SA Wins By 5 Wickets

Delhi: South Africa beat Afghanistan by five wickets to win their last World Cup group game on Friday as the Asian side were eliminated from the semi-final race.To start, Hashmatullah Shahidi, the Afghan captain, won the toss and opted to bat. Despite a strong start, Keshav Maharaj’s bowling slowed down Afghanistan’s momentum after the initial 10 overs. Maharaj made an immediate impact by dismissing Rahmanullah Gurbaz with his first ball, and Gerald Coetzee followed suit by sending Ibrahim Zadran back to the pavilion. Shahidi also fell victim to Maharaj’s bowling. Although Afghanistan faced setbacks, Azmatullah Omarzai and Rashid Khan formed a resilient partnership, with Omarzai reaching a half-century. Unfortunately, the partnership concluded when Rashid Khan was caught behind by Andile Phehlukwayo. Omarzai continued to contribute with the lower order, guiding Afghanistan to a total of 244. Despite his notable efforts, Omarzai fell just short of a century, finishing unbeaten on 97 off 107 balls.

Chasing 245 for victory in Ahmedabad, South Africa saw Rassie van der Dussen make an unbeaten 76 as the Proteas reached their target with 15 balls to spare in a tune-up for their semi-final against Australia next week.

The Proteas, who have already qualified for the semifinals, completed the task in 47.3 overs. They now have 14 points and continue to occupy the second spot behind India, who are on 16 points.