SA vs AFG Highlights, T20 World Cup 2024 semifinal: South Africa beats Afghanistan by nine wickets to seal final spot

Omarzai with his second, first ball is punched to deep point. Four!! Back of a length, lofted over mid off four a boundary. Markram gets an inside edge that trickles to the legside for a single. No ball called. Six!! Short ball at the body, Reeza pulls and the top edge beats fine leg! A full ball is driven down the ground for a boundary and SA win by 9 wickets!!

Gulbadin into the attack. Short and wide, cut to deep point for a single. Back of a length, punched to deep cover for a single. Four!! Short ball, pulled over midwicket for a boundary. 

Omarzai into the attack. A couple of slower balls, foxes the batter outside off. A solitary run off the over.

Rashid into the attack. Reeza rocks back and gets a couplet to mid on. Four!! Slightly over pitched, lofted over mid off for a boundary.

Naveen with his third on the trot. Markram looking for a bat change after damaging one with the shot to mid on. Four!! Inside edge and it runs past a diving keeper to the fence for four. Four!! A touch wide, creamed through the covers region for a boundary. Another punch through the gap in the offside, the good fielding helps 

Farooqi continues. Short of a length ball, defended. Inside edge as Reeza fends at a wide one. Slightly fuller, defended to mid off. Driven down the ground expertly by Reeza for a couple. Four!! Slower ball outside off, Reeza drives it through point for a boundary. 

Naveen continues. Cut hard, just falls short of the fielder in the deep. Tempting full ball, Markram looks for the drive, is beaten on the outside edge. Replays suggest he had edged that!

Farooqi into the attack. Four!! Half volley on the stumps, driven past mid on to the fence for four. Length outside off, tempting de Kock into the drive, left alone. WICKET!! Full, swinging into the leftie, De Kock goes for the expansive drive and is cleaned up.

de Kock b Fazalhaq Farooqi 5(8)

Markram in at 3. 

Quinton de Kock and Reeza Hendricks walk out to the middle. Naveen with the new ball in hand. 

Full ball outside off, de Kock shoulders arms, keeps low and bounces to the keeper. Short ball into the ribs of the batter. De Kock looks to punch through the offside, the edge trickles leg side and he will get off strike. Yorker on the stumps, kept out by Reeza. Inside edge on to the pads. saves him from an lbw. 

Shamsi continues. Farooqi drives one to long off for a single. Naveen attempts a reverse sweep, gets no contact at all. The batters run two byes. WICKET!!! Naveen tries to sweep and is trapped in front. Takes the review. Three reds on ball tracking.

Naveen-ul-Haq lbw b Shamsi 2(8)

AFG has been bundled out for a paltry 56 in the semifinal.

WICKET!! Nortje removes the skipper! That must be the last straw for Afghanistan.

Rashid Khan b Nortje 8(8)

Farooqi in at 11, punches one to cover to get off the mark. Back of a length, Naveen opens the face and guides it past backward point for a couple. 

Noor Ahmad defends the first ball he faces. Shamsi fires the next one in and hits Noor on the front pad. Given out by the umpire again. Reviewed by Afghanistan again. Wickets just clipping again. 

Noor Ahmad lbw b Shamsi 0 (2b 0x4 0x6)

AFG 50/8 in 10 overs

Shamsi into the attack and he starts off with a loosener. Pulled away for an easy four by Janat. A leg-side wide brings up the fifty for Afghanistan. Fuller one from Shamsi and Janat can’t get his bat in front of his pad. Quick appeal from Shamsi and quick decision from the umpire. Out given. Afghanistan reviews. Just clips the leg stump. Decision stays!

Karim Janat lbw b Shamsi 8 (13b 1x4 0x6)

Length from Nortje and Janat gets couple with a good straight drive. Short from Nortje. Too short as it flies past the keeper and runs away for a four. Off-pace from Nortje. Hits Janat on the front pad. South Africa takes a review more in hope. Janat survives. A single to slose the over. 

Rabada starts the 8th over by hitting Janat high on the front pad. Muted LBW appeal. Straighter one and Janat manages an inside edge to get off the strike. Fuller one and Rashid manages to get on top of it. Crunched for a four through covers by Rashid. Width now from Rabada and Rashid cuts it for another four. 

Anrich Nortje into the attack as South Africa looks to go in for the kill. And he strikes immediately. Feeds Omarzai a fuller one and he slices it to deep cover for an easy catch. 

Azmatullah Omarzai c Stubbs b Nortje 10 (12b 2x4 0x6)

Rashid is the new batter for Afghanistan and probably the side’s last hope. He gets through the Nortje over. 

AFG 29/6 in 7 overs

Finally, some respite for Afghanistan. Omarzai gets a boundary with a lofted hit over the covers. FOUR!! Rabada gets his range back with a few outswingers. Couple of dot balls before Omarzai turns one down the leg side for a single. 

Third over on the trot for Jansen. Omarzai with a single first ball. Nangeyalia Kharote is the new batter for Afghanistan and he is finding it hard to get going. Finally, something loose from Jansen. On the pads and Kharote flicks it away for a couple of runs. 

Into the body from Jansen. Kharote has wild swing at it. Edged and an easy grab for de Kock. 

Nangeyalia Kharote c †de Kock b Jansen 2 (7b 0x4 0x6)

AFG 23/5 in 5 overs

Rabada repeats his trick. Nabi the victim this time. Lands one just outside the off stump. Nips it back. Nabi can only look back at his stumps disarrayed. It gets worse for Afghanistan. 

Mohammad Nabi b Rabada 0 (3b 0x4 0x6)

AFG 20/4 in 4 overs

Screamer from Rabada! Jags one in first ball. Beats Zadran’s inside edge and knocks the bail off. Afghanistan in deep, deep trouble. 

Ibrahim Zadran b Rabada 2 (5b 0x4 0x6)

Azmatullah Omarzai is the new batter for Afghanistan. Short from Jansen and Omarzai almost edges it to a cleverly placed leg slip. FOUR!!

Jansen continues. Another leg-side wide from the left-arm pacer. Back of a length now and Naib takes it on with a flat-batted shot. FOUR!! Jansen responds with a fuller one. Naib is beaten. Good carry there. 

Jansen pitches one just on the off stump and the ball holds it shape. Naib can’t get his bat back in time. BOWLED!!

Gulbadin Naib b Jansen 9 (8b 2x4 0x6)

Keshav Maharaj from the other end for South Africa. Zadran with a drive to long off for a single. Gulbadin Naib in at No.3 for Afghanistan and he gets off the mark with a lofted strike down the ground for a four. Much sharper from Maharaj for the rest of the over. Just a single follows. 

Marco Jansen with the first over for South Africa. On the thigh pads and a leg bye to get the Afghanistan innings underway. Jansen gets a couple of dot balls in against Zadran. Good length ball and Zadran edges it. Diving stop at first slip. Just a single. Jansen gives away a couple of leg-side wides. 

Jansen hangs it outside the off. Fuller one and Gurbaz fends at it. Edged and gobbled up by Hendricks at first slip. 

Rahmanullah Gurbaz c Hendricks b Jansen 0 (3b 0x4 0x6)

AFG 4/1 in 1 over

Time for the national anthems of both the teams. One of this will be played for the very first time in the final in a couple of days time.

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SA vs AFG Pitch Report, T20 World Cup 2024 Semifinal: Ground conditions, toss factor, stats and records at Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Trinidad

SA vs AFG: Here is what to expect from the pitch during the first semifinal match between South Africa and Afghanistan at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy.

Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz(w), Ibrahim Zadran, Azmatullah Omarzai, Gulbadin Naib, Mohammad Nabi, Karim Janat, Rashid Khan(c), Nangeyalia Kharote, Noor Ahmad, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi

South Africa: Quinton de Kock(w), Reeza Hendricks, Aiden Markram(c), Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Tabraiz Shamsi

Afghanistan wins the toss, opts to bat first against South Africa.

“Fresh wicket. Good to have runs on the board,” says Rashid Khan. “The middle-order hasn’t got much time in the middle, they have to come out in the 15-16th over and it’s not easy.”

“Probably would have batted first,” reckons Aiden Markram. “Conditions have been tough, hope we we can step-up during the semifinal.” 

Both teams unchanged.

Matches Played: 8

Teams batting first won: 4

Teams batting second won: 4

Average first innings score: 137.5

Highest score (1st innings): England 267/3 (20 overs) vs West Indies (2023)

Lowest score (1st innings): Uganda 40 all out (18.4 overs) vs New Zealand (2024)

Matches: 2

Won: 0

Lost: 2

Last Result: Lost to India by 6 wickets (Mirpur 2014)

Highest team score: 172/4 (20 overs) vs India

Highest individual score: Jacques Kallis 64 (54) vs Pakistan (Nottingham 2009)

Best bowling spell: Beuran Hendricks 2/31 (4) vs India (Mirpur 2014)

Afghanistan: Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Gulbadin Naib, Azmatullah Omarzai, Karim Janat, Mohammad Nabi, Nangeyalia Kharote, Rashid Khan (c), Noor Ahmed, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Naveen Ul Haq.

South Africa: Quinton de Kock (wk), Reeza Hendricks, Aiden Markram (c), David Miller, Heinrich Klaasen, Tristan Stubbs, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Tabraiz Shamsi.

Sixteen years ago, Afghanistan was in Division 5 of the ICC World Cricket League and playing against the likes of Japan, Singapore, and Botswana. 

On Wednesday evening at the Brian Lara Stadium in Tarouba, Trinidad, Rashid Khan’s motley crew will play in the semifinal of the ICC T20 World Cup, having overtaken the likes of Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan, and the West Indies.

Meanwhile, no other team carries the baggage like its opponent South Africa does in World Cups. But come Saturday, June 29, either Afghanistan or South Africa will be the first men’s World Cup final - in any format - debutant since New Zealand in 2015.

No rain is forecast for Tarouba on Wednesday night. The pitches at the Brian Lara Stadium have not been conducive to run-fests. They have had a bit of turn for the spinners, rewarding bowlers who take the pace off.

- Ayan Acharya

Read full preview ​here​

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When will South Africa vs Afghanistan T20 World Cup 2024 semifinal start?

The South Africa vs Afghanistan T20 World Cup 2024 semifinal will begin at 6:00 AM IST.

How to watch South Africa vs Afghanistan T20 World Cup 2024 semifinal live on TV in India?

The South Africa vs Afghanistan T20 World Cup 2024 semifinal will be telecast LIVE on the Star Sports Network in India.

How to watch South Africa vs Afghanistan T20 World Cup 2024 semifinal live online in India?

The South Africa vs Afghanistan T20 World Cup 2024 semifinal will be streamed LIVE on the Disney+ Hotstar app and website.

Welcome to Sportstar’s live coverage of the first semifinal of the T20 World Cup 2024 between South Africa and Afghanistan at the Brian Lara Stadium in Tarouba, Trinidad.

Stay Tuned for the live scores and updates from the game!