South Africa vs Afghanistan, 8th Match: 8 key moments, ball by ball
Afghanistan Sixes won by 3 wickets (with 0 ball remaining).
Afghanistan Sixes won by 3 wickets (with 0 ball remaining) in 8th Match of Hong Kong Sixes — Group D. Here is how the match turned, ball by ball: the overs that changed it, the wickets that mattered and the numbers behind the result.
Key moments, ball by ball
- SA Over 3 — 28 runs came off the over, bowled by Farmanullah Safi: 6 6 0 6 4 6
- SA Over 3.6 — Jorich Van Schalkwyk brings up a fifty off 17 balls
- SA Over 4.4 — Steve Stolk out for 26 (11), caught by Gulbadin Naib. 78/1
- SA Over 6 — 22 runs came off the over, bowled by Imran Mir: 6 4 1 6 4 1
- AFG Over 4 — 34 runs came off the over, bowled by Blake Simpson: nb nb 1 6 1 1 1 nb 6
- AFG Over 5.2 — Gulbadin Naib out for 31 (10), caught by Alindile Mhletywa. 88/3
- AFG Over 6 — 25 runs came off the over, bowled by Jorich Van Schalkwyk: 6 6 0 1 6 6
- AFG Over 6.3 — Sediqullah Pacha finished it off with a six off Jorich Van Schalkwyk
How the runs came
South Africa were 51 after 3 overs and finished on 107/1. Afghanistan were 35 after 3 overs and finished on 112/3.
Phase by phase
| Phase | SA | AFG |
|---|---|---|
| Powerplay (1-2) | 23/0 (RR 11.50) | 29/1 (RR 14.50) |
| Middle overs (3-7) | 83/1 (RR 20.75) | 84/2 (RR 21.00) |
The two sides were level phase by phase; single overs made the difference.
South Africa innings: over by over
South Africa faced 7 dot balls (19%), hit 6 fours and 12 sixes, and got 0 extras. The best stand was 78 off 28 balls between Jorich Van Schalkwyk & Steve Stolk.
Fall of wickets: 78-1 (Steve Stolk, 4.4)
Afghanistan innings: over by over
Afghanistan faced 7 dot balls (18%), hit 5 fours and 12 sixes, and got 6 extras. The best stand was 59 off 19 balls between Gulbadin Naib & Farmanullah Safi.
Fall of wickets: 25-1 (Imran Mir, 1.5), 29-2 (Karim Janat, 2.1), 88-3 (Gulbadin Naib, 5.2)
Our view
South Africa looked in control after posting 107/1, thanks to Jorich Van Schalkwyk’s explosive 52 off 17 balls and his 78-run partnership with Steve Stolk. Their strong finish, including 22 runs in the final over, gave Afghanistan a challenging target. However, Afghanistan showed that they were ready to match South Africa’s attacking approach.
The turning point came in the fourth over of Afghanistan’s innings, when 34 runs came off Blake Simpson’s bowling. Gulbadin Naib also added valuable runs with a quick 31 off 10 balls. Even after his dismissal, Afghanistan kept the pressure on and scored 25 runs in the final over. Sediqullah Pacha’s six on the last delivery sealed a thrilling three-wicket victory with no balls remaining.
Top performers
- Jorich Van Schalkwyk — 52 (17 balls)
- Farmanullah Safi — 38 (14 balls)
- Gulbadin Naib — 31 (10 balls)
- Alindile Mhletywa — 2/25 (2 ov)
- Abdullah Bayoumy — 1/21 (1 ov)
- Gulbadin Naib — 1/24 (2 ov)
Full scorecard and ball-by-ball commentary: South Africa vs Afghanistan
