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Gurbaz century, Rashid 5-wickets, Afghanistan thrash Proteas

football20 September 2024 19:37| © MWP
By:Neil Manthorp
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A brilliant century from opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz, 5-19 from the great Rashid Khan and a calamitous batting performance from South Africa saw Afghanistan post an imposing total of 311-4 to win the second of three one-day internationals at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Friday.

South Africa were dismissed for an embarrassing 134 to lose by a humiliating 177-runs and, having been dismissed for just 106 in the first game on Wednesday to lose by 6-wickets, have lost the series 2-0 with the final game scheduled at the same venue on Sunday.

22-year-old right hander, Gurbaz, became his country’s leading century maker with his seventh three-figure score in ODIs belting ten fours and three sixes in a wonderful 105 from 110 balls while there were half centuries from Rahmat Shah (50) and Azmatullah Omarzai who smashed an unbeaten 86 from just 50 balls.

South Africa’s run chase began promisingly with captain Temba Bavuma (38) and Tony de Zorzi (31) adding 73 for the first wicket but the subsequent collapse was spectacular with an implosion to 112-7, seven wickets falling for 39 runs in just 13.2 overs.

Bavuma top-edged a pull-shot, de Zorzi inside edged a Rashid Khan googly to the ‘keeper and Reeza Hendricks’ pathetically wretched run of form ended when left arm spinner Nangelayia Kharote bowled him, ending the pain of 17 runs from 34 balls with just a single boundary.

Tristan Stubbs was evidently furious about the Umpire Review decision which saw him caught at slip, sweeping Rashid, but there was no doubt about Kyle Verreynne’s second ball duck, missing Rashid’s googly. He reviewed the palpable lbw anyway.

Rashid completed his 5-wicket haul by bowling Aiden Markram (21) and left-arm spinner Nangeyalia Kharote gobbled up the tail to finish with 4-26 from 6.2 overs.

But the day belonged to Gurbaz whose only moments of doubt or uncertainty came when he faced seven balls on 99 including a maiden from South Africa’s best bowler, Bjorn Fortuin, who conceded only 39 runs from his 10 overs.

Fellow opener Riaz Hasan (29) shared a first wicket partnership of 88 in just 17.3 overs to set the innings up on another low, slow pitch which is likely to become increasingly awkward to bat on in the second innings.

Aiden Markram (4-0-20-1) trapped Hasan lbw but Rahmat and Gurbaz added another 101 for the second wicket to pile the pressure on the Proteas bowlers before a tired Gurbaz swung across the line against Nandre Burger (10-0-68-1) and was bowled.

Rahmat charged down the pitch to legspinner Nqaba Peter (10-0-68-1) and was easily stumped by Kyle Verreyne and Mohammad Nabi (13) carved a Lungi Ngidi (10-0-50-1) slower ball to Temba Bavuma on the cover boundary but Omarzai, promoted to No 4, was in scintillating form with five fours and half a dozen sixes.

The intense heat made conditions especially difficult but only partly explained the mistakes, misfields and listlessness of the men in green who had few answers to an impressively paced and controlled batting performance.

South Africa made two changes from the team which lost the first match by six-wickets on Wednesday night with allrounders Jason Smith and Andile Phehlukwayo making way for captain Temba Bavuma (who was ill on Wednesday) and legspinner Nqaba Peter.

AFGHANISTAN: Riaz Hassan, Ikram Alikhil (wkt), Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (captain), Azmatullah Omarzai, Gulbadin Naib, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Nangeyalia Kharote, Allah Ghazanfar, Fazalhaq Farooqi

SOUTH AFRICA: Temba Bavuma (captain), Tony de Zorzi, Reeza Hendricks, Aiden Markram, Tristan Stubbs, Kyle Verreynne (wkt), Wiaan Mulder, Bjorn Fortuin, Nandre Burger, Nqaba Peter, Lungi Ngidi

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