A.B. de Villiers announced himself at the World Twenty20 with a swashbuckling 64 and Afghanistan made a swift start to their chase as South Africa revived their campaign with a 37-run win at the Wankhede Stadium yesterday.
South Africa batted first after winning the toss and racked up 209-5 in their 20 overs.
Afghanistan came out all guns blazing in their assault on the target, with the diminutive Mohammad Shahzad leading the charge, hitting 44 off 19 deliveries.
Photo: AP
Shahzad, who hit five sixes and three fours, tore into paceman Kyle Abbott in the second over and took 22 runs off him as Afghanistan made a strong start.
The right-hander took Afghanistan to 47 in three overs — a reminder of the onslaught by the England batsmen on Friday — before paceman Chris Morris uprooted his stumps.
Afghanistan were ahead of South Africa’s score at the halfway stage on 103-2, but lost too many wickets to keep up with the required run rate.
Morris showed good control to finish with four wickets, while leg-spinner Imran Tahir and fast bowlers Abbott and Kagiso Rabada all picked up two wickets each.
Earlier, opener Quinton de Kock (45) continued his impressive show with the bat and added 65 for the second wicket with captain Faf du Plessis after South Africa lost Hashim Amla early.
The Proteas lost De Kock and Du Plessis (41) in quick succession, which set the stage for De Villiers to explode.
The right-hander was dropped by Samiullah Shenwari on 26 off his own bowling and then again on 35 by the same fielder.
In Kolkata on Saturday, Virat Kohli helped India survive a top-order collapse and beat Pakistan by six wickets in a tight game to revive their campaign.
Kohli’s magnificent 55 not out was the difference between the sides in the rain-hit 18-overs-per-side match, coming under tremendous pressure on a prodigiously turning track at Eden Gardens chasing 119.
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