A Crucial Chase in Ahmedabad
In a pivotal South Africa vs Afghanistan World Cup 2023 league stage match, South Africa faced Afghanistan at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Afghanistan set a target of 245 runs for South Africa. The chase was crucial for South Africa to cement their second position in the league standings.
ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 | #SAvsAFG – Afghanistan end a memorable campaign with defeat to semifinalists South Africa at Ahmedabad
— ET NOW (@ETNOWlive) November 10, 2023
Not only did the team beat defending champions England, register their first ODI win over Asian rivals Pakistan and confirm a spot for Champions… pic.twitter.com/THuehVVECR
Van der Dussen’s Match-Winning Knock
Rassie van der Dussen emerged as the hero for South Africa, playing an unbeaten innings that steered his team towards victory. Significantly, his half-century was instrumental in overcoming the Afghan challenge in a high-stakes match.
Solid Start by South African Openers
The foundation for South Africa’s successful chase was laid by a solid 64-run partnership for the opening wicket. Initially, Quinton de Kock and Temba Bavuma provided the team with a strong start. This set the stage for the middle order to capitalize.
Afghanistan’s Efforts Fall Short
Despite setting a competitive target, Afghanistan’s efforts were not enough to contain the South African batsmen. Their elimination from the tournament was confirmed with this defeat, marking the end of their campaign.
South Africa’s Path to the Semis
This victory was crucial for South Africa, as it virtually assured them a spot in the semi-finals. Consequently, the team’s performance in this match demonstrated their capability and determination to go deep in the tournament.
South Africa vs Afghanistan Conclusion
South Africa’s five-wicket win over Afghanistan in their final league match of the ICC World Cup 2023 was a testament to their resilience and skill. Significantly, Van der Dussen’s unbeaten half-century was pivotal in the team’s performance. Furthermore, their strength in chasing down targets keeps their World Cup dreams alive, moving them a step closer to the semi-finals.
Afghanistan Batting (50 overs maximum)
| Player | Dismissal | Runs | Balls | Mins | 4s | 6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rahmanullah Gurbaz | c Klaasen b Maharaj | 25 | 22 | 45 | 3 | 1 | 113.63 |
| Ibrahim Zadran | c †de Kock b Coetzee | 15 | 30 | 52 | 3 | 0 | 50.00 |
| Rahmat Shah | c Miller b Ngidi | 26 | 46 | 58 | 2 | 0 | 56.52 |
| Hashmatullah Shahidi | c †de Kock b Maharaj | 2 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 28.57 |
| Azmatullah Omarzai | not out | 97 | 107 | 173 | 7 | 3 | 90.65 |
| Ikram Alikhil | c †de Kock b Coetzee | 12 | 14 | 16 | 1 | 1 | 85.71 |
| Mohammad Nabi | c †de Kock b Ngidi | 2 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 66.66 |
| Rashid Khan | c †de Kock b Phehlukwayo | 14 | 30 | 42 | 0 | 0 | 46.66 |
| Noor Ahmad | c †de Kock b Coetzee | 26 | 32 | 36 | 4 | 0 | 81.25 |
| Mujeeb Ur Rahman | c Markram b Coetzee | 8 | 5 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 160.00 |
| Naveen-ul-Haq | run out (Rabada) | 2 | 4 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 50.00 |
| Extras | (b 4, lb 1, w 10) | 15 | |||||
| Total | 50 Overs (RR: 4.88) | 244 |
Afghanistan Bowling
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets | Economy | 0s | 4s | 6s | WD | NB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kagiso Rabada | 10 | 0 | 40 | 0 | 4.00 | 37 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Lungi Ngidi | 8.3 | 0 | 69 | 2 | 8.11 | 28 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 0 |
| Aiden Markram | 4.3 | 0 | 25 | 0 | 5.55 | 13 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Gerald Coetzee | 10 | 1 | 44 | 4 | 4.40 | 35 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Keshav Maharaj | 10 | 1 | 25 | 2 | 2.50 | 41 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Andile Phehlukwayo | 7 | 0 | 36 | 1 | 5.14 | 20 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
South Africa Batting (Target: 245 runs from 50 overs)
| Player | Dismissal | Runs | Balls | Mins | 4s | 6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quinton de Kock | lbw b Mohammad Nabi | 41 | 47 | 58 | 2 | 3 | 87.23 |
| Temba Bavuma | c Rahmanullah Gurbaz b Mujeeb Ur Rahman | 23 | 28 | 49 | 3 | 0 | 82.14 |
| Rassie van der Dussen | not out | 76 | 95 | 141 | 6 | 1 | 80.00 |
| Aiden Markram | c Naveen-ul-Haq b Rashid Khan | 25 | 32 | 32 | 1 | 1 | 78.12 |
| Heinrich Klaasen | b Rashid Khan | 10 | 13 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 76.92 |
| David Miller | c & b Mohammad Nabi | 24 | 33 | 35 | 1 | 1 | 72.72 |
| Andile Phehlukwayo | not out | 39 | 37 | 46 | 1 | 3 | 105.40 |
| Extras | (lb 3, w 6) | 9 | |||||
| Total | 47.3 Overs (RR: 5.20) | 247/5 |
South Africa Bowling
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets | Economy | 0s | 4s | 6s | WD | NB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mujeeb Ur Rahman | 10 | 0 | 51 | 1 | 5.10 | 33 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Naveen-ul-Haq | 6.3 | 0 | 52 | 0 | 8.00 | 16 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Mohammad Nabi | 10 | 1 | 35 | 2 | 3.50 | 36 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Azmatullah Omarzai | 1 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 8.00 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Rashid Khan | 10 | 1 | 37 | 2 | 3.70 | 38 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Noor Ahmad | 9 | 0 | 49 | 0 | 5.44 | 23 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Rahmat Shah | 1 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 12.00 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
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