Shahid Afridi gave a spectacular all-round performance to propel Pakistan to a seven-run victory over South Africa in their Twenty20 World Cup semi-final at Trent Bridge on Thursday.
Afridi scored 51 from 34 balls in Pakistan’s 149 for four and then took two for 16 from his four overs as South Africa struggled to 142 for five.
Pakistan are to meet the winners of last night’s semi-final between Sri Lanka and the West Indies in the final at Lord’s tomorrow.
PHOTO: AFP
“It was our last chance, it was a semi-final, we don’t have any other chances after that. It is good for our team and it is good for Pakistan cricket,” Afridi told Sky Sports.
Afridi, batting at No. 3, finally recaptured the explosive form which makes him such a threat in one-day cricket.
He took four boundaries off an over from off-spinner Johan Botha, including a wristy glide to third man.
South Africa captain Graeme Smith opted to persevere with spin, tossing the ball to part-time off-spinner J.P. Duminy.
Afridi tried to crash Duminy’s first ball through the leg-side but managed only to loft it to A.B. de Villiers at mid-wicket who completed the catch.
After Afridi’s departure, only Shoaib Malik with 34 from 39 made any impact and Pakistan added just 29 from the last five overs with one boundary.
Jacques Kallis anchored the South African reply with 64 from 54 balls including seven fours and a six.
He put on 40 for the first wicket from 5.5 overs with Smith (10) but the introduction of Afridi’s quick leg-spin turned the match around.
Afridi beat the dangerous Herschelle Gibbs (5) with a leg-spinner outside the off-stump then bowled him with a delivery that slipped straight through. He followed up by bowling de Villiers for one.
Off-spinner Saeed Ajmal was also outstanding with one for 23 from four overs and his dismissal of Kallis, caught on the long-on boundary by Shoaib Malik, was the beginning of the end for South Africa.
“Afridi really played a great knock and got them ahead of the game and we had to fight back and we did that,” Smith said. “We had a solid start. Jacques played really well, but we were just unable to finish it off.”
Elena Rybakina’s Kazakhstan yesterday dumped defending champions Germany out of the United Cup with world No. 2 Alexander Zverev sidelined by an arm injury barely a week away from the Australian Open. The upset in Perth sent the Kazakhs into the semi-finals of the 18-nation tournament. In Sydney, women’s world No. 2 Iga Swiatek led Poland into the last eight by winning a rematch of her 2023 French Open final against Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic. Britain also progressed to the quarter-finals with Katie Boulter’s dominant 6-2, 6-1 victory over Australia’s Olivia Gadecki enough to guarantee they won their group. The US and
HAT-TRICK PREP: World No. 1 Sabalenka clinched her first win of the season, as she aims to become the first woman in 20 years to win three Australian Opens in succession Coco Gauff, Jasmine Paolini and Taylor Fritz yesterday all clocked impressive wins as tennis powerhouses Italy and the US surged into the quarter-finals of the mixed-team United Cup. World No. 3 Gauff swept past Croatia’s Donna Vekic 6-4, 6-2 to avenge a loss at the Paris Olympics, while Fritz took care of Borna Coric 6-3, 6-2 in searing Perth heat. That was enough to put the Americans — last year’s winners — into a last-eight clash with China today, while Elena Rybakina’s Kazakhstan today are to meet defending champions Germany, led by Alexander Zverev, in the other Perth quarter-final. In Sydney, the in-form
Taiwanese e-sports team Ban Mei Gaming (BMG) claimed second place at this year’s Arena of Valor International Championship (AIC 2024) in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, after losing to the Thai team Bacon Time (BAC) in the finals on Sunday In the final match, BMG faced BAC, who finished top in the winners’ bracket, but lost 0-4. However, BMG still walked away with US$100,000 in prize money for finishing runners-up. The AIC 2024 began with 16 teams competing in the Swiss Stage, where teams played up to five rounds. Those securing three wins advanced to the Knockout Stage, while teams
Japan’s national high-school soccer tournament is thriving after more than 100 years, attracting huge crowds, millions watching on TV and breeding future stars, despite professional clubs trying to attract young talent. The annual tournament kicked off on Saturday and is still regarded as the pinnacle of amateur soccer with young players dreaming of playing in the final in front of tens of thousands at the National Stadium in Tokyo. Matches are a massive occasion for the whole school as student cheering squads wave flags, bang drums and roar on their teams in a spectacle of noise and color. “All the
RSS