Score after
7
overs
28 - 5
- Karim Janat 0 (1)
- Azmatullah Omarzai 10 (9)
Kagiso Rabada to Karim Janat, No run.
Kagiso Rabada to Azmatullah Omarzai, Pitches it up, on middle, angling in this time, Azmatullah Omarzai looks to drive but gets an inside edge towards fine leg for a single.
Kagiso Rabada to Azmatullah Omarzai, Back of a length and outside off, nips away, Azmatullah Omarzai leaves it alone.
Kagiso Rabada to Azmatullah Omarzai, Pulls his length back a bit and on off, shaping away, Azmatullah Omarzai backs away expecting it to be a short ball, tries to has a poke at it but gets beaten on the outside edge.
Kagiso Rabada to Azmatullah Omarzai, FOUR! That's a nice shot! Kagiso Rabada goes full again and on off, Azmatullah Omarzai opens the face of the bat slightly and carves it over extra covers for a boundary.
Kagiso Rabada to Azmatullah Omarzai, Fuller one and around middle, Azmatullah Omarzai backs away and knocks it towards the bowler.
Karim Janat comes out to the middle now.
Score after
6
overs
23 - 5
- Nangeyalia Kharote 2 (7)
- Azmatullah Omarzai 5 (4)
Marco Jansen to Nangeyalia Kharote, OUT! CAUGHT BEHIND! Half of the Afghan side is in the dugout now. Marco Jansen gets his third wicket. Jansen bowls it short and angles it down the leg side, Nangeyalia Kharote stands still and looks to pull it away but it is too close to play that shot and as a result, he misses to connect it with the willow and the ball brushes off his glove and carries behind the stumps. Quinton de Kock moves to his right and takes a good catch. Afghanistan is in all sorts of trouble now.
Marco Jansen to Nangeyalia Kharote, Angles it on the leg stumps, full in length, Nangeyalia Kharote flicks it towards backward square leg for a brace.
Marco Jansen to Nangeyalia Kharote, Good length around the off stump, Nangeyalia Kharote clears his front leg and goes for a slash but fails to make any connection on it.
Marco Jansen to Nangeyalia Kharote, Hits the deck hard and on the middle stump. Nangeyalia Kharote blocks it on the front foot back to the bowler.
Marco Jansen to Nangeyalia Kharote, Good length outside off, Nangeyalia Kharote with no footwork, misses the cut to the keeper.
Marco Jansen to Azmatullah Omarzai, Short of a length on the leg stump with an extra bounce on off. Azmatullah Omarzai fends it off his gloves to backward square leg for a run.
Score after
5
overs
20 - 4
- Nangeyalia Kharote 0 (2)
- Azmatullah Omarzai 4 (3)
Kagiso Rabada to Nangeyalia Kharote, Kagiso Rabada bends his back and bangs it short around off, Nangeyalia Kharote arches back and looks to guide it over the slip cordon but gets beaten by the pace and bounce.
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Kagiso Rabada to Nangeyalia Kharote, Full on the off stump, this is driven to mid-off.
Nangeyalia Kharote is the next man in with Afghanistan in a spot of bother.
Kagiso Rabada to Mohammad Nabi, OUT! BULL'S EYE! More trouble for Afghanistan! KG Rabada gets his second wicket now. At 142 kph, fuller in length and angling on the stumps from the channel of off, Mohammad Nabi is drawn forward to defend it but plays it over the line of the ball reading the movement late. The ball sneaks through the bat and the pad and goes into the stumps as the off-pole goes cartwheeling.
Kagiso Rabada to Mohammad Nabi, Good-length delivery around the off-stump. Mohammad Nabi blocks on the front foot to the right of backward point.
Kagiso Rabada to Mohammad Nabi, Full and outside the off stump, Mohammad Nabi opens the bat face and squeezes it to the left of diving Miller at backward point.
Kagiso Rabada replaces Keshav Maharaj.
Kagiso Rabada to Ibrahim Zadran, OUT! KNOCKED HIM OVER! South Africa are all over Afghanistan now as Rabada strikes on his very first delivery! Kagiso Rabada starts off right on the money, lands it on middle and leg on a good length, at 138 kph, it jags back a bit as well. Ibrahim Zadran plays it all over the line of the ball hopping on the back foot and leaving a huge gap between the bat and the pad. The ball sneaks through the defence and breaks into the stumps. Mohammad Nabi walks out to bat next and Afghanistan will need all his experience here.
Score after
4
overs
20 - 2
- Azmatullah Omarzai 4 (3)
- Ibrahim Zadran 2 (4)
Marco Jansen to Azmatullah Omarzai, FOUR! Lucky, very lucky there! Short and attacking the bodyline with an inward angle on a length, Azmatullah Omarzai is caught in an awkward position and takes his eyes off the ball, the ball takes the gloves and flies past the diving leg slip fielder where Heinrich Klaasen almost gets his hands to it and races away to the boundary in the deep.
Marco Jansen to Azmatullah Omarzai, Just short of a good length, angling into the batter on the pads, Azmatullah Omarzai misses to clip it and gets pinged on the upper thigh pad.
Marco Jansen to Azmatullah Omarzai, Length delivery pitching on middle, and moving away outside off. Azmatullah Omarzai stays leg side of the ball and gets beaten.
Marco Jansen has been struggling with his line a bit here.
Marco Jansen to Gulbadin Naib, OUT! BOWLED'EM! Through the gates! Jansen gets his second and Afghanistan is in a bit of an early trouble. Marco Jansen stays over the stumps and lands it on a length, just around off, it skids and comes through quickly into the batter. Gulbadin Naib is caught off guard and gets trapped in the crease. He looks to play across the line of the ball and the ball beats the inside edge and rattles the stumps. Also, Azmatullah Omarzai comes out to the middle now.
Marco Jansen to Gulbadin Naib, WIDE! Sprays it down the leg side with a swing. Gulbadin Naib fails to flick it away and the umpire calls it a wide.
Marco Jansen to Gulbadin Naib, Full and with an extra bit of bounce, across off, Gulbadin Naib swings hard across but misses on the outside edge.
Marco Jansen to Gulbadin Naib, FOUR! Nice shot! Bowls it on a length, on the top of the middle, Gulbadin Naib stands with an upright stance and pulls it crisply through the left of mid on for a boundary.
Marco Jansen to Gulbadin Naib, WIDE! Swinging down the leg side, on a length. Wided.
Score after
3
overs
10 - 1
- Gulbadin Naib 5 (5)
- Ibrahim Zadran 2 (4)
Keshav Maharaj to Gulbadin Naib, Good length on the leg stump Gulbadin Naib hangs back and tucks it to backward square leg for a single.
Keshav Maharaj to Gulbadin Naib, Full on the middle stump and turns it away, Gulbadin Naib is drawn forward and gets beaten on the outside edge.
Keshav Maharaj to Gulbadin Naib, Good-length delivery outside the off stump. Gulbadin Naib punches it off the back foot to short extra cover.
Keshav Maharaj to Gulbadin Naib, Shade full and turning away from off, Gulbadin Naib goes back and across and eases it to the off side.
Keshav Maharaj to Gulbadin Naib, FOUR! Good intent there! Keshav Maharaj tosses it up, full and on middle, Gulbadin Naib wastes no time, clears his front leg away, and lofts it nicely over mid on for a boundary. He gets off the mark in style here.
Keshav Maharaj to Ibrahim Zadran, Around the wicket, full and on the leg stump. Ibrahim Zadran makes room and drives it to long off for a single.
We will see some spin now as Keshav Maharaj is ready to share the attack.
Runs Scored: 0
1(1LB)00101(1WD)1(1WD)0(W)
- Rahmanullah Gurbaz 0 (3)
- Ibrahim Zadran 1 (3)
Marco Jansen to Rahmanullah Gurbaz, OUT! TAKEN! Marco Jansen strikes in the very first over and the dangerous Rahmanullah Gurbaz falls cheaply! Marco Jansen bowls a genuine half-volley on a fuller length, Rahmanullah Gurbaz prods ahead to drive it through covers but pushes hard at it and plays it inside the line and the ball takes a thick outside edge that carries straight to Reeza Hendricks stationed at the second slip. The third umpire wants to make sure that Jansen has not overstepped here and the verdict is that it is a fair delivery. A massive early blow for the Afghans!
Marco Jansen to Rahmanullah Gurbaz, WIDE! Short and swinging down the leg side again, Rahmanullah Gurbaz goes for a pull shot but misses. Wide called.
Marco Jansen to Rahmanullah Gurbaz, WIDE! He will have to reload this one! Angles it down leg, on a length, wide given.
Marco Jansen to Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Good length and nipping back from off, Rahmanullah Gurbaz blocks it to covers.
Marco Jansen to Ibrahim Zadran, Just short ahead of the slip fielder! Attacks the stumps this time on a fuller length, with a hint of a movement into the batter, Ibrahim Zadran plays inside the line and the ball takes the genuine outside edge that falls short and to the right of the first slip fielder who dives to his right and makes the stop.
Marco Jansen to Ibrahim Zadran, Full and outside off this time, Ibrahim Zadran drives it to the right of the bowler.
Marco Jansen to Ibrahim Zadran, Hits the back of a length, angling down the leg side, Ibrahim Zadran shuffles and gets cramped for room and can only push it to mid off.
Marco Jansen to Rahmanullah Gurbaz, A leg bye and Afghanistan are underway! Marco Jansen lands it on a shade fuller length, swinging into the batter and angling onto the pads, Rahmanullah Gurbaz misses to tuck it away and the ball brushes off his thigh pad towards deep fine.
It's time for the action now! The fans of both teams have come in numbers here and it is a festive atmosphere here in Trinidad. We can see the South African players in a huddle who then spread out and take their respective field positions. The formidable duo of Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran are the two openers for Afghanistan. The tall left-armer, Marco Jansen has the new ball in his hand and is raring to go. Let's play...
We are moments away from the start of this momentous clash but before that, the players from both sides make their way out to the middle with a lot of pride and line up for their respective national anthems. It will be Afghanistan's first, followed by the national anthem of South Africa.
PITCH REPORT - Shaun Pollock and Ricky Ponting are at the 22 yards. Pollock says the temperature has come down and a gentle breeze is blowing. Mentions that it is equidistant being 63 meters at both squares. Ricky Ponting joins him and says it is a brand new pitch. He adds that four games have been played at this venue with the average score being only 91. Says there are a few cracks and if you look closely inside the cracks, there's some thatchy grass. Reckons there's going to be a lot of spin and seam on this track with an uneven bounce as well. Ends up by saying that dew won't be a factor because of the breeze.
Aiden Markram, the captain of South Africa says that they would have batted first as well. Adds that it is a fresh wicket but he is not too upset bowling first and will look to use the conditions early on. Mentions that they have played good cricket throughout the tournament and have adapted to the wickets well, they just need to keep doing the basics right and they will be closer to a perfect game. Informs they are unchanged as well.
Rashid Khan, the skipper of Afghanistan says it's a fresh wicket and they want to have a total on the board. Adds that the middle order hasn't got that time in the middle as the top order has batted responsibly. Says they didn't get much rest time as they came here straight out of the last game and a 4-hour flight delay didn't help as well. But adds that everyone in the team is pumped up for this challenge. Further says they will bring the skills on the field and that will decide the game for them. Informs that they are going with the same side.
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