South Africa somehow managed to get past a plucky Afghanistan after two wildly oscillating Super Overs on Wednesday. Ryan Rickelton (61 off 28) and Quinton de Kock (59 off 41) put together a brilliant century stand with quickfire fifties to power South Africa to 187 for six.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz (84 off 42) then singlehandedly kept Afghanistan in the run chase before some lusty hitting from the lower-order helped them tie the game in regulation time. What followed was an incredible sequence of two Super Overs with fortunes swinging either way after every ball.
Here is a recap at the epic Super Over encounter:
Afghanistan batted first. Azmatullah Omarzai was joined in the middle by Rahmanullah Gubaz as Lungi Ngidi stpped up for South Africa
Ball 1: 4. Azmat blasted a boundary as he opened the face of the bat in the last moment and guides the ball between short third and backward point.
Ball 2: 6. Jansen failed to drag the ball back to the field. The ball was in the slot, very full and around off, and Omarzai launched it towards long off.
Ball 3: 1. A slow wide yorker was played towards deep cover for a single.
Ball 4: 1. Gurbaz handed the strike back to Azmat. An off-cutter, fuller and around off, was played to long on.
Ball 5: 4. Ngidi's off-cutter wide of the line was slashed by Omarzai towards deep cover. Rabada failed to cling on to the ball near the boundary rope despite an aerial effort.
Ball 6: 1. A yorker only found a edge to reach shirt fine leg.
South Africa needed 18 runs to win the Super Over.
David Miller and Brevis up against Fazal
Ball 1: 1. Miller failed to make most of a full toss.
Ball 2: 6. Farooqi from around the wicket tried a shorter delivery which was dispatched for a maximium.
Ball 3: WICKET. Brevis fell for a slow ball trap as Gurbaz raced to complete the catch.
Tristan Stubbs is the new batter.
Ball 4: 4. South Africa now need seven from two balls. A wide yorker got a thick outside edge and rushed towards the third man region for a boundary.
Ball 5: 0. Fazal stopped the ball with his body to ensure RSA got nothing.
Ball 6: 6. A low full toss, around off, smashed towards long off by Stubbs who bent his back knee to quickly get into the perfect position. Second Super Over forced as scores tied yet again.
SECOND SUPER OVER
Azmatullah Omarzai was pitted against David Miller and Tristan Stubbs
Ball 1: 6. Stubbs started off in style. A slow off-cutter and full outside off, Stubbs dragged it across the line
Ball 2: 1. A wide ball is attended by Stubbs to hand his veteran partner sthe strike.
Ball 3: 2. A short of length delivery outside off is pulled towards long-on.
Ball 4: 6. The slow length delivery on off was sent flying over deep mid-wicket by the experienced batter.
Ball 5: 6. A full toss from the medium bowler was played over deep backward square-leg with ease.
Ball 6: 2. A yorker length delivery at the legs of the batter was flicked for a couple
Afghanistan needed 24 runs to win the Super Over.
Keshav Maharaj up against Mohammed Nabi and Azmatullah Omarzai
Ball 1: 0. Nabi went forward to loft a tossed up ball and missed
Ball 2: WICKET. Maharaj tried one full and wide outside off, and a desperate Nabi opened the face of the bat -- only to find Miller's keeping hand in the covers.
Rahmanullah Gubaz is the new batter.
Ball 3: SIX. Gurbaz went wide of long-off to keep his side in the game.
Ball 4: SIX. It was a lofted shot over long-on.
Ball 5: SIX. A slower, tossed up ball was cleared by Gurbaz who got forward to flick it over deep mid-wicket.
Ball 6: WIDE. The in-form batter kept his cool to not go after the delivery which ensured a boundary could tie the total once again.
Ball 6: WICKET. A ball that was full and wide outside off was played late as he opened the face of the bat to carve it. But it resulted in a simple catch to David Miller at backward point.
South Africa won the contest.