Proteas Prevail In Double Super Over Epic Against Afghanistan

South Africa and Afghanistan produced one of the most compelling games of storytelling and action in an international T20 game as the Proteas managed to outlast the Afghans and secure victory following a remarkable game decided on two super-overs. 

And breathe – that’s the only fitting reaction to an exhilarating, heart-pounding, pressure-soaked contest which produced riveting tension and drama that had fans on the edge of their seats. 

Following a sizable 17 runs in the first super-over, the Afghans left the Proteas with a big ask, and with six required off the last ball, Tristan Stubbs muscled the ball over the long-on boundary to the jubilation of fans that bore witness.

At the start of the second super-over, the Proteas, batting first, sent in David Miller and Tristan Stubbs, and the powerhouse combination amassed a massive 23 runs, which yielded three enormous sixes. 

When Keshav Maharaj was thrown the ball and followed up his initial dot ball with the wicket of Mohammed Nabi, the game looked done and dusted – but with 24 runs needed off four balls, Rahmanullah Gurbaz proceeded to smash the next three balls for six – leaving five required off the last ball after a Maharaj wide ball. 

The moment evoked memories of Carlos Brathwaite’s heroics against England in the 2016 T20 World Cup final, but this time there would be no fairytale finish for Afghanistan. Gurbaz was caught at point, sparking scenes of joyous relief and bringing an end to one of the greatest T20 contests ever played.

South Africa made one change to the side that defeated Canada – George Linde came in for Corbin Bosch – as Afghanistan won the toss and sent South Africa in to bat.

The Afghans struck an early blow, picking up the wicket of captain Aiden Markram, before the Proteas managed to get going.

Despite a relatively moderate start, seeing only 43 scored in the power play, a destructive second-wicket partnership between Quinton de Kock and Ryan Rickelton of 114 off 61 balls put South Africa in a prime position to score big. 

Both batters took on the Afghan bowlers with fearless conviction and laid their foundation once the powerplay elapsed. With a strike rate of 181 since he returned to this form of the game, de Kock took on the spinners despite it posing a challenge for South Africa. 

Following the power play, the pair scored 81 runs in just six overs between overs seven and twelve. 

South Africa accelerated to 98 for 1 in 10 overs, and both batters got to their fifties in the same over – de Kock in 34 balls and Rickelton in 23 – as the latter’s strike rate remained comfortably above 200. 

In the process, de Kock surpassed AB de Villiers’ record of 717 runs for the most runs by a South African batter in T20 World Cups. 

With both batters well set with the score on 124/1 after 12 overs, the Afghans would have feared the worse but Rashid Khan turned the game on its head in the 13th over when he picked up both de Kock (59 runs off 41 balls) and Rickelton (61 runs off 28 balls) in an over that only conceded two runs. 

From here on, the Afghan fightback began as South Africa struggled to negotiate this period, scoring only 35 runs in 6 overs from the 12th over to the 18th, at the loss of two further wickets before David Miller and Marco Jansen put on 28 in the final two overs to close the innings on 187/6.

SOUTH AFRICA – 187/6

Ryan Rickelton 61 (28 balls), Quinton de Kock 59 (41 balls)

Azmatullah Omarzai 3/41 (4 overs), Rashid Khan 2/28 (4 overs)

Afghanistan began with clear intent as Rahmanullah Gurbaz launched an aggressive assault, smashing the South African speedsters. When George Linde came on, the onslaught continued as they managed 50 in four overs. 

Lungi Ngidi then pegged the Afghans back with the wickets of Ibrahim Zadran and a wonderful caught-and-bowled effort to dismiss Gulbadin Naib for a duck. 

When KG Rabada took the scalp of Sediqullah Atal, the Afghans were reeling at 52/3 despite their strong start. 

Gurbaz continued in a belligerent fashion as he had support from those around him and reached a well-deserved fifty off 26 balls. When he was dismissed, he cut a dejected figure as the game appeared gone – but with key contributions from Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, and Noor Ahmed, the contest went down to the wire.

Kagiso Rabada assumed responsibility for the final over and appeared to have claimed the decisive wicket, only for a no-ball to be called. What followed was pure chaos and exhilaration as it set up a breathtaking sequence that few inside the ground could have imagined.

Just when Afghanistan seemed certain to clinch victory, a sharp piece of fielding from Marco Jansen and Rabada resulted in the run-out of Fazalhaq Farooqi, setting the stage for one of the greatest finales in T20I history – and one that will be spoken of for years to come. 

AFGHANISTAN – 187/6

Rahmanullah Gurbaz 84 (42 balls), Azmatullah Omarzai 22 (17 balls)

Lungi Ngidi 3/26 (4 overs), Keshav Maharaj 1/27 (4 overs)

FIRST SUPER OVER – AFGHANISTAN 17/0; SOUTH AFRICA 17/1

SECOND SUPER OVER – SOUTH AFRICA 23/0; AFGHANISTAN 19/2