South Africa’s cricket makeover has delivered them a place in the final of an ICC men’s event for the first time since 1998 after they brought Afghanistan’s dreamy run to a screeching halt in the first semifinal of the 2024 T20 World Cup in Trinidad. Instead, it is the Proteas, seemingly freed of old baggage, who won their first men’s World Cup (T20, ODI) semifinal in eight attempts and lie in wait for the winners of the heavyweight bout between India and England in Guyana.
On a fresh, spicy surface, South Africa’s pacers electrified the team’s charge as Afghanistan were bowled out for 56 in just 11.5 overs – their lowest total in the format. Marco Jansen (3-16), Kagiso Rabada (2-14) and Anrich Nortje (2-7) took seven wickets between them while Tabraiz Shamsi added three lower-order scalps to his tally of wickets in the tournament to bring a quick end to Afghanistan’s batting misery. The chase, despite the threats from the pitch, was mostly straightforward as South Africa began their Barbados march with a nine-wicket win sealed with as many as 67 balls to spare.
Where was this semifinal won?
In hindsight, at the toss. Both captains revealed they wanted to bat first and unfortunately, it was Rashid Khan, who got his way. As it turned out, there was swing, seam, exaggerated bounce variance and an unrelenting pace attack for his batters to contend with.
Afghanistan
PowerPlay: Half the team in the shed
Phase Score: 28/5 (RR: 4.67, 4s/6s: 4/0)
Afghanistan’s tournament playbook has been built on their openers batting long and taking them close to a par score before their stronger bowling suit applied scoreboard pressure on the opposition. After three century stands, Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran were separated in the first over of the semifinal for the addition of just 2 runs. Jansen bowled two short deliveries at the tournament’s leading run-getter before drawing a false shot with a fuller one that Gurbaz nicked to first slip and fell for a duck.
Gulbadin Naib, up at No.3, struck two boundaries but fell in Jansen’s second over to a ball that shaped into him and kept a touch low to crash into the off-stump. Aiden Markram was quick on the uptake and quickly whisked Keshav Maharaj off the attack after opening with him. In came Kagiso Rabada, who produced a double-wicket maiden by getting two deliveries to seam in to right-handers Zadran and Mohammad Nabi and knocking down their stumps. Jansen had Afghanistan five down by getting Nangeyalia Kharote to glove a short delivery to the ‘keeper.
Middle Overs: Nortje, Shamsi ensure swift wrap-up
Phase Score: 28/5 (RR: 4.80, 4s/6s: 3/0)
South Africa had more pace to dish out and Nortje quickly made it 28/6 when Azmatullah Omarzai’s attempts to counter-attack found a fielder at sweeper cover. Captain Rashid found back-to-back boundaries off Rabada but he too was cleaned up by a pacy Nortje delivery. The tail stood little chance against Shamsi, who won three LBW appeals to take his tournament wickets tally to 11 from just four games.
South Africa
PowerPlay: Steady start gets SA more than half-way home
Phase Score: 34/1 (RR: 5.67, 4s/6s: 5/0)
The pitch continued to unveil demons – climbing steeply or rolling toward the ankle – from an identical spot on the good length but South Africa were able to ride their luck. Quinton de Kock copped a blow to his ribcage and was worked over by Fazalhaq Farooqi, who bowled him two outswingers before castling him with one that curled back in. At the other end, Naveen-ul-Haq should have had Aiden Markram but no one barring Rashid heard the outside edge and therefore a review was not taken. Afghanistan were missing some height and pace in their fast bowlers and therefore extracted slightly lesser variance from the surface. That coupled with a low total to chase allowed the pair of Markram and Reeza Hendricks to build steadily towards the target.
Middle Overs: Hendricks, Markram guide SA to their first-ever World Cup final
Phase Score: 26/0 (RR: 9.17, 4s/6s: 3/1)
There was not much left to hunt down for South Africa post the PowerPlay and the batting pair of Markram and Hendricks needed only 17 balls to guide their team home. They had uncertainties with the bounce on the pitch but the South African captain hit a pair of excellent drives on the up. Hendricks rubber-stamped South Africa’s attendance in Barbados emphatically with a six and a four off Azmatullah Omarzai.
Brief scores: Afghanistan 56 in 11.5 overs (Tabraiz Shamsi 3-6, Marco Jansen 3-16, Anrich Nortje 2-7, Kagiso Rabada 2-14) lost to South Africa 60/1 in 8.5 overs (Reeza Hendricks 29*, Aiden Markram 23*; Fazalhaq Farooqi 1-11) by 9 wickets
Where do the teams go from here?
South Africa go where no Proteas men’s side have gone before – to a World Cup final. Afghanistan will head home but can hold their heads high after an inspirational campaign.
