Magazine : 
ICC Men's T20 WC'24: South Africa Blazes into T20 Final, Crushing Afghanistan
South Africa dominated Afghanistan with a clinical 9-wicket victory at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy Stadium in Tarouba, San Fernando. This win marks South Africa's first-ever qualification for the T20 World Cup final, where they await the winner of the semi-final match between India and England.
Afghanistan, opting to bat after winning the toss, struggled against the seasoned South African bowling attack. They lost over half of their wickets during the initial powerplay and were eventually dismissed for 56 runs in 11.5 overs. Pacer Marco Jansen and spinner Tabraiz Shamsi stood out, each claiming 3 wickets, while Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje contributed with 2 wickets apiece, showcasing a stellar display of all-round bowling prowess.
South Africa chased down the target without any trouble, securing a comfortable 9-wicket victory. Despite an early departure for opener Quinton de Kock, Reeza Hendricks (29) and captain Aiden Markram (23) ensured a smooth run towards victory. For Afghanistan, it was a disheartening moment as they couldn't offer much resistance in their inaugural World Cup semi-final appearance. Notably, Afghanistan reached the semi-finals by defeating Australia and Bangladesh in consecutive Super Eight matches.
Speaking to the press after the match, Rashid said, “We have enjoyed this tournament. We will accept playing a semi-final and losing to a top side like Africa. It is just the beginning for us, we have the confidence and belief to beat any side. We just need to keep our processes going. This has been a great learning experience for us. What we take from the competition is our belief. We know we have the skills, it is just about managing tough situations, pressure situations".
“There is some work to be done, especially in the middle, in order to take the innings deep. As I said, it is always learning for our team, and we have achieved good results so far, but we come back doing more hard work, especially in the batting department", the Afghanistan skipper added.
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