South Africa make mincemeat of minnows Afghanistan to win by 59 runs
South Africa make mincemeat of minnows Afghanistan to win by 59 runs
South Africa beat Afghanistan by 59 runs in a World Twenty20 match here yesterday to advance into the second round Super Eights. The Proteas take on New Zealand today.
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| Good morne: South Africa's Morne Morkel (left) celebrates with teammate Roelof van der Merwe the dismissal of Afghanistan batsman Raees Ahmadzai. Pics/AFP |
Set a target of 140, Afghanistan were bowled out for 80 with South African paceman Morne Morkel taking four for 20 in his three overs. Dale Steyn picked up a couple while Charl Langeveldt picked up three wickets.
To say Afghanistan started their chase disastrously was an understatement and at one stage they were 14 for six. Mirwais Ashraf (23) and Hamid Hassan (22) were the top-scorers.u00a0
Earlier, fast bowler Hamid Hassan took three wickets as Afghanistan restricted South Africa to 139 for seven.
Both sides needed a victory to go through to the Super Eights, after each lost to India, and initially South Africa found runs hard to come by against some tight bowling and disciplined fielding.
Hassan, red headband and all, was every inch the image of a fiery fast bowler, taking three wickets for 21 runs from his four overs, including the scalps of Jacques Kallis, Mark Boucher and JP Duminy as outsiders. No batsman made more than Kallis' 34.
Afghanistan captain Nowroz Mangal won the toss and then saw sharp work lead to the run of Loots Bosman for a duck as he attempted to steal a second on a leg-bye.
South Africa captain Graeme Smith made 27 before the left-hander was caught at long-off by opposing skipper Mongol at long-off.
Mongol then had AB de Villiers stumped by Mohammad Shahzad before Hassan struck first ball to have Kallis, who'd struck several big sixes caught behind off a casual legside flick to leave South Africa 84 for four.
On a pitch with more pace and bounce than the one the teams had played on in St Lucia, Hassan had Boucher plumb lbw for four before dismissing Duminy (25) thanks to a superb catch in the covers by Mangal.
Brief scores: South Africa 139-7 in 20 overs (H Hassan 3-21) beat Afghanistan 80 in 16 overs (M Morkel 4-20, C Langeveldt 3-12). Result: South Africa won by
59 runs
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