Half-centuries from Quinton de Kock and Ryan Rickelton powered the Proteas to 187/6 in their crunch ICC T20 World Cup clash against Afghanistan in Ahmedabad on Wednesday.
Captain Aiden Markram was dismissed early, caught by Mohammad Nabi off Fazalhaq Farooqi, after his Afghanistan counterpart Rashid Khan had won the toss and elected to insert the Proteas.
But that brought the two southpaws together at the crease, and they immediately counter-attacked by taking on the feared Afghan spin trio of Noor Ahmad, Rashid and Mujeeb-ur-Rahman.
The pair compiled a 114-run partnership off just 61 balls that set up the Proteas’ innings. Noor Ahmad was greeted to attack in brutal fashion with De Kock and Rickelton taking 23 runs of the wrist spinner’s first over.
De Kock (59 off 41 balls) was the first to bring up his half-century off 34 balls before Ricketlon (61 off 28) went even one better by reaching his milestone off only 23 deliveries.
Unfortunately for the Proteas, they lost both set batters in the same over when Rashid Khan (2/28) struck twice within deliveries with De Kock caught in the deep and Rickelton trapped LBW.
This halted the Proteas’ momentum with Afghanistan fighting back by keeping the run-rate in check and picking up the further wickets of Dewald Brevis and Tristan Stubbs through Azmatullah Omarzai (3/41).
It was not only until Marco Jansen joined David Miller that the Proteas’ innings was reignited with the pair adding 28 runs off the final two overs to lift the 2024 runners-up to a competitive total.
The Proteas have included the extra spinner George Linde in their line-up in a bid to contain the Afghans.
TEAMS
South Africa: Aiden Markram(c), Quinton de Kock(w), Ryan Rickelton, Dewald Brevis, David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Marco Jansen, George Linde, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi
Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz(w), Ibrahim Zadran, Gulbadin Naib, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan(c), Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi
