Afridi lifts Pakistan into World T20 final
Shahid Afridi shone with bat and ball as Pakistan dumped South Africa
by seven runs to storm into the World Twenty20 final here on Thursday.
The maverick batsman smashed 51 from 34 balls and then grabbed 2-16
with his leg-spin as Pakistan successfully defended 149-4 to restrict
the favoured Proteas to 142-5 before a sell-out crowd at Trent Bridge.
Pakistan, runners-up to India in the inaugural World Twenty20 in
South Africa two years ago, await the winners of Friday's semi-final
between Sri Lanka and the West Indies in Sunday's final at Lord's.
Afridi plundered eight boundaries, including four in succession off
Johan Botha, after Pakistan elected to bat on a wicket that slowed down
as the evening progressed.
Veteran Jacques Kallis made a brave attempt to take the South
Africans home, striking seven fours and a six in 64 from 54 balls, but
the other batsmen faltered against the spot-on attack.
South Africa made a steady start in reply as openers Kallis and
Graeme Smith reached 40 by the sixth over.
Smith failed to make use of an early chance when he was dropped by
Umar Gul as he skied a return catch to Mohammad Aamir after making 10.
Afridi, coming on to bowl in the seventh over, struck twice in four
deliveries when he bowled Herschelle Gibbs and AB de Villiers to make
South Africa 50-3 in 8.3 overs.
Afridi and fellow-spinner Saeed Ajmal, made runs hard to come by, and
when the dangerous Gul came on to bowl in the 14th over, South Africa
needed a further 77 from 42 balls.
Kallis and JP Duminy raised South Africa's hopes by adding 61 from 53
balls for the fourth wicket, but Ajmal broke the threatening stand by
having Kallis caught in the deep in the 18th over.Duminy remained
unbeaten on 44 from 39 balls but the task of needing 23 runs in the last
over bowled by Aamir proved too much for him and Mark Boucher.
It did not matter at the end that Pakistan, who were 120-3 after 15
overs, failed to build on the early advantage and managed just 29 runs
in the final five overs. Pakistan had made a frenetic start, racing to
28 off the first 15 deliveries but at the cost of two wickets.
After Kamran Akmal had taken eight runs in Dale Steyn's first over,
Shahzaib Hasan fell in the second over for zero when he miscued a big
hit off left-arm seamer Wayne Parnell.
Akmal struck a six in Steyn's second over, but fell off the next
delivery as he top-edged a pull to Morkel at mid-on.
Akmal made 23 from 12 balls with four boundaries and a six.
Afridi, promoted to number three, swung Kallis for two fours in one
over as Pakistan reached 47-2 by the time the field restrictions ended
after the sixth.
Afridi brought up his half-century off 33 deliveries after slamming
off-spinner Botha for four consecutive boundaries in the 11th over that
realised 18 runs.
A desperate Smith turned to slow bowler Duminy in the 13th over and
struck gold first ball as Afridi holed out to mid-wicket.
PAKISTAN
Kamran Akmal c Morkel b Steyn 23
Shahzaib Hasan c van der Merwe b Parnell 0
Shahid Afridi c de Villiers b Duminy 51
Shoaib Malik c Botha b van der Merwe 34
Younus Khan not out 24
Abdur Razzaq not out 12
Extras: (lb2, w3) 5
TOTAL (for 4 wkts) 149
Fall of wickets: 1-8, 2-28, 3-95, 4-124.
Bowling: Steyn 4-0-28-1,
Parnell 4-0-26-1 (w1),
Kallis 2-0-14-0 (w1),
Morkel 2-0-13-0 (w1),
van der Merwe 4-0-29-1,
Botha 2-0-23-0,
Duminy 2-0-14-1.
SOUTH AFRICA
J. Kallis c Malik b Ajmal 64
G. Smith c and b Aamir 10
H. Gibbs b Afridi 5
A.B. de Villiers b Afridi 1
J.P. Duminy not out 44
A. Morkel run out 2
M. Boucher not out 0
Extras: (b4, lb11, w1) 16
TOTAL (for 5 wkts) 142 Fall of wickets: 1-40, 2-46, 3-50, 4-111, 5-134.
Bowling: Razzaq 3-0-19-0,
Aamir 4-0-30-1,
Afridi 4-0-16-2,
Ajmal 4-0-23-1,
Malik 1-0-5-0,
Gul 3-0-19-0 (w1),
Fawad 1-0-15-0.
NOTTINGHAM, Thursday, AFP |