. Josh Inglis and Matt Renshaw made 37 runs each.
Fast bowler Mark Adair took two wickets for Ireland.
In reply Ireland was restricted to 115 for nine in 16.5 overs and captain Paul Stirling did not return to bat after retiring hurt earlier.
Fast bowler Nathan Ellis did the biggest damage for Australia claiming four wickets for 12 runs while leg spinner Adam Zampa had 4-23.
With the win, Australia tops Group B on net run rate followed by Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka who have also won a match each. Ireland has lost both its games.
West Indies wins again
Sherfane Rutherford hit 76 not out off 42 balls as West Indies earned a second consecutive win in Group C by beating England in Mumbai by 30 runs.
England only narrowly avoided a loss to Nepal in its opening game and the English batters struggled to get going faced with a West Indies score of 196-6. Sam Curran top-scored with 43 not out off 30 balls late in the innings as England wilted for 166. Left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie picked 3-33 for West Indies.
Earlier, rescuing West Indies from 128-5, Rutherford led the way with seven sixes and added 61 off 32 balls with Jason Holder, who scored 33 off 17 balls. Holder hit four sixes.
England has games against Scotland and Italy coming up, so it can still reach the next round with relative ease.
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